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Category Archives: Random

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving had its ups and downs this year, as any year. The major downer? My car may be on the way out. 😦   We ran into some trouble on the way to my parents’ house, and she needs some work before she’s back in the realm of running. I’m trying to be hopefully optimistic about the whole situation, but my dad was being pretty negative. I don’t blame him for wanting me to consider the worst possible turnout for my car, but at the same time, it’s my car. I’ve had her for eight and a half years now, but I’m not ready to let her go just yet. I’m just hoping that I can get by with an inexpensive fix. I can’t exactly afford a new car or anything right now. *sigh*

On the plus side, I did have a good time visiting family. My gf and I had safe travels, despite the problems with my car, and we both made it back home in the end. I have a lot to be thankful for. My family is concerned for my well-being, my sister is letting me borrow her car for now, and I still have a place to live while I’m continuing to look for a 2nd job. All in all, life could be a lot worse.

Oh! So, I feel a little closer to being an actual writer. I have fallen behind on NaNo, and I probably won’t be able to hit 50,000 by the end of the month, but I’ve gotten a fantastic start. 30,000+ words is a really good boost towards an actual novel. I’m not about to give up on my project, but I’m not predicting being able to finish the remaining 20,000ish words in the next 3 days. It’s been a stressful week. I need to find a way to channel it. But I digress. My writing nature is fulfilled.  I have received my first ever rejection letter! My story wasn’t picked up by the editors at Strange Horizons, so it’s time to try again.

Eleanor Crumblehulme Rocks

There is little that can be said about libraries in America today that can’t be summed up by the statement of Eleanor Crumblehulme.  “Cutting libraries in a recession is like cutting hospitals in a plague.”

I wholeheartedly support libraries everywhere. Especially this one. That is all.

Are You a Premature Editor?

A few days ago, Kristen Lamb posted an article on her blog, discussing the problem with editing in mid-writing. I just found it via twitter today, but I think it’s a phenomenal piece on the importance of writing for the sake of writing, and not taking the time to edit until you’re done. This goes beyond NaNoWriMo, and is a great reminder to all of us that there is, whether we like it or not, a definite order to things. Write now, edit later. If you’ll excuse me, I have some writing to do. It is still November, after all.

The Monk and the Madman

Rime and Arsus just met yesterday. It’s been rough on both of them. All the same, they’re starting to put aside their differences so that they can survive the crossing of the Sand Sea.

Yes, that’s right, folks. NaNoWriMo is progressing quite well, if only the rest of my life were as on-track. 16,000+ words.

The job hunt is stagnant, as is the search for new housing, but my characters are moving forward! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a city to burn.

Chuck Wendig is The Man

Seriously. Chuck is awesome. Read this. You’ll totally agree that he is awesome.

Also, NaNoWriMo is almost back on track after a slow weekend. Topped the 9,000 word mark with more to come. Roughly 1 day’s writing behind, but I’ll catch up tomorrow.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

No, not Christmas. It’s Halloween! I love this holiday. What creative twenty-something guy wouldn’t love a holiday that lets him dress up in a costume and ask people for candy? I mean, yeah, it’s not that much of a stretch from any ordinary day…

Yes, that is Neil Gaiman's "Absolute Death" collection in my hand.

Professionalism at its finest.

Today is no ordinary Halloween, though. It’s also NaNoWriMo Eve. I’m pretty stoked, boys and girls. I’m not going to lie. I’ve been doing some planning, and this is going to be to best forward progress I’ll have made on a big project like this in a long time.

One of these days, I’m going to have to get a group of people together to play this. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Everyone is John, a role playing game of sorts, in which every player controls a voice inside the head of an insane man named John. Rules are simple, and apparently this one has been around since 2002. It’s an interesting thought experiment.  It’s probably going to have to wait until after next month, though. I’m going to be busier than ever. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Unless, you know, other things that I’m doing started paying me. That, I’d take.

Take That!

Today, I step into the tetrahedron to take on blog fatigue! That’s right, friends. A tetrahedron. Why? All the good 2D shapes were taken. Stupid Ultimate Fighting and their octagon. Stupid boxers/wrestlers and their “ring” that’s actually a square. Where does the madness end? I’d say in non-Euclidean space, but that just screws with geometry even more… But I digress.

Blog fatigue! I see it. I know that NaNoWriMo is coming up, and that many of us need to rest our weary, carpal-tunnel-plagued, thrice-cursed arms, but don’t stop writing! Life could be so much worse! You could be like this poor fellow, asking for a handout on the street:

You'd think he'd be able to talk H.G. Wells' estate out of some royalties...

We must valiantly carry on! Even if it’s some nonsensical tirade about people not writing, you must write! Even if it’s only a couple of hundred words a day! Your followers care about you, and they miss you when you don’t visit them and shower them with the glory of your written word.

I used to make fun of bloggers before I became one. That’s kind of the trend with things, isn’t it? You make fun of the people with iPhones until you manage to afford one, and then… Oh, and then… I found a quotation years ago, that I absolutely loved. “Blogging. Never before have so many with so little to say said so much to so few.” I suppose that I used to think that this was true, but you know something? Once you really get into it, it’s hard to stop. Please, friends, don’t let your blogs go without your input. I like the motivation that your post and comments provide. Plus, you know… Four days til NaNo. You can disappear then. Good luck!

 

Countdown

It’s nearly Halloween, which means a few different things. First, it’s the time of year to start watching one of my favorite movies of all time as I gear up for my favorite holiday. I love Halloween. There’s something incredible about a holiday where perfectly responsible young adults can put on crazy costumes and wander the streets in search of candy. Barring that, there’s always barricading oneself in the house with a good supply of booze and hand out candy to the younger ones. Speaking of booze, I finally got to try Left Hand Brewing Co.’s Milk Stout Nitro. Well done, folks. That one’s a winner.

