Chapter 16.5 | Writing Warm-Up (ft. A Hermitcraft x The Mandalorian Fanfiction)

The following is a fanfiction of events in the Hermitcraft series on YouTube and the Disney Plus series The Mandalorian. Please consider showing your support for both by checking out their respective channels or episodes (if possible). The parody names also come from the comments section of their videos.

Note: This was written before the outcome of the Turf War.

See, this is what happens when writers procrastinate writing their own stuff.


Title image for The Scaralorian Fanfiction

Chapter 16.5 The Player Head

Fearing that he would lose the Turf War and never see the glorious return of the Mycelium Resistance, Moff Grian abducted Scar’s Baby Yoda player head. Soon after its abduction, the Scaralorian traveled to Moff Grian’s upside down base in the Nether to discuss terms of release.

“I will give you the Player Head,” said Moff Grian with a wicked smile, “if you’ll build the back of my mansion.”

The terms were unfortunately too high and too impossible for Scar, and he had to leave empty-handed. But, he still had a plan.

The Scaralorian traveled across the server to recruit Bdubs and Cub for an assault on the Mycelium Resistance HQ. Though it looked like a Smurf home, the base was far more deadly thanks to modifications done by Doc.

Once united, the trio recruited Mumbo Jumbo so they could use his flying machine the Redstone I. As Mumbo finished prepping his flying machine, Scar polished his netherite armor and sharpened his netherite sword.

“How are you going to clean your helmet?” asked Bdubs. “You never take it off.”

The Scaralorian simply sighed. 

Soon, they were on their way. The Redstone I slowly inched its way to the mushroom-like base.

“Punch it,” said Scar.

“This is Minecraft,” said Mumbo. “This is as fast as it goes.”

Scar sighed once again.

Two hours later, the raiders arrived at the base. As they drew closer Doc’s security system activated. TNT canons shot at the Redstone I

“I’ll go ahead,” said the Scaralorian. “I’ll draw their fire while you make your way there.”

Scar switched out his netherite chest plate for an elytra. Scar leapt from the flying machine and blasted towards the base using a supply of rockets. The Scaralorian expertly dodged the canon fire. Flashes of light exploded around him as the air grew thick with the smell of gunpower. Finally, the air became less turbulent as Scar ducked down into the area under the canon’s range. He landed with a soft thud at the foot of the base. He ignored the nearby button; he wasn’t Moff Grian after all.

About twenty minutes later, the Redstone I arrived. Mumbo hacked the front door thanks to his knowledge of piston doors. However, the group was met by a mob of zombie troopers. The place quickly became a mess of swords, arrows, and rotten flesh…but the zombie troopers kept coming.

“We’re about to be overran,” said Cub in a panic.

Fortunately, Bdubs packed his bed. He placed down the bed and went to sleep. The time changed to day and the zombies caught fire in the sunlight.

With the way clear, the four hermits entered the base. Sitting atop a massive wooden throne was Moff Grian. A parrot with a nametag of Pesky Bird perched on the left armrest. Three dark hermit troopers stood at his side. Impulse, Rendog, and Etho waited wearing Bdubs player heads.

“Why am I here again?” asked Impulse.

“Shh,” said Moff Grian, “you’re not supposed to talk.” He then cleared his throat and faced the Scaralorian and his friends. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you made it this far, Scaralorian, but this is as far as you and your motley grew go…unless you agree to my terms and build the back of my mansion.” Scar stared at Moff Grian without saying a word. “Are…are you narrowing your eyes menacingly? It’s hard to tell with that helmet in the way.” Scar pulled his netherite sword. “Ah, I see that is your answer then.”

With a nod from Moff Grian, the three dark hermit troopers drew their diamond swords. Bdubs, Cub, and Mumbo equipped their iron swords.

“Hermit Challenges!” yelled Mumbo before charging at the nearest foe, who happened to be Etho.

Bdubs and Cub soon followed. The room filled with grunts and clangs as Scar approached Moff Grian. The Scaralorian sliced at Moff Grian with his netherite sword. At the last second, Moff Grian deflected the blow with his own netherite sword; however, it glowed with enchantments.

“Ha!” laughed the Resistance Mother Spore. “Didn’t think I had one of these, did you?”

Moff Grian struck at Scar. Scar blocked it. The two fought, striking and blocking. The swords clashed in bursts of iconic buzzing and crackling sounds. Finally, Scar won the upper-hand and knocked Moff Grian to the floor. 

“Where is Baby Yoda?” demanded Scar.

“He’s over there,” pointed Moff Grian.

Scar turned only for a moment, but that was enough time for Moff Grian to equip his elytra. “You will never find the Player Head!” Moff Grian blasted off using rockets and shot through a hole in the base’s ceiling. A moment later, Scar rocketed after him.

