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Reading List Update

A Clash of Kings is done. What a way to follow the first volume, Mr. Martin. Well played. However, I’m taking a brief vacation from Westeros right now. That’s right. A Storm of Swords is on hold. If I’m not careful, I’ll be done with A Song of Ice and Fire before Halloween even gets here. Besides, my copies of A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows are in storage. I have friends I can borrow them from, but ideally I’ll be unpacking all of my stuff somewhere by the end of the week. In the meantime, volumes 2 & 3 of Read Or Die, Matthew Pearl’s The Poe Shadow, and the two most recent Artemis Fowl books are in the queue right now. Hopefully by the time I’m ready to get back into A Storm of Swords, I will be settled in my next home, and I’ll be ready to do some heavy-duty writing. In the meanwhile, I’ve been doing some tweaking to the arrangement of pages around here. Hopefully any broken links will be repaired ASAP. Peace!

Winter is Coming

Ah, George R.R. Martin, how the words of House Stark express my joy for the coming season. Granted, winters in Colorado don’t last for decades, like they can in Westeros, but that doesn’t mean that they’re anything to be feared. Rather, I embrace the cold and snow. Winter has always been my favorite season. I think that, as a writer, I thrive in the gloom and the chill that descends upon the state. I think it’s beautiful and poetic to see frost coating everything. It provides the perfect excuse to sit down with a nice drink (I hope to be stocking up on supplies for White Russians, personally), and curl up to read or write. I plan for great progress in the months to come. Colorado will be seeing real winter weather soon, as the snow already coating the top of Pikes Peak pointed out to me yesterday.

Winter brings with it my favorite holiday: Halloween. Honestly, any excuse to get dressed up in crazy costumes and eat a lot of candy works for me. I suppose that you could say that Halloween is a fall holiday, but it’s close enough for me. It will also, hopefully bring new employment. I could readily find myself seasonal employment in the retail world, though I dread that part of things too. I’ve worked one Christmas in retail, and I assure you, it was less than pleasant. When you have to work until 4 on Christmas Eve before beginning your four hour drive to see your family, and you have to be back to work on Boxing Day, it makes for a mildly stressful holiday experience.

Every so often, I come across something that is so useful, I have to share it with my friends. In this particular case, I’ve got the following chart. This was photocopied from a mouse pad my father used to own, and I still use it today, some five or six years later.

London Review of Books Alternate Key Chart

Stupidly Useful Thing #239

I can’t count how many times I’ve referred to this chart since I began my college career. There’s something absurdly refreshing about knowing how to type ß in the middle of a conversation in German, or to toss a little © at the end of some product description. Fantasy writers rejoice at being able to type all of those crazy spellings you’ve loved since you first sat down to read The Hobbit. Don’t know how to pronounce Ÿnwœ? Who cares. Make it up as you go along. Enjoy it.

I’m writing a fairy tale right now, for the next entry in Sonia M’s monthly writing challenges. It’s very likely, in its present state, to continue to build on the literary world that I’ve begun to craft in several of my previous entries. If all goes well, it will be up tomorrow, or even later tonight. Until then, I’ve still got a lot to do. I’m trying to find a place to call home still, even if it’s just short term. I don’t like having to rely on everyone else to shelter me. It’s already been nearly 3 weeks. I’m going a little crazier than usual. Oh well! Whatever gets those creative juices going, right? Anyway, winter will be here soon. More reason to revisit Ryuk, one of many characters I created for D&D games who would utilize cold-based weaponry and tactics. My necromancer I’m crafting now is his daughter, and she’s got a bit of a legend to go on, but other than that, she doesn’t realize who her father is/was. “Then a champion came from a frozen land, with ice in his breath and a scythe in his hand.”

It’s Way Too Late/Early For This

But you know something? There it is. Look up there. ^ That way, at the top of the page. –>

That’s right. Microfiction page is established. Thanks, insomnia!

Packing

I’m getting ready to say goodbye to my home for the last year. Since I started college, this has been the longest I’ve ever lived in any one place. Granted, I lived on campus for four years, but there was always shuffling around from one side of campus to another, usually after nine months, and then again after three. This time I’ve actually managed to spend a full calendar year in one apartment. It’s absolutely bizarre.

I’m torn on the whole moving thing. I like solidarity, or at least, I did. I blame living in the same damn room for the first nineteen years of my life. Now I’m staring at a two day period in which I can pack up my stuff from my first real off-campus home. Naturally, I am choosing to write something at the moment instead of actually packing. This doesn’t surprise me. I’m guess that maybe I’m waiting for last-minute panic to sink in. My walls are bare. That’s a start.

