Category Archives: technology

That Handbook Thing

Posted on February 26, 2023 by midiguru

I’ve written a couple of books on music technology. Got paid, even; these were not self-published projects. In recent years, though, the market for that type of book seems to have imploded. New software is released, but the publishers are … Continue reading →

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Fitting the Planks

Posted on February 16, 2023 by midiguru

Just a quick note about world-building, and I’m pretty sure it applies equally well to science fiction and fantasy. (Not surprising, since science fiction is actually a subgenre within the fantasy genre.) Whenever you introduce an element into your story … Continue reading →

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Processed Art Substance

Posted on October 10, 2022 by midiguru

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a Zoom panel discussion about the use of AI (artificial intelligence) software in the arts. This was hosted by Nick Batzdorf, who is the content director at the Synth & Software website, … Continue reading →

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Let Me Count the Ways

Posted on October 9, 2022 by midiguru

I first encountered a synthesizer in 1975. I had just been hired as an assistant editor at a startup magazine called Contemporary Keyboard. (The name was later changed to Keyboard.) My boss, who was living down the walkway in the … Continue reading →

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Testing, 1, 2, 3…

Posted on July 17, 2022 by midiguru

This week I’ve had three intrepid beta-testers thrashing their way through my latest text adventure game, The Only Possible Prom Dress. The way this works is, I send them a version of the game and they start a playing session … Continue reading →

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Hidden Assumptions

Posted on July 4, 2022 by midiguru

Last month I decided it’s time to finish an interactive story (a text adventure game) that I started more than ten years ago. I’ve stopped working on it several times, the main reason being that it’s just too darn large. … Continue reading →

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From Inform 7 to TADS 3

Posted on June 16, 2022 by midiguru

From time to time, an author who has been writing interactive fiction in Inform 7 gets curious about how easy or difficult it would be to switch to TADS. Eric Eve (who has used both systems) wrote a good comparison … Continue reading →

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No, It’s Not Easy

Posted on June 10, 2022 by midiguru

Writing text adventure games is not easy. It’s a craft that combines conventional writing with both computer programming and game design. It’s kind of a niche art form, but people are still actively engaged in it. I’m one of them. … Continue reading →

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E is for “Ehh…”

Posted on January 30, 2022 by midiguru

This post will most likely be of no interest to you unless you’re a cellist and have some interest in electric cellos, either because you own one or because you’re wondering if you might like to buy one. But I … Continue reading →

Posted in cello, music, technology | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Informal

Posted on November 11, 2021 by midiguru

From time to time, moved by an impulse that’s nearly as obscure as dark matter, I find myself writing a text adventure game. Over the years I’ve written and released half a dozen of them, the first in 1999 and … Continue reading →

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