The three dark hermit troopers and the three allies of the Scaralorian stopped fighting once Moff Grian and Scar left. 

Cub faced Impulse; Rendog stared down Bdubs; and Etho met eyes with Mumbo.

“Wanna grab some cake while we wait this out?” asked Etho.

“Yeah, sure,” said everyone.

Moff Grian soared over the shopping district with the Scaralorian in hot pursuit. The two danced around buildings and shot down alleyways. They weaved through small openings and rocketed passed a couple of shopping hermits who nearly fell over in the wake of the flyers.

“Ha! Ha!” said Moff Grian. He took a moment to glance backwards in order to better mock Scar. “You’re only second to my flying skills!” He returned his attention to the sky before him only to see a ring from his Turf War mini-game a moment before impact.

“Moff Grian died from terminal karma,” reported the chat.

Moff Grian’s inventory exploded outwards, including the Baby Yoda player head. The items and player head tumbled towards the ground like little meteors. Scar dived towards the helpless Minecraft item block. He hoped his elytra would hold together as he picked up speed. The ground grew closer and closer.

Finally, he retrieved Baby Yoda. He pulled up and soon they were safely back in the air.

The Scaralorian and Baby Yoda returned to the Mycelium base and the Redstone I. Scar thanked Bdubs, Cub, and Mumbo with three diamond blocks each. Then with Baby Yoda in his off-hand, Scar turned and walked into the sunset.

“You know,” said Bdubs, “if we were accurate to the season finale of The Mandalorian, we would have–“

“Hey!” said Impulse. “No spoilers!”

Until the next wormhole…thanks for reading.

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Bdubs’ footsteps echoed off the walls of Mumbo Jumbo’s mega-base. Finally, after nearly getting lost, he found Mumbo Jumbo at a lectern. 

“What’cha doing?” asked Bdubs.

“Writing a book,” said Mumbo, finally turning around.

“A book?” said Bdubs. “A Book of Mumbo Jumbo? What’s that about?”

Rough Draft Typing | Behind the Scenes

Today’s post is brought to you by…you. Thanks for all the likes and follows. Thanks for all the book purchases. Thank you!

Every job, or hobby for that matter, has its ups and downs. There is always that thing that makes you groan when you think about doing it. It could be having to charge the batteries to your drone’s remote or having to put up with the demands of your clients.

For me, one of things I don’t like about writing is moving my rough draft from paper to word processor. It feels like “didn’t I just do this?” I want to go on to the next chapter; see the next adventure, but you are stuck typing up what you’ve already done. Now I know you can just type a rough draft and not do a handwritten version. I’ve tried that but the story seemed to slow down as I stopped because of noticeable red lines under misspellings; I knew I had something misspelled, and I had to go back for it. Also, there are a lot of distractions on computer screens with notifications and messages.

One way to help me with the transition from notebook to computer is listening to livestreams or music.

The trouble is it matters which livestream I listen to. If the livestream is full of action, such as a superhero video game or a shooter, I spend more time watching the video than working on the book.

stampylonghead

The livestream needs to be a kind of chill one that is almost like a podcast. However, there are some exceptions. For instance, the Valorant livestream by Blitzwinger. It is a shooter game, but the match format allows me to watch one or two matches; get the idea of the game; and listen from then on.

The good news is that if a livestream is too “rowdy” for the typing period, I can always save it for a break period. The longer video format allows me to have something to watch for multiple breaks; I don’t have to keep trying to figure out what I want to watch.

Ironically, if I’m listening to music while typing, it is the opposite. I need to listen to upbeat or thrilling music, much like “Hero of Our Time” by NateWantsToBattle or “Build Our Machine” by Dagames.

What are some of the downsides of your favorite hobby or job? How do you cope with them? Let me know in the comments section.

Until the next wormhole…thanks for reading!


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Defy Media v YouTube Creators

It started with a The Game Theorists video called “They stole $1.7 Million.” I was hesitant at first about clicking the video, it sounded clickbaity. But, I clicked anyway; I’ve been watching Game Theorists’ videos for awhile now and figured, “meh.” It started out with MatPat talking about all the high and low points of 2018. I thought, “Oh, it’s one of those videos,” but I was interested in what this $1.7 million was about. Finally, the video came to Defy Media, a YouTube multi-channel network (MCN), and how it stole from 50 YouTube Creators. Now, I’m looking into the issue myself (*sigh* How do I keep getting myself in these messes.)

