… wow – next time I figure out when my vacation I’m going to have to look at more than just when my paycheck falls. Without divulging too much – it not only hit the fan, but the A/C and the heating unit as well. Yeah. It’s pretty bad and I caught the trailing end of it when I returned yesterday. Ahh… work. I need to get around to avoiding it full time again.

I’m getting ready to start I/O Error ahead of finishing the current project. There are six androids, each of them have three functions that they can perform: primary, secondary and tertiary. The main character is name Gale – each android’s name is an acronym for their functions. Gale’s is Guest Relations (primary), Life Support (secondary) and Environment (tertiary). You may ask what the difference between Life Support and Environment is: Life Support keeps oxygen in your lungs; Environment keeps that oxygen from freezing. A somewhat fine distinction considering you’re a billion miles from the nearest station, but I needed something to go with the ‘L’.

It’s now 10:30 – I have been at this for about 2 hours and only gotten this far. I think I’m going to call it an early day and close my eyes for a few minutes. Sorry, everyone – I think I am still trying to recover from Tuesday/Wednesday. I’ll do better tomorrow. Really.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Well, I go back to work today, but at least I just have two days and then I have my weekend… and they’re slow days (typically). I didn’t finish the novel, but I did make a sizeable dent in it (about 8,000 words) and I am down to the crucial scenes – it’s going to be Saturday or bust. Don’t worry – I am gravely disappointed in what I did, but beating myself up isn’t my job (it’s someone else’s – accepting volunteers). This is going to be finished, it’s going to take a while longer than what I had expected. This is part of the job that I should anticipate. Of course, I did that all-nighter and I started to break down at around seven p.m. and finally went to bed at nine p.m., woke up briefly at midnight and slept soundly until eight a.m. – yeah, I was out. Really out.

OK – I am not going to talk about the current project, we know what’s going on with that. Right now, I am going to talk up the next project: I/O Error – my first foray in science-fiction and horror. The basic plot can be summed up as Data wakes up aboard the Flying Dutchman and channels Haley Joel Osment. Sounds spooky? Weird? WTF? Hopefully, I’ve gotten two out of three. Let me explain: we all know that sometimes cameras pick up the images of ghosts while people don’t see them. How about a robot? If we go along with the idea that a camera picks up ghosts because it’s not a living thing with built-in filters to perception, then a robot – the marriage of filter free observation and the human ability to react – would be the perfect thing for a story. Now aboard the Shepherd, which is a transport vessel to a colony far outside the solar system, there are travelers who are put to suspended animation/sleep once they pass Jupiter and the crew who are put to sleep once they pass Sedna. Six androids and a main operating system called MILO (Multi-system Internal Logical Opsys) run the ship until they arrive at the colony. One of them starts seeing apparitions of crewmen and a pair of black-eyed children when there should be no one awake and giving commands. Anyone familiar with the Laws of Robotics can extrapolate where the wackiness ensues. I got the idea from watching an episode of Ghost Adventures in which a picture is taken and while the other people claim there is no one else in the room, there is clearly a form that could be considered human and is not a shadow (note: I said claim – I am not above considering that these shows might have some… help). There are other things that go on in the novel, but I don’t want to reveal too much right now. I can’t wait to get started with this one, but I told myself I wouldn’t start with anything new until I finished the current project.

Well – speaking of projects, I should get back to the current one and make some more progress in it.

Have a good day.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

This is the high point of my vacation. Tomorrow will start with the sobbing, the panic attacks and the uncontrollable urge to ask for something called my ‘go bag’. On the upside, I will have the novel finished tomorrow. Seriously. I was having some problems today with getting the characters to the next scene, so I walked away from it and picked up my Nook and started reading. That’s one of my go-to activities. The others involve games and screaming at whatever computer I’m in front of at the time. Well, once I got settled in and started reading it hit me what I needed to do to get to the next scene – nothing. Just have the characters continue on the road to get to the building where the next plot point resides, waiting to be used. I think I should save any battles for the times where they matter: the big spar with the Teacher and the final fight with Everthirst. Any sort of side battles – even if they are harmless – do nothing more to advance the plot. We know about Anya’s background as a fencer, and we know she lives a dangerous life… heck, she was almost killed by poison. It would be a good idea to have some peace and focus on the other dynamic of the group: Anya and Rhona.

Well, today is an important day in my personal history. I can safely say that if this day didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be the person you know today. Whether that is for good or for ill remains to be seen — handsaws, hawks and winds notwithstanding. I will not say anything more about it, as I have said enough in previous entries. Maybe one day I will spell everything out, but not right now.

