User:Gideoncrawle

How providential when you find

The face an index to the mind,

And evil men compelled to call

Themselves by names like Gideon Crawle!


 * --W.S. Gilbert, Ruddigore

I am the "evil man" who calls himself Gideoncrawle, although I will answer to any reasonable permutation thereof.

Regarding who I am and what I'm about, let's start with the proverbial elephant in the room: I am vastly older than most of the folks on this wiki. We're talking decades older. Some of the teens on this wiki are almost young enough to be my grandchildren.

So, what is a middle-aged man doing on a wiki for a kid's show like Total Drama? That's a good question, and here's a good answer: if it's well-written, what does it matter if it's (allegedly) a kid's show? Somehow, TDI captured my imagination in a way that only one other TV show (Sci-fi Channel's elimination game, Who Wants to be a Superhero? has done in the last 10 years. (TDA was okay, but I liked TDI better, mainly because TDA largely lacked its predecessor's sense of discovery. I'm looking forward to TDM, er, TDWT.)

In addition, my darling wife and I are longtime animation fans. We like TD's sister series, 6Teen, for the same reasons that we like TD itself.

Furthermore, my main hobby is sports photography (mostly volleyball and girls' basketball) at my former high school, so I spend a lot of time around teens, whom I have never been inclined to treat as anything but equals.

The TDI characters I most closely resembled at that age are Cody and Noah. Allowing for the idiosyncrasies of the drawing style, I even looked rather like Cody. Like Cody, I was a science geek, playing up a year (e.g. taking junior-level classes as a sophomore) in my math and science classes. Like Noah, I spent most of my formative years with a book in my hands, e.g. reading Sacagawea when I was all of 6 years old.

I differed from Cody mainly in that I never considered myself one of the "cool" kids, nor cared. I differed from Noah mainly in that people generally considered me a more pleasant person to be around, and I had no particular aversion to athletics (although I typically approached them with more enthusiasm than talent).

The short story Legacy is my first published fanfic. (I started two fanfic stories, both sci-fi crossovers, in the mid-90s, but never finished them and eventually abandoned them.) I have since contributed to the Fake Souls anthology that Tdiandrockmusic2 (aka TDIRM) started.

WRITING WORKSHOP COMING SOON
Several users have asked me for tips on writing style; so when I get some time, I will be hosting a discussion of the topic on my blog page. Anyone who wishes to participate, either to learn tips or to offer tips or both, is welcome to do so. The more, the merrier. I expect the discussion to be driven largely by questions and examples, because so much of my style is (or has become) second nature to me.

I am hoping to conduct this discussion sometime around the end of March, but there may be a significant delay. See my blog page for details.

Now on the wiki
Legacy (My first published fanfic. Response has been so enthusiastic that people are asking me for writing tips.)

"Rise of the Dragon Queen" (Chapter 22 of the Fake Souls anthology)

Coming soon
Total Drama Island, by Gilbert and Sullivan


 * What if Gilbert & Sullivan had written TDI? The canon story arc retold with 8,000 lines of G&S verse--that's over 70% of the total verse in the 14 G&S plays--and an average of 33 verse references per episode. A 400-page (8.5x11 equivalent) magnum opus 15 months in the making. Includes verses for Mr. Coconut, Sasquatchinakwa, The Escaped Psycho Killer With a Chainsaw and a Hook, and more.
 * A sneak preview is now available on my blog page.

"Courtney and the Violin of Despair"


 * Some red meat for the Courtney-haters. A series of embarrasing musical incidents based on true stories.

Friends List

 * Always as a young man


 * I traveled alone,


 * And I would lose my way;


 * I felt I was rich


 * If I made a friend--


 * No man by himself is happy.


 * --from The Elder Edda (a collection of Viking poetry)

OK, let's see if there's anyone out there who's willing to be seen with "the old man of the wiki".


 * 1) I usually dont care where my user name's seen. You Rock Gideon! Reddude Has... [| Waffles!! :)] [| and SYRUP!] 23:53, February 28, 2010 (UTC) [the first to offer me "friend" status - GC]
 * Eh, nobody really mocks each other here, so props to a great author! Tdirm- Semi-Legendary  Mockery!   NIRVANA EVERYWHERE!  20:54, March 1, 2010 (UTC) [an early champion of my work - GC]
 * 1) Your writing style is one of a kind, at least here. Besides, I already know that age boundaries are meaningless here. -- ☆ HERE'S SPENNY!!   Oh wait, I gotta go!   Cya(n)!  21:23, March 7, 2010 (UTC)
 * 2) I really like your writing, and you're also very nice! -- I sing the song of the fading  silver star...  21:31, March 7, 2010 (UTC) [perhaps the best writer of her age class I have ever encountered - GC]
 * 3) You're an awesome writer, and you're very nice. Goldenshane 22:52, March 7, 2010 (UTC) [another early champion of my work - GC]
 * 4) You are an awesome writer and are a rising star-- Ken zen   Elev  en!  16:58, March 9, 2010 (UTC)
 * 5) We haven't had a lot of interactions, but I enjoy your writing. Sprinklemist Cyan is the new green. 17:00, March 9, 2010 (UTC)
 * 6) You're cool. Boring sig. 19:45, March 9, 2010 (UTC)