The Old-Fashioned Way

I'm something of an oddity. I like doing old-fashioned things, but I prefer doing them in modern ways. For example, all the bread we eat here at home is homemade. However, my hands aren't as strong as they used to be so I have my trusty bread machine do the bulk of the kneading for me. The opposite applies, as well. All our dishes go through the dishwasher. . .only to be set up in a dish rack to air dry.

My attitude toward education is the same. New technology is great, but sometimes you can't beat a set of flashcards when getting ready for your next quiz on multiplication tables. Conversely, you can't really learn basic computer skills from books alone. You need that hands-on component (playing with the computer itself) to make it all stick. You really need both tried-and-true techniques and shiny new programs and gadgets to achieve a complete learning experience. About a million notebooks litter the landscape of our home, because I prefer to do much of my planning and writing with good ol' pen and paper. Even the writing I do for this blog is rarely stream-of-consciousness; I typically have a hand-written outline sitting next to me to remind me where I want to go in each entry.

After talking things out with a few of my friends yesterday (thanks, y'all), I've decided to begin my education in game design somewhat old-fashionedly: I'm going to the library. I'm going with the express purpose of setting up my self-taught curriculum using a few books that were suggested to me by folks at TGC. Specifically, this one by Rafael Chandler and another one by Lee Sheldon. I'll add to my curriculum as suggestions come up and as materials become available. I'll be checking out a copy of Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind today, too.

What? Reading fantasy fiction counts as homework in this industry. . .right?

If things go well, I might even head over to Barnes & Noble to pick up a book or two to brush up on my HTML while bugging my friends Chrissy & Autumn at the coffee counter. :)