Writer-Ambrosia 5

Welcome back, fellow inspiration addicts!

So, how's your life trotting along? Right, I hear you, none of my business. Then we'll awkwardly skip on to the subject of--me! I'm moving along myself, preparing a novel of mine for ebook publication, researching, planning out a future series, etc. Exciting, right? Or exciting for a writer, at least. Maybe not so thrilling compared to, say, an acrobat's newest performance or any number of Evel Knievel's acts, but for me, pretty heart-stopping.

Anyhow, with this schedule, I'm reducing updates. Don't cry now, M-pals. We'll still meet every Tuesday and Friday--promise! So make sure to stop on by every Tuesday and Friday, at least for the summer. I may have to reduce again for going back to school in September, but we'll leave that decision until later. Much the same way I handle laundry.

Anyhow, I believe it's time to get down to business. So, what's today's writer website snack? Scroll on down, guys, and you'll have your answer.

The official writer's website of the day is...

Writer's Digest http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/new-agency-alerts

Writer's Digest is basically the professional hub of all things writers. It hosts articles written by agents, published writers, editors, etc., to give writing advice to those of us who are less fortunate and less published. I think of it as the nucleus of the online writing world, but with less science and more phraseology.

The link I've given you is only one of the many sided Writer's Digest creation; the New Agency Alerts page is one of my best friends, a permanent member of my favorites list. Every time an agent has pointedly expressed that they are actively seeking new clients, or a new agent has been opened up in a new agency or just entered the scene, Chuck gives us all a holler. I swear, if I ever met that guy, I'd probably have to stop myself from launching on him and hugging the hishnit out of his big ole smile! New agents or opened agents are excellent opportunities, for both you and the agent in question.

Want my advice? Stop on by and explore Writer's Digest! Sign up for the online newsletter, get the 101 Best Websites for Writers (many of which will be featured on this blog), and expand your world. Writer's Digest is the online writer's café. Head on over and give it a shot.

What's that? You want your biweekly dose of writer-ambrosia? You've got it; I'll get the bath salts. 

L337

Background:

Leet (or "1337"), also known as eleet or leetspeak, is an alternative alphabet for the English language that is used primarily on the Internet. It uses various combinations of ASCII characters to replace Latinate letters. For example, leet spellings of the word leet include 1337 and l33t; eleet may be spelled 31337 or 3l33t.

The term leet is derived from the word elite. The leet alphabet is a specialized form of symbolic writing. Leet may also be considered a substitution cipher, although many dialects or linguistic varieties exist in different online communities. The term leet is also used as an adjective to describe formidable prowess or accomplishment, especially in the fields of online gaming and in its original usage, computer hacking.
(For more information on L337 history, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet and http://www.tek-lado.com/2011/01/19/sp34k-memory-the-history-of-leet/?lang=en)


Literary Significance:

One of the most famous pieces of work containing l33t, and the piece of work responsible for the expansion of knowledge concerning l337 sp34k, is Megatokyo. Using this as my plug may be cheating, since it is not technically a piece of pure literature, but since it is a comic and, therefore, uses words, I'm going to risk it.

Megatokyo is a graphic novel accomplished through online comic updates. You can buy the actual novels, read it for free online, and purchase their brand products (most of which are superbly hilarious). The story follows the two main character Piro and Largo, which I believe were the original creators' usernames. Megatokyo uses l33t sp34k as a tension used throughout the work; it is almost the line where Largo and Piro's world--the place where the gaming, geek, and online savvy thrive--and the complicated and deceitfully simple reality of the world collide.

I am personally a fan of Megatokyo, both for the unique art and fantastic story development. Although it is not purely a piece of literature, it performs the same tasks with the same literary devices, just with the added element of visual performance.

Have a hankering for l33t sp34k and all that g33k fun? Check out Megatokyo! It's online and free, so no harm done, rightio gov'nah?  http://www.megatokyo.com/ 

Dare You to Try...

• Decipher the billboard. I dare you.
• A "real world gal" is being sent notes full of crazy numbers and jumbled symbols. She may not know what they mean, but the geeky guy working in the hotdog stand across from her Abercrombie cashier job sure does. Can he save her life from the stalking threat? Or, could this love-struck boy be the creep in disguise?
• Who would broadcast a l33t message on a public billboard? What is the message? A cry for help, a hacker's call to arms, or a proposal between a cute gaming couple?
•  L33t is almost unreadable to most people. But who's to say this sign is for people?
• A robot malfunctions and starts l34king government secrets through public billboards. Fortunately, the information is 3l173 coded. Unfortunately, a poor g33k in the crowd deciphers it. Will the government catch him? Can he bear the information he just accidentally decoded?
• Have fun! Pick a person from the crowd and try to imagine what their story would be after reading this l33t sign.

The Challenge Try to come up with a pitch for this picture's story, and share it with your fellow M-pals! You may never end up writing the novel, but if you can create the plot or pitch for one after looking at a single photograph, you'll never run out of ideas.