I can’t wait to get a fresh start in a new home. I can’t wait to find my footing. I can’t wait to be able to set up my makeshift desk and get to writing. I’ll keep you informed. In the meantime, I’m knee-deep in George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. I’m loving it so far. It’s some of the best fantasy I’ve read in a long time. I’m also still, as always, pondering the questions that are shaping Aurellis as a world, and the people who inhabit it. Of late, there is one pressing question. Who is Rhu? I’m not sure yet. I don’t know any details about Rhu, or who he or she may be, but I feel that, regardless of these questions, Rhu is important.

Big Changes Ahead

What with the impending move, a second job somewhere out there, waiting for me to find it, and whatever else life feels like throwing my way, I’ve not had as much time as I would have liked for writing of late. I apologize, dear readers, because I feel as though I’ve been letting you down. It’s my own fault, really. I have fallen to the greatest foe of writers everywhere: sheer laziness. It’s not even been writer’s block. It’s just that I’ve not been setting aside time dedicated to writing.

This is going to change, starting as soon as I get settled in a new place. I’ll still get my August challenge entry in on time, but I need to be able to get a little stability going again. It will vastly help things, and then I’ll feel far more comfortable getting into a writing rhythm. When that point comes, I’ll be making some additional changes. A few of these come from my latest conversation with V over what really needs to be done to be a true professional writer. In all likelihood, I will be following in her footsteps, establishing a twitter account and knuckling down on my novel. It will take time, and it will be stressful, but I know that if I don’t do it, I might as well give up on the whole idea. “You’re going to have to come out as a writer,” she said to me. It’s probably the best bit of advice I’ve been given since I changed my degree to English. This could mean some big changes to the blog structure, but I’m hardly going to be going away. Ideally, I’ll be posting far more often. You have been warned.

I’ve got great support from my friends and my girlfriend, so I know that I can do it. In the meantime, I’ll keep working intermittently on some microfiction pieces for you. Stay tuned.

 

Updates

Ah, winter beers in summertime. I’ve got a bottle of Old Rasputin in front of me, and in his honor, I’ve got this on youtube. Mastodon has got to be one of the best bands I’ve come across in the last few years. Their music has yet to disappoint me.

Tonight is the eve of one of the biggest weeks of my life to date. I say this because this week marks the true turning point. I’ve been out of school for a little over a year now, and my lease on my first off-campus apartment is ending at the end of this month. I’ve got two weeks to find a new place to live, so a decision really must be reached in the next day or two, in order to allow for processing of my application and time to move. I hate it. I’m ready to get out of my current place, because I know that I can’t afford to pay that much for rent, but I’m a little sad to be leaving such a nice place for something that is, at the moment, completely unknown.

I’m torn between a couple of options right now, since I’m down to a single part-time job. I could get a one bedroom or studio apartment somewhere, and try to find a 2nd job to cover the costs of living on my own. This would mean I have all kinds of space to myself, but it would also mean that all expenses are completely on me, and me alone. Option 2 is teaming up with some of my friends and getting a house together. Less privacy, to be sure, but also roughly 1/2 to 1/4 of the typical rent somewhere. We can pitch in for utilities, internet, netflix, etc. It’s a tough call.

In the meantime, I’m toying with less critical things, now that I’ve done my editing for V. Just a heads up for those of you who follow her: the book is glorious. I’m not trying to be flattering, or anything. It’s just the truth. You’ll see, ideally within the next year. I’m working on a pitch for her right now, and trying to come up with potential publishers.

On an almost entirely unrelated note, I’ve found a couple of other things for you. First up is an article from cracked.com that nearly caused me to fall off of my couch in laughter. I’ve found a few of the techniques described within to be quite useful, for the people who have given up all sake of maintaining their sanity.  Second is this, an article about a man who has decided that print media must be maintained. I applaud him for his attempt to do this. I personally have a great devotion to printed media.  It’s probably the reason for my love of libraries and bookstores, and my constant desire to find work in those areas.

Anyway, it’s time for bed, I suppose. I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow, starting with an early morning of phone calls to real estate agents. I’m so excited, can’t you tell? 😀 Yeah, no, not really, but it’s better than the alternative. Goodnight, dear reader. I’m off to dream of potential builds for a necromancer character.

Day 1: Part 2

And back to the blog.

Here I am again. After managing to somehow survive work today, despite a crazy man who claimed that I stole the $5 change I was supposed to have given him (a quick count of the cash register proved him wrong, thankfully), I am back at home. It’s nice to be able to come home to the apartment after a long day and finally get some dinner and a drink or two.

