… because the vacation is over. The very vacation I don’t think I got paid for. When I got paid last Friday, I noticed that my paycheck was a little less than what it should be. I’m going to have to talk to HR and more than likely find out that since I am now technically ‘part-time’ (working thirty hours a week) I no longer get the perks of paid vacation. If that’s the case, then I am going to speed up the process of getting out of that rat hole I call work. I am seriously considering going back to temping again just so that I can get some money while trying to get the novel finished – more on that later. Right now, I am getting back into the work morning routine: web
comics, Facebook and dread. However, I managed to get some pictures from Fandom Fest, so please enjoy them.

On to better news! The First Act is finished! Took me the majority of the vacation, but I didn’t want to spoil the stress-free days I had with stress of a different sort, but I pulled it together at the last minute (as all good writers do…) and finished the act strong: 23,121 words (out of a total budget of 85,500) and left it with a suitable cliff-hanger. I am also willing to make this offer. Those of you, who are curious what I have been writing thus far, feel free to e-mail me and I’ll send you a copy of the first act. All I would like is an initial impression – no editing yet. I have an editor to hire for such a thing. The second act is going to be the beginning of the rising action – escape. This is where the stakes are raised and hopefully the novel will become the white knuckler that I want it to be until the end. I also hope that the premise won’t seem too hackneyed. I had one image from the novel in my head when it was a scene for a role-playing game (I’ll let you know which one – the scene, not the game. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you should know what it is). I am still excited about this project. I might even finish it!

I didn’t get a chance to go to the movies during vacation, but I got a couple of films on iTunes and watched almost the whole season of Hannibal. Wow… that is a good show. Yeah – it’s a little gory at times, but if you can get past that it is a great study on a manipulative mentor (something I want to do with ‘The Pentateuch of Abel’) and for me, it sets up Silence of the Lambs better down the road. I can’t wait for the second season. I’ve also dusted off Fallout 3 and I am enjoying it completely – I was getting a little bored with Borderlands 2 and I thought I could stand a change of pace… and wow is it.

Well, I have a heroine to imperil, so I bid all of you adieu until next time.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy