Remember that post I wrote a few weeks back, about having an addictive personality? Remember how I mentioned that I used to play World of Warcraft, that the expansion was coming out soon, and that I had to force myself to resist its siren-like allure at all costs?
I failed.
Yesterday afternoon, I purchased Mists of Pandaria, the latest World of Warcraft expansion. Now, in my defence, the expansion came out on September 25th, meaning that I managed to restrain myself from purchasing it for 11 entire days. I know, not too shabby, right?
The premise, for those of you who don’t obsessively follow online gaming, is that an island previously shrouded in fog and mystery has suddenly been discovered, and it is occupied by … wait for it … the Pandaren. Aka, anthropomorphized pandas. Pandas, ladies and gentlemen. It sounds stupid, but honestly, it’s awesome.
To help you grasp the awesome, I present to you the following cinematic trailer for Mists of Pandaria:
Makes you want to buy the game, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it? Do you see my problem? I have no self control!!!
Anyway …
Now for the big question: how is this going to affect my writing? I have an addictive personality, and I acknowledge this. As such, I have decided to put certain restrictions on my gaming in order to ensure that I still accomplish things, and don’t become a vaguely Michelle-shaped blob slumped over at my computer desk.
First of all, I’m only allowed to play on the weekends. If I want to play on the weekdays, I have to play before 9 am, or after 9 pm. I have also started scheduling my days, as in I print off a schedule each morning and then block out my time to achieve maximum doing-things-ness. It worked really well last week, and I have high hopes that it will curb my World of Warcraft addiction and allow me to continue functioning like a normal human being.
In other Canadian news …
Tomorrow — okay, technically Monday, but whatever — is Canadian Thanksgiving. Normally that means going home to see my dad for roast turkey and delicious, delicious stovetop stuffing. This year, however, my friend is throwing a Game of Thrones themed Thanksgiving dinner. There will be bison roast, honey biscuits, squash soup, and iced blueberries in sweet cream. The dinner is called “A Thanksgiving of Ice and Fire”. I am going to make cupcakes, which isn’t exactly Game of Thrones themed, but who turns away free cupcakes? No one, that’s who.
Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!!!
Unrelated image of the day:
Cute … or terrifying?
Source: http://i.imgur.com/Vg5jh.jpg
Michelle Proulx - Author 
Read this blog post about gaming and writing: http://shannagermain2.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/what-writers-can-learn-from-games-button-a/
There’s a second one too you should check.
Enjoy your Canadian Thanksgiving! It sounds tasty.
Thanks for the link! I’d never heard of Shanna Germain before, but she’s brilliant, and her stories look great. Not to mention she’s a fellow gamer/writer 🙂 I love her idea of walking on a treadmill while gaming. Now to save up enough money to actually afford a desk … I mean, a treadmill …
The second one goes on about how games teach you about writing. It’s refreshing to see someone taking an attitude about gaming that’s more complex than “it’s a waste of time”. I could actually have used some gaming experience for the whole socialization aspect of it.
I don’t know – sounds dangerous, LOL! 🙂 Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!!
Thanks!
At least you’ve got a 100K word novel to show for your efforts! Go and play. 😉
Haha, true. But there’s always more to write. That being said, there are always more dragons to slay and quests to complete as well. What a toss up …
I, too, have fallen for the new WoW expansion. Friend sent me Scroll of Resurrection, which let me boost my Blood Elf Paladin to 80… now I’m almost 87. Like you, I’ve got that addictive personality when it comes to WoW, haha. 🙂
All my friends stopped playing WoW back in WoTLK, the jerks. I just play by myself now, although I’m looking for a fun guild to join. I whipped up a pandaren monk, mostly to see the new starting area, but he’s really grown on me. If you haven’t tried a monk yet, do it. They’re a blast to play, not to mention they’re basically glorified teddy bears.
I usually play by myself but am also in an awesome guild on the Nordrasil server. The guild is A Better Place (Horde). Amazing people; I know the guild leader personally (she’s the one that got me back playing, haha).
I plan on making a monk soon. 😀 Already love the new content.
I just read that gaming addiction is a very real thing. I hope this isn’t the case for you.
It’s not so much an addiction for me as it is a fond obsession. I am able to stop playing when need be 🙂
I used to be addicted to games. Now I’m addicted to writing
I envy you.
MIchelle;
I feel your pain, (about the World of Warcraft thing) although it is in a much different way.
For me, it is my boys…each of them in different rooms, playing the same game, not coming out of their room to eat or anything. I even tried to take them their food, so they did not have to pull themselves away…..
Not a chance! They love it as much, it seems, as you do! But, I believe in you! I think you can stick to your schedule.
Good Luck!
M. P. Little
Thanks! Ahhhh, your kids are addicted? And it’s probably really hard for you to get them to stop playing, because then you look like the bad guy. I started into WoW after I went away to college, so my parents never had to deal with that. Good luck!!!
He is definitely cute – I’m a textile artist, I want him. Someone has cut his lovely wool away, but I’m sure he’d be great to felt!
Bit of an addictive personality here, but not to games like that, thank goodness. I had spider solitaire on my computer and had to take it off, it was too addictive and every time I got a bit stuck, I went on there and forgot to come off again!
Good luck is all I have to say!
Oh man, I hear you. Spider Solitaire almost made me fail one of my classes, I was so addicted. Luckily I got bored of it before I got to the uninstalling point, so I can still play it whenever the mood strikes.
I want it, but I already spend all day in front of the computer. 😦 Oh well, I don’t need to be addicted so something else, I already spend way to much time browsing the web.
Yeah, that’s my problem too – I spend all my time in front of the computer. I try to go exercise/walking/shopping at least once a day to make sure I get out of the house, but the computer’s siren song is so sweet …
I have to pull myself away to do my workout, or homeschool the children or feed them. 😀
PS. love the picture of the Llama. Did you know (according to Gravity Falls -cartoon on Disney channel) Llamas are natures greatest warriors.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I had no idea. But it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.
As someone who also has an addictive personality, I think 11 days shows remarkable restraint. 🙂 Well done. Great final photo thanks for sharing.
Thanks 🙂 11 days isn’t bad, right?!! Hahaha. My mother would disagree with you. But then, she thinks my addictions are huge time-sucks, so … yeah 🙂