Talk:Wikinews interviews 17-year-old author of 'LEGO Heavy Weapons'
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[edit]- Not quite certain where/how the idea for this started....maybe I read about the book on a blog or something(could've been at BoingBoing, but can't swear to it).....but, nonetheless, thought it warranted an article just because the author is so young! I've corresponded with him via YouTube's messaging system (man, my Wikinewsie mail box has filled up with junk!!), and I'll post that stuff in here soon. Bddpaux (talk) 22:59, 12 June 2012 (UTC)
- The Wikinewsie email boxes will be migrating in about a month (bigger quotas!). In the interim, if you're annoyed by junk, mark it as such. The only drawback is you need to log into the webmail to clean out the spam folder. --Brian McNeil / talk 23:18, 12 June 2012 (UTC)
- Here is an exact copy/paste of the Q&A as he responded via my YouTube account:
"**Tried to send this to your wikinews email, but apparently your mailbox was full and the message got rejected. Couldn't attach photos so you can download them here instead: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9327118/LHW.zip **
Hi Paul,
Thought it was probably easiest if I bypassed YouTube's messaging service, seems easier that way. I've answered all questions underneath, if you need anything else just ask!
"First, how old are you now and how old were you when the book was published?"
17 at the moment, as I was when the book was published. I'll be 18 in just over a month though; you might need to take that into account if/when you publish
- I might tweak this response just a bit in the actual article. Bddpaux (talk) 03:05, 13 June 2012 (UTC)
"Who is the publisher of the book?"
No Starch Press, who're based in San Fransisco. http://nostarch.com/ for their main website; http://nostarch.com/legoheavyweapons for the page on my book
"Let me make sure I have the title of the book correct: "LEGO Heavy Weapons: Build working replicas of Four of the world's most impressive guns" ........is that correct?"
That's it :)
"How long have you been serious about LEGOs?"
Well I can't remember a time when I haven't been building with it... as to being 'serious' about it (if I haven't always been), the more major turning points would probably be when at age thirteen I posted my first gun online (this one http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/63782 , incidentally it's also the first gun in the book), and when I started working towards the book, which was around October 2010
"Are there any designers/creators who've inspired you?"
Not particularly. This may be due to the fact that most of my work was in replicating existing guns - which, of course, isn't quite the same as being inspired by someone and then designing something else from scratch.
"Educationally, where are you: finished with high school? In college?"
Just entering my last week of A2 exams (the last exams in school) at the moment, and then after that (well, in a few months' time) I'm off to university!
"What have your parents/family thought about your passions for LEGOs?"
They've always encouraged it. They'd buy me LEGO for birthdays and Christmas and so on, and I always enjoyed showing them the latest thing I'd built - of course I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am now without their support, so they must be okay with it!
"With the publishing world, did you face any challenges in getting your book published?"
I was very lucky actually - Tyler Ortman, my editor, contacted me out of the blue (also through YouTube's messaging system) and asked on behalf of No Starch if I'd like to write a book of instructions for them to publish. I'd just started teaching myself how to use some CAD software for modelling LEGO creations, so I was all set, really.
"Are you working on another book at present?"
Well I still have a few mechanism/gun ideas floating around in my head, but that's simply ideas for more of the models I've been building personally. I've got to get through university before I even consider the possibility, but after that, who knows?
"Have there been other activities/classes that have helped your LEGO work improve?"
Not really. Just time, patience, and lots and lots of bricks!
"Where can our readers see videos or other forms of your work?"
My YouTube channel has videos of most of the guns I've built, but with very little textual description: http://www.youtube.com/user/Streaty121
And my MOCpages homepage has lots of information on all the guns I've built (they didn't all end up on YouTube); there's descriptive text and a set of pictures for each one: http://www.mocpages.com/home.php/13860
Thanks, Jack!! Also, do you have a photo of your self ("publicity" photo -- so I can claim Fair Use rationale) or is there one I can grab at Wikimedia Commons?
Yup, we took a few ourselves so we could hand them out - attached are two of them, one slightly more 'rambo' than the other, depending on what you want :)
Cheers, Jack " Bddpaux (talk) 00:01, 13 June 2012 (UTC)
Just as a little side note.........
[edit]When I started working on this interview article here today, I had NO EARTHLY IDEA about that little OpEd over at the SF Chronicle's site.....I honestly didn't! But, I think it's important enough to throw in as a source........I think it should be listed as a primary source, even though its a bit stale, because this article is really about my interview with the author, but that SF Chronicle author adds a flavorful twist to things. Bddpaux (talk) 03:29, 13 June 2012 (UTC)
I don't know.......
[edit]about some of my formatting choices......maybe had too many Monster drinks today! Grrrrrrrrrrr! I'm feeling the Monster!!!!!! But, I think it's ready. Bddpaux (talk) 03:29, 15 June 2012 (UTC)
- and also: a very careful review of the play by play will show that I did a bit of cleanup here and there......I asked in writing and of course, he responded in writing........so, I had to touch things up here and there to make it properly read interview-ish. Bddpaux (talk) 03:30, 15 June 2012 (UTC)
Photos
[edit]Why not upload them to Commons, and then confirm as free-use via commons:Commons:OTRS process??? -- Cirt (talk) 13:51, 15 June 2012 (UTC)
- Great idea....I'll do just that right now!Bddpaux (talk) 15:42, 15 June 2012 (UTC)
Formatting
[edit]I fixed the formatting clunkiness, mostly. Mostly. -- Cirt (talk) 14:07, 15 June 2012 (UTC)
Lede
[edit]Could we have a succinct lede on this? --Pi zero (talk) 02:12, 17 June 2012 (UTC)
Review of revision 1532276 [Passed]
[edit]  |
Revision 1532276 of this article has been reviewed by Pi zero (talk · contribs) and has passed its review at 22:19, 17 June 2012 (UTC).
Comments by reviewer: None added. The reviewed revision should automatically have been edited by removing {{Review}} and adding {{Publish}} at the bottom, and the edit sighted; if this did not happen, it may be done manually by a reviewer. |
Revision 1532276 of this article has been reviewed by Pi zero (talk · contribs) and has passed its review at 22:19, 17 June 2012 (UTC).
Comments by reviewer: None added. The reviewed revision should automatically have been edited by removing {{Review}} and adding {{Publish}} at the bottom, and the edit sighted; if this did not happen, it may be done manually by a reviewer. |