449: who what

I'm losing time as the result of my discovery of Google Chrome app store, and my downloading (for free of course, what kind of lunatic would pay for an app on a browser?) of the game The Godfather, Five Families. I am a low-level Corleone Associate slowly working my way up the ladder of respect and influence; one day I may be Don Kevin of the Corleone Family. You never know; it could happen.

Then there is Cargo Bridge where you must build bridges to help little folks with medieval armor-helmets and jelly-bean legs cross impassable ravines by blueprinting wood and steel props, supports and walkways. Then you test them out and watch the people plunge into the pit below, or gallantly rescue a damsel or reclaim some lost treasure.

This is a complete waste of time... pure brain rot, either the cause of or a symptom of a deeper problem that is preventing me from writing or thinking to much. It's probably pretty normal behaviour for most people to waste a bit of time playing on a computer game, but it is something I only occasionally dip into, and only for a short couple-or-few-day burst that is basically a long weekend in a pixelated make-believe world of fun and adventure.

The problem is, these games are very simple to use, pleasing, addictive, plentiful and free. And the games like Godfather take a very long time – some actions can take days to complete, such as building a new library (yes, even criminals value the written word) or saving up to buy new mattresses for the hide-outs. Ahh, the joy of fantasy worlds....

Short attention span is current mode... more interested in playing than writing. The first week of National Novel Writing Month burned me out and I'm struggling to get back into it. Now it looks like I'll end the month with a good chunk of a novel and a lot of structure, plot and character written and planned, but I highly doubt I'll reach 50,000 words. Maybe if I wasn't working full time, or something else... something else is distracting me from writing.... got to go and collect my cut from Tony's Auto Body repair shop, then I can upgrade my steel mill, and train my goons in the use of Tommy guns....