I’ve been spending a good deal of time thinking about this story I’m writing. I kind of wish I had more of it planned out in advance, but at the same time, I like to think that my first journey into this world will be far more similar to that of my future readers. Ideally, this means that I will be able to keep things from becoming too overwhelming/confusing for anyone other than myself. I want people to know how it felt as I was creating this world. I want it to feel lived in and rugged, but inviting to people who’ve never experienced anything quite like it (ideally, this will be all of my readers).

I hate when I read a novel and get overwhelmed with crap. I like something I’m reading to be accessible with a minimal level of extra effort required, especially if it’s the start of a series. If it’s a writer I’ve read before, there will be some level of tolerance. If it’s something that I already know, again, there will be tolerance. After all, “A Clockwork Orange” is still one of the best things I’ve ever read, despite the crazy dialogue and narration that goes along with the story of Alex and his droogs. I don’t, however, tolerate this kind of writing when it’s done pretentiously. If someone takes the trouble to create a language, they should make it useful, not just throw it in your face to say “OOOOO, look what I came up with!” Everything should have a purpose. Don’t give throwaway details. Make people question the intent of every line of dialogue, every description of every lamp and every passing dog. Create a visual that your reader can not forget. Forge something truly memorable. That’s my goal. I want to give my readers text that they desire. I want them coming back to my book every couple of years after they first read it and have them find something that they didn’t notice the time before.

At any rate, it’s time to write something before I fall asleep. As conviction becomes content, I shall post more.

Good morning, internet.

In an attempt to get a step closer to being a real writer, I’ve started this blog. One  of my best friends has already done this, and I’ve found that her work has greatly influenced my desire to write something worthwhile. To this end, I’m going to be posting here once a week or so, at least to get started.

This project is my first serious attempt at putting a cohesive novel together. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years. I mean, I even put myself through four years of college to get better at writing and editing. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that the characters I’ve wanted to write about for years finally introduced themselves to me. That sounds a little strange, but you see, they weren’t really characters until then. They were concepts. They were ideas that I liked, but they were not ready for the world. Now they’ve grown. They’re not quite yet ready for everyone to see just yet, but they’re ready for me to start to tell their story. I’m ready to tell their story. It’s going to be quite the journey for all of us. I’m going to force myself to write for a while at a time, even if it’s just jotting down some more concepts, bits of dialogue,  or even just a sentence or two that I like. It’s the whole process of writing that really does me any good. It’s not that EVERYTHING I write will be golden. Far from it, in fact. But if I do not write, I will never have anything to sift through to find that little bit of shiny.

I’ve written poetry before. Quite a bit of it in the last couple of years, in fact. That’s part of what keeps my deviantart page occupied, and I think I’ll keep that there, in it’s own place. This is going to be different from that. Most of it is complete rubbish, in my opinion, but there have been maybe a dozen that I actually really like, to the point of sharing them at poetry slams and open mic nights. It still terrifies me. Even with my background in theatre and public speaking, my legs still tremble every time I stand up to read a piece I wrote. I think it’s a matter of reading something aloud to a crowd that has so much of my own emotion placed into it. This is going to be vastly different from my poetry, though the final project may incorporate some bits of verse. The whole point is, though, that this is going to be bigger. Even as an English major, the biggest paper I’ve ever been required to write was about 15 pages. I want this to be at least 300. That’s only 20 or so times the amount of pages as the longest piece I’ve ever written. How hard can it be?

Okay, I’m kidding myself there. I know that it’s going to be a challenge. The benefit of having written lots of things in the past, however, is that I can pull bits of inspiration, character, plot, and even setting from some of my short stories and essays I’ve done. I’m setting a goal today. I want to write a minimum of 500 words per day. More than that, and I can reward myself for a job well done. If I can continue to produce stuff at that rate, I’ll up it. It’s going to depend on my free time and state of employment.

At any rate, it’s time for me to do some real writing (no offense intended, fellow bloggers). Before I go, I’ll again take a page out of my friend’s book and explain the title of this blog. You see, some time ago I found a photo of several swords sticking in the ground. They were worn, rusted, pitted, and had clearly been there for some years. The extreme angle of the photo, however, made them seem absolutely massive. Every time I see this photo, I feel utterly insignificant. After staring at this image for several minutes, I began to envision a long-forgotten society to whom these giant weapons had been just that: the weapons of giants. Maybe they wandered out of the world. Maybe they died. For whatever reason, they left their swords embedded in the earth. Centuries later, a new race of (far smaller) people find them, and are utterly bemused by their presence. They are a mystery left behind by people far different from the people who inhabit the world in which this story will occur. There is some great fantasy in the making, here, my friends. I’ll share what I can with you. Hopefully some day I can take you to where you can gaze out over the valley and see the swords of the ancients for yourselves.