So, my vacation is winding down. I’ll go back for Thursday and Friday and then have the weekend off. I resume my normal schedule on Monday (Labor Day here in the US with a 10:00 – 6:30 shift) and keep going until September 17^th when I get it and the 18^th off (Borderlands 2!) and after that it’s a month and a half until my next big vacation for my birthday week and Halo 4 release. After that, it’s another long weekend in December and after that I am done for the year. With any luck, I will be able to give people a better idea as to when the novel will hit the shelves, but right now it’s looking like closer to the end of the year with good fortune on my side. If not, then let my year of triumph begin in the auspicious date of Two Thousand and Thirteen. After all, if the Mayans said we were going to perish in 2012 and if we don’t go up in a bog ball of flame and winged snakes – how much worse could 2013 be?

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Well, it’s the first day of my vacation and I am rocking out to this. I’ve finished one chapter and have begun another. I think I have two to three more short chapters to do and then I will be done with the main draft and I will start some of the re-writes (there are a couple of scenes I left out on purpose because I had no idea what to do) and send it off to the editor to be poured over, flogged and purified by fire and word processor. When all is said and done, I am looking forward to have it ready for publication by Christmas. This one is going to get as much publicity as I can muster. Websites, word of mouth and good old fashioned guilting will be my strategy to success. Of course, I am going to buy copes to distribute to friends and see how that works. With any luck, I can get this out there and start drawing some real money for my troubles. The goal is $30,000 – enough for me to live well for a year. When I hit that amount, I quit whatever it is I am doing and write full time. With luck, I can keep putting in more than I take out and just keep going with this little enterprise. That’ll twist some gossamer.

I’ve finished one chapter and I am working on another one right now. We’re seeing the city of Rald – think of it as if 15^th Century London were scooped up and put in the middle of the Rockies with pleasant weather. That’s Rald, where one of the main characters spent much of her time there. A city of friendly peril and commonplace intrigue tucked away against the brittle blue of the autumn sky. Rald! I am going to get this finished by Wednesday evening. Today, I wrote and puttered around a little. Tuesday will be more puttering and more writing. Wednesday is going to be the mad dash for the finish line, but I will get finished. I have every intention to pick up I/O
Error next week… right after I watch the season premiere of Doctor Who. Thankfully, I got my DVR to record it, so I am not going to miss anything. J

There is very little to report in my private life that isn’t writing, TV or writing. Tomorrow is going to be an anniversary of sorts, but I’m not going to get into that right now. Today is for celebrating, which I did with some Hard Mike’s Pink Lemonade (very tasty, but didn’t get me very buzzed like Strong 68) and eating a lot of spaghetti. I know, I know – I’m a hedonist living out on the edge, but granted that today I ate when I wanted and drank when I wanted rather than shovel everything down in 30 minutes or less – it’s one of the reason why I am focusing on my writing. I want to live and work for me, not someone else.

Well – enough of that. Have a good day, hope tomorrow can be better and I’ll see you all later.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I am on vacation enjoying some recorded Olympic coverage (don’t spoil it for me) – 16 hours of coverage which will free up some more – a lot more since it is a digital channel – and then I will be able to relax a little bit as far as worrying about losing any thing. I’m also going to do some writing after I’ve finished here… and then it’s a microwaved lunch, more Olympics and writing to be followed by finally going out to Steak ‘n’ Shake for dinner and dessert to be followed by a little more writing and finally some X-Box… now that I have an X-Box Gold account for this year. I don’t play online that much because I don’t have the fast twitch reaction that most 12 year olds have. I play for the fun of it – which also reminds me – they’ve redone “Baldur’s Gate”! It’s being released the same time as Borderlands 2 and I have a chance to pre-order it online! I haven’t played it in years – I still have it on this PC in fact. I just hope that they stay true to the form of the game and not try to update it for 4e. I’m not a fan of that system. 2^nd ed. was good, 3^rd ed. was OK, but 3.5 and 4 were horrible. I’ve got a friend who is involved in play testing 5 and by his reckoning it should be called 3.75^th which will be a big step forward in my view.

The novel will get some work today. Might even finish it – all depends how the laundry situation sorts itself out. Thankfully, I don’t have a lot, but I can’t go out anywhere until I do some laundry since I need pants – I might have to break down and get a pair of jeans with my next paycheck (but they are awfully expensive) and maybe a new shirt. What that has to do with writing is absolutely nothing – sorry, I am trying to stay on target here. I will need to get the alcohol for the vacation today… so I should start the laundry soon

… and maybe I should do something else while my clothes are getting dizzy… any suggestions?

Sunday, I am finally going to get around to getting that doorframe painted and try an experiment in using my headphones and a long recording of white noise to counteract the dogs barking early in the morning. I might get a full night’s sleep for a change. Who knows how I am going to act once I have a full eight hours under my belt? More than likely no different than I am acting now, but I will act more aware of my actions, which for some will be a gentle surprise. I like what’s happening here – the book will be finished by Wednesday and off to the editor by the weekend. I’ll need to email the artist to give them the info they need for the cover.