According to the video and YouTube’s support page, an MCN helps channels with “audience development, content programming, creator collaborations, digital rights management, monetization, and/or sales.” It kind of works like a publishing company. An author submits their manuscript and if the company likes it, they distribute it and help the author with marketing, sales, legal issues, editing, and so on. When a book sells, the money goes to the company; they take their piece; and give the royalties to the author. The MCN does the same (except the Creator publishes the video on YouTube and YouTube distributes it); YouTube pays the MCN the ad money; the MCN takes their cut and gives the rest to the Creator. It’s not that abnormal of a process. It works pretty smoothly until someone decides to be a jerk.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Defy Media announced its closer on Nov. 6 and that most, if not all, of their YouTube affiliates found out through the press, not the company. The YouTube Creators naturally began wondering about their AdSense paychecks, since YouTube sends the money to Defy Media and they give it to the Creators. So, the Creators asked Defy Media what was happening. According to the article, they got little to no response. Even The Hollywood Reporter couldn’t get the Defy Media CEO Matthew Diamond to comment.

The article continues to state that, “Some partner managers who were laid off are still responding to creators’ requests via personal phone numbers and email addresses, say sources, but they have had few answers.” In other words, some of the employees who just lost their jobs are now using their own time and resources to try and manage the mess.

Fortunately, YouTube has stepped forward to say that they will begin sending the Creators’ next paychecks to the Creators. But, some Creators say Defy Media still owes them money, specifically the money Defy Media received before the closure (Sept. and Oct.).

Also, according to the article, many of the YouTube Creators believe that Ally Bank now has control over the money. These Creators have been contacting the bank in order to let them know that some of the money is theirs. Again, they haven’t been told much. The Hollywood Reporter tried to get in touch with Ally Bank but the spokesperson “did not respond to a THR’s request for an interview.” I can understand that Ally needs time to look through the Defy Media records, discuss what to do, and so on, but at least tell people, “We’re looking into it; we’ll let you know more at X time.” Even a little information is better than none.

Apparently, Variety and The Verge also had trouble reaching Defy Media so they could tell their side of the issue. The Verge adds that Defy Media has also gone “radio silent on social media.” I recently checked Defy Media’s Twitter feed; the last tweet was in September of last year, and it was nothing about closing down. Their Facebook page also ends in September with no mention of a shutdown. And their website no longer exists.

The THR article further states that not only are the YouTube Creators angry, but so are the laid off employees. At least one has filed a class-action lawsuit stating that Defy Media didn’t inform them as is required by law. It turns out, Defy Media did send them the proper paperwork stating that the company would continue to run until Jan. 2, but they then closed at the end of Nov. 6–the day the employees got the letter.

So, what can you do? Research the topic for yourself, come to your own conclusions, then (if you so choose) support whichever side it is you believe to be right. If you believe the YouTube Creators, you can support their channels (some are listed listed in the above mentioned articles). You can also tell others about the issue through social media or on your own blog. If you believe Defy Media, you can do the same, share your opinion on social media.


Joe Rover eBooks are available at many online retailers, such as Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, Walmart eBooks, and more.

Please leave a review at your favorite retailer or on my Facebook page.

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SystemZee Goes Full-Time

img_2581Recently, SystemZee, a YouTube Creator–known for Minecraft videos and a Minecraft Evolution SMP member, decided to go full-time on YouTube.

Over the weekend, I was able to interview him.

Let’s start out with some typical background questions.

What’s your favorite movie, book, animal?

These questions are always so difficult to me, I love everything usually. My favorite movie(s) would have to be Thor Ragnarok right now, along with the other Marvel movies. Ragnarok was such a great movie, great story, comedy, action, etc! 4.5/5! Other than that I really enjoyed Man of Steel. I’m a big superhero kind of guy. I think you just made another subscriber…if I wasn’t already one…that is.

Age of Adaline is also a cool movie, interesting story. As for my favorite book, my all time favorite read was How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I’ve learned so much from that book, as have many people. That book has been around for nearly, if not over, 100 years. My favorite animals are dolphin-ately dolphins and dogs.

Speaking of superheroes and dogs…no, Joe, now is not the time for shameless self-promotion…

Do you watch other YouTubers? If so, can you name a few?

I watch a lot of other channels similar to mine. To name a few, all channels from the Minecraft Evolution SMP, BdoubleO100, GoodTimesWithScar, Welsknight, etc. Non Minecraft close friend channels would mainly include Tom Syndicate and his vlogs.

When did you start playing Minecraft?

I started playing Minecraft early 2011.

What got you interested in Minecraft?

My close friend Logan (KingMasky). I actually have him to thank for a lot of things. He may not be reading this but if you are Logan – thank you, for everything. Heck, I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am now without him. Anyways, yeah I always thought Minecraft was a game about building tall towers and jumping off of them. Weird huh? I kept seeing high jump videos on YouTube so I just ignored it. Logan inspired me to look further and I’ll never forget that first day playing on his locally hosted hamachi server.