Second, the impending end of October means that it’s nearly November. It’s time to wrap up a couple of projects before National Novel Writing Month officially kicks off. I’d love to be able to use NaNoWriMo to put a coherent draft of my book together. I’m in the process of collecting my notes. I’ve got a couple of moleskines full of them right now.

Third, it means it’s a perfect time to be reading this:

Hellboy by Mike Mignola. Cover of Volume Ten, The Crooked Man and Others

It's always a good time for Mike Mignola.

I’ve been working my way through the Hellboy comics, finally. It only took me, oh, seven years after seeing the first movie. Now, thanks to the sheer awesomeness that is the public library system, I’m holding the first ten collected volumes of Mike Mignola’s greatest bit of genius. Those of you who have not read them (or at least seen the movies) are missing out. Mignola blends classic myths from around the world with his own, unique characters. The adventures of the members of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense are not to be ignored.

Anyway, I’ve got another job interview and two more applications to turn in, even though the thought of another Christmas in retail terrifies me. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed. I had an interview on Friday at one of the smaller library branches in town, and it would be better pay/more hours than I currently have. Good luck with your ventures, dear readers.

Mulligan!

Can I have another weekend, please? I worked through all of the last one. Granted, my entire work week at the library is only 3 days each time, but it makes for a very full weekend, and it becomes a little difficult to get anything else done. Right now, it’s Tuesday morning, and it’s overcast and beautiful here in my little part of the world. The girlfriend is off to college for the day, so I’m editing a story for her that’s going to be her entry in the latest writing challenge. Yesterday was our four-year anniversary, and so I got to spend the entire day with her, while she was between classes. Friday night, after work, I got to go see a student production of Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. It was a phenomenal black-box-theatre production, and some of my friends were playing various roles. All in all, it was very enjoyable. I didn’t get a whole lot done, though. I’m trying to regain some of that lost productivity, so I’m going to be doing some writing of my own as well.

There’s good news on the job front. I apparently did so well in my interview at Sofa Mart last week that they want me to schedule a 2nd interview, this time with the regional manager. Things may be looking up, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed anyway. I’m also waiting to hear about a status update on what could very well be my biggest project yet. I finally got a story sent in to Strange Horizons. For anyone unfamiliar with it, it’s a weekly online sci-fi magazine. I sent them a copy of Trans-Planetary Express, and now I’m waiting to hear back from them. If they accept it, it would be my greatest writing achievement to date. When this happens, you’ll be the first to know, dear readers. Well, second. I’ll be first.

It looks like the sun is finally managing to drive off some of the clouds outside. I was hoping I’d get through my coffee first, but it looks like that’s not going to happen. I should enjoy it while it lasts. My favorite season is fast approaching, though, and I have a lot to do before it gets here. I’m looking at you, NaNoWriMo.

There are some days that I wish I lived in another time. I’ve been considering the differences in writer networking now and in the past. Our discussions take place on blogs and social networking websites. Now we have this:

When we used to have this:

And facebook doesn't sell beer...

Some of us miss the old days, even though we never experienced them for ourselves. We’re crazy nostalgic people. Who knows, maybe someday fans of ours will flock to our old hangouts to see where we would sit and talk about our writing projects and listen to some fantastic music.

Music, booze, food, and some awesome upcoming writers.

I’ll keep doing my best to maintain the old ways. There’s something incredible about actually talking with fellow writers and idea people in person. There’s a dynamic that exists in places like this that you can’t find on twitter. I guess I’m a generational hybrid, some kind of living anachronism. I’m okay with this. I’m pretty sure it’s how I was meant to be. Anyway, I’ve killed an hour and a half doing stuff this morning and putting this entry together. It’s time to go do some real writing. Peace!

Character Backstory #2: Jetsam

Jetsam:

Commissioned for duty on a ship in a Gnomish navy, Jetsam was designed for ship to ship battle and boarding parties. He quickly rose through the ranks of the other Warforged sailors and soldiers in a desire to prove his existence as worthwhile to his creators. His great dexterity, Mithral plating, and skill with a spiked chain made him feared by any foe who saw his vessel approaching. Within the first year of his “birth” in the foundries, Jetsam found himself promoted to the rank of first mate on board the flagship of his fleet.

Among the Warforged that comprised his fleet, Jetsam was fairly unique in his fondness for humanoid flair and style. He would frequently go to sea in a tricorne hat, long crimson coat, and oilskin boots. Jetsam enjoyed the expression on his opponent’s face when they realized for the first time that they were not in the presence of a human sailor. When the war ended, Jetsam learned that the world had little room for a living construct built for sea battles. Without a navy to serve in, Jetsam found himself metaphorically adrift.

After several months of wandering, providing odd services as a bodyguard or bouncer or enforcer or explorer, Jetsam encountered a band of pirates who were thrilled at the prospect of having a new hand that never needed food or sleep. Jetsam found new purpose in life, hunting around the world for treasure. Tragically, Jetsam’s captain and crew were lost following a great sea-battle. The lone survivor, Jetsam found himself adrift on an island far from his homeland, in a strange realm where none seemed to have heard his name or seen his fearsome sigil flying above the waves. Eventually, without an artificer for support and repair, Jetsam wandered into a cavern filled with towers of chests filled with gold and jewels. Stunned by this vast trove, Jetsam set himself as a watchman, in the hopes that someday another member of his loyal crew might stumble across his location. Perhaps he is there still…Rumors fly of a mysterious humanoid shape carrying an everburning torch staggering out of the ocean on moonless nights and slowly making its way back to the caves in the cliffs, though none have yet been bold enough to venture out to investigate it.