So – I should get hopping. Have fun today everyone.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Hello, all! By this time tomorrow, I should still be asleep! My vacation begins in roughly 14 hours and I cannot be more excited. I’m getting three days off (Monday-Wednesday) and I will write to my little heart’s content and game in the times in between. I will finish the novel and get through the most of the rewrites. I will have a drink or two… or five or six. I will play Borderlands, Halo: Reach or even Fallout 3. I will have fun even if I have to hold people hostage. I’ve earned it. The dogs are quiet. Now I can’t concentrate on what to type next. I am really starting to dislike those dogs.

Anyways – like I mentioned, I am going to finish the novel this vacation period and then I will take a couple of days off to relax, and then jump into the next novel – more incentive for me to finish the novel early. Sorry if I seem to have a one track mind, but I am excited about getting some days off and working on something that I like for a change. Let me tell you this, all you young readers out there – if you find something you’re good at: do it. Never let anyone else tell you otherwise. There, enough of the old man talking.

There is a movie getting ready to hit On Demand called V/H/S and it looks good. It’s a series of vignettes and wow – they look scary for me and I am going to watch it when it comes out.

Sorry – I am a little distracted and out of it. I promise that the next installation will be chockfull of moments.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

The day after tomorrow is the last day of work before my vacation. I am praying that I get to leave early that day – anything to speed up the vacation getting-to tomorrow. Since I’m also going to need cash for the drinks and Saturday night’s dinner, I am forgoing my usual Thursday lunch out. Right now, however – I am out of it because interrupted sleep for the past few days. I am going to buy earplugs when I go to the hardware store this Sunday to get some paint to fix the door frame. I tried to scrape off the paint, but I was pulling up wood – so I am just going to reapply Kilz and a nice fresh weather proofed paint. Hopefully, it will be the only hard work I do over the weekend and into vacation. The novel will be finished by Wednesday if not earlier. No ifs ands or buts. Done and done. Fer reelz, yo.

OK – I have an editor lined up and I need to get information to the cover artist this weekend – with those two chores done soon, I can probably relax for a few minutes before charging ahead to the next novel, which will hopefully be a better put-together success than the first one now that I know how to set up chapters in the document – something I was unable to do in my first book, but I will repair that in the next version with new short stories to boot! I need two more ideas, so I’ll have to mine my common book again or stare blankly at a window – which I’ll probably do at work anyways. If I am going to have hours of boredom, might as well be productive about it.

Oh, speaking of being completely unproductive – I am 20 cards away from completing every deck in Magic: The Gathering 2012 on my computer. The last deck is a Red-Blue deck called Cloudburst. Now, for those of you that may not know this about me, but I have been playing Magic: The Gathering since its beginning waaaaay back when. I still even have the original Unholy Blessing. 5 binders of cards and seven or eight decks that I am tempted to completely tear down and sell everything to make about $400.00 (this is an estimate, but I know I’ve got two cards worth $50.00 each), not to mention all the original CoPs. While I love the game, and I wish I could find people who would be interested in just a friendly game or two – not the ones I’ve played with who are out for blood. I hate playing with those people. Don’t get me wrong, they were interesting, but when they played Magic – they played to win and frustrate… and they made more money than me so I couldn’t keep up with their mini-arms race. Which is one of the things I didn’t like about Magic to begin with – you have to spend an obscene amount of money to really get anywhere.

Well, it’s late for me here – let me get my yogurt and a shower. Not at the same time obviously.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

With it being Wednesday, I have only two days left of work and then I skip gloriously into vacation. Yes, I keep harping on it – there is a good reason. I hate my job and I see the vacation as the one thing that’s going to save my sanity. Well, that and the half-half hard tea I will gleefully consume during the three days of vacation. I’m gonna love what little I remember about next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I’m going to do some work on the novel – in fact, I am going to finish it starting from this coming Saturday and finishing it up Wednesday night – and maybe even squeeze in a session or two of video gaming. My X-Box is so lonely and neglected. That and I might take a day to try to finish off the Olympics – like that 16 hours session that’s probably taking up half the DVR memory.

As I said earlier, I am going to finish the novel during my break and I intend on doing that. There is little left in what needs to be written (the end) and some scenes I need to wedge in there. My big question (and I can’t remember if I asked this or not) is that the main character is mute, but uses sign language. My question is that should we know what she’s saying or try to fumble through it with the other characters? If we should know what she’s saying, would it be in “quotes” or should I underline it like I’ve been doing in the last half of it? Personally, I vote underline – the main character has a wit about her that should be shared with everyone else, and I think that the whole ‘someone else restates what she says’ is a little played out. So – I think I’ll just maintain the current pattern and add to it in the beginning. Have no fear – it will be done. Really.