How long have you been on YouTube?

Since 2009 believe it or not. I started my current channel in 2012 though. I would honestly not even consider that time as “being on YouTube.” I’ve only been consistent and dedicated for nearly two years now.

How did you come up with the name SystemZee? What was the inspiration behind your avatar?

I totally took it from my uncle. Back in the 90’s he used the systemz as his alias. My cousins and I always thought it was cool. I took that name back in 2009 and just kind of kept it. At least I added two “e”’s though right? Haha! As for my avatar, I wanted something to symbolize my name in the form of a quick signature. So the SZ, or g2 as some people call it, came to mind. I illustrated it and still need to clean it up.

How would you describe your avatar? Is it steampunk? Is it an inventor? Is it an Wild West character?

My Minecraft skin is definitely a steampunk/inventor/bartender type character. I recently changed it to be wearing suspenders to resemble an old, tired builder who loves to create.

What made you want to start doing YouTube videos?

The freedom. My entire life has been driven by creativity and the ability to simply – create. Its such a fascinating topic to me. I started doing YouTube videos because I loved to play the games I was recording; I enjoyed the editing part, and most importantly – seeing reactions. My community is solid and very much enjoy what we’ve all created together.

How do you deal with trolls or naysayers (those who say things like “YouTube isn’t a real job”)?

Ha! YouTube ISN’T a real job, and that’s the point. I can’t say it’s easy though, I’ve done a lot more work in the past month going full time than I have otherwise. But I just ignore those types of comments. I’m fortunate enough to have a very cool community full of nice people.

What are you best known for? Such as catchphrases, sound effects, intros. Did you decided it or did they just happen organically?

I think I’m best known for my unique editing style and builds more than anything, but there are definitely a number of things that we could consider memes on the channel. For example, on my livestreams we have these random moments where we rave to “Dolphin On Wheels” by Kill The Noise and celebrate by spamming dolphins. That was totally random honestly, but everyone loves it. We also have the #squidsquad – which was all originated from me building a giant Squid in Grian’s base. Just things like that. It’s all random haha.

What made you decide to do YouTube full-time? How did you know it was “time”?

I guess honestly I realized I was always waiting for the right time but that time would never come. Late January was around when I decided to quit my job and go full time and it came from analyzing the past few months of performance, having tons of support from family and friends, and a push by my community. Everyone seemed to agree that I could do it – and it was the best decision of my life by far.

How’s it been going full-time? How did you feel about going full-time? How did your friends and family react?

It has been absolutely liberating. I’m no longer bound to a schedule! All of my videos for the week are made, so I took my lovely girlfriend down to Destin, Florida for the week, which is where I’m answering these questions actually! I was super nervous at first, but it’s been completely worth it. Family was also pretty nervous but overall supportive, they are all pretty aware of the possibilities from YouTube. You were with your girlfriend in Florida at the time? Sorry on my bad timing. Hope she didn’t mind.

How did you get a custom email address? What kind of programs do you use to make your job easier, such as Hootsuite or video editing programs? Any programs, software, cameras, microphone, so on you would recommend to other YouTubers?

Custom email addresses can be created by setting up a mail server and attaching a domain to them. Most web hosts offer it actually. As for programs, I use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit, Photoshop for thumbnails and other art, Fraps for recording, OBS for livestreaming. As for hardware, I don’t have any cameras at the moment, but for the microphone I use an AT2020 attached to a pop filter and boom stand arm. I have nothing but love for that microphone! As far as other YouTubers go, I always just recommend using what you have and slowly grow from there.

What advice would you give to people just starting out on YouTube or wishing to go full-time? Or just advice in general?

The best advice I can give, even though I feel like I’m not successful enough to be giving advice, is to love it and only do it if you love it. Don’t ever expect success as none of us are entitled to it. You have to grind and make quality content and stick to a schedule. Since none of us can predict success on YouTube, or expect it, the only thing you can do is your best.

How do you get the word out about your channel? How do you promote it?

I track SEO and other analytics through the Creator Studio. Whenever I upload a video I test to see what does and does not work. Other than that I try to network and make as many friends as possible!

Is there anyone you wish to thank or acknowledge?

All of my friends, family, and everyone watching – naturally. But I’d also like to thank the group of other YouTubers who have helped lift me off the ground and inspired me to work hard.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Thank you to everyone for helping me slowly achieve my dreams here on YouTube. This has been an unreal experience and I can only look forward from here. I’m excited for what the future may bring.

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview (especially if you were out with your girlfriend). I wish you lots of luck in your future endeavors.

You can look for SystemZee on YouTube and Twitter.

Now is time for shameless self-promotion.