I also have a neat idea for a horror short story that I might put up here as a preview. I’ve watched enough of those ghost hunting shows to get a germ of an idea. Don’t worry – I’m still going to watch them (if my one favorite will ever get some new episodes and my other favorite will stop changing their name with every season and throwing off my DVR) because those are the only reality show that I really like. The only other reality show that I am watching right now is ‘Stars Earn Stripes’ just to get a better feel as to how the Rank would act around civilians and maybe around each other at certain points. I will get to Zeno’s Calendar after I finish the first Spooksayer novel, which comes after I/O Error. Nice to know I am going to be busy for at least the next year. That and I might try to do another 4 Bits and a Dollar. I have two short stories ready, I just need two more.

Well, I should scurry off and get ready for my job. For today is Wednesday… the halfway point in the week. Two more days… two more days….

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I am getting closer to my vacation with every day – but oh, my – are the days long. Today is Tuesday, and yesterday was a little bit of a madhouse for a Monday. Tuesdays tend to be a little hairier, but the end of the month tends to be a little quieter since merchant services won’t have as many calls to dump to us. No – I’m not bitter or anything. Not at all. But those three days are going to be so nice – especially since I will have these little friends with me during the day. I am ready for this little break. After this, it’s a couple of weeks and then Borderlands 2 break!

The novel is creeping towards being finished. I’m trying to get the small points done and make sure that everything is linked together well. I am going to have all of this done by the end of the vacation next Thursday. After that, it’s on to the next one and trying to get that finished before the end of March. I don’t know what to do after I/O Error, but I’m sure I will find something to occupy my time.

I also have to start on my Halloween costume soon. I am going to go as Robert Baratheon, so I need to put together the costume. Thankfully, I have the body for him; I just need to whip of a bunch of fabric, boots and a shiny sword. Shouldn’t be too hard – I mean; I took a semester of Home Ec, so I should be able to stitch together a shirt and leggings from a picture… or something along those lines. The sword will be the most expensive part, so if the deadline is looming, it will be the first to go – but I need to get a stein with a stag motif on it. This might be the best costume ever.

I am still feeling tired. At first, I was considering waking up at the same time I do on the weekdays during my vacation, but… you know… I would like to try to get enough sleep… meaning I want to sleep in a lot. So, I figure that as long as I work very hard when I am awake, I should be able to sleep in a little. Lord knows I could use the extra sleep. Might even be more productive for these three days… or dead on my feet – either way, I am not going to be at work and that’s all that matters in the end. Tee-Hee.

Well, speaking of work. I need to get ready to get this day over with. Wish me luck as I cut this blog a wee bit short.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I am getting three days off next Monday. I can’t be any happier. My vacations break down like this: 3 days off next week, then Sept. 17^th and 18^th (to celebrate the release of Borderlands 2), after that I’m off for October 15^th and 16^th (for what would have been Bioshock: Infinite) then another work week and then my birthday week / Halo 4 release for a week and a half and that’s it. I’ll still have a day off for illness, but I’ll try to use it before the end of December. I will be productive during these vacations, working on with this novel or the next (hopefully the next one by October’s vacation) with an eye on starting the New Year with a finished work under my belt. This coming the year will be the year I gain traction on this whole writing thing.

Speaking of the writing thing: I am going to work to finish everything off before my vacation this month. Since I have to go nowhere this weekend, I should be able to finish the rough draft and start the fill-in work (there is are a couple of scenes that need to be written and inserted) and I want to have the editor look at the work and see whether or not I should keep the ‘spoken dialog’ that the main character signs. I’m not sure if I should keep it – the other character does understand it, but I am trying to stay away from various sign language tropes. So – I will let the editor make the call. All I need to do is finish the thing. Which I will do this week – seriously, just need to settle down and get stuff from my Nook Color over to one of the laptops and link everything together.

Did I mention that I am anxious to get my vacation started? Yes, I am ready to go. Gonna back my car into the parking spot Friday afternoon and tear out at Midnight to have five days of fun and relaxation. I might even try to catch a movie (maybe on On Demand). I might even try to finish a couple of Olympic Games I have recorded – yeah, I am going to be watching a lot of Olympics for a while, I still have a 16 hour chunk to go through and that’s going to be broken up Saturday and Sunday to make room for the upcoming football season. The season that I might also listen to on the NFL audio so that I can finally monitor the whole season of my favorite team for a change rather than blindly hope to find a broadcast channel. Which is so frustrating for me – since I follow a team that gets hardly any TV coverage, even if they play a more popular team. I can’t win to lose.

Oh, well. At least I have the Olympics.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy