The Olympics have started and I am trying to catch all my favorite sports – which is going to be difficult. Thankfully I have several placed where I can go and watch them online. Right now, I am watching the women’s 10 meter air rifle finals with China winning the gold. I missed the women’s basketball against France, but I am going to see the next men’s basketball game – I am looking forward to that and the weightlifting competition. I don’t watch a lot of events, but the one I do watch, I will follow almost rabidly. When the Winter Games come, I am definitely going to take that time off and indulge myself in coverage. Hopefully by then, I’ll be writing full time and can just get up from the bed and go to the TV. I tend to like the Winter Games a bit more than the Summer Games, but hey – it’s the Olympics (even if there are some games that have been dropped).

However, I am going to endeavor to put in my work on the novel today – finishing up the poisoning scene and moving on to the advice scene, which will put me within spitting distance of finishing this thing. After this, I will be going through the rewrites, which I am going to go through here, if only to make sure I remember what I need to do when I get to that point:

1. Give Rhona dialogue. Not as hard as one would think.
   
2. Give Anya some non-stabbing, non-raging scenes.
   
3. Don’t know if I want to give Everthirst some scenes.    
   

I know I’m dragging on this and the story, but the Olympics are playing on the TV. I might wrap this up and enjoy the women’s handball (Spain vs. South Korea). Hopefully, I can watch some weightlifting tonight as well.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Well, I went to the doctor’s today. Blood pressure is 130/80 (a little high… but not life threatening) and my weight is 284 lbs. – hey, I’ll take it. Ends up that the coughing and the phlegm is a symptom of bronchodialation – it’s my old friend asthma deciding to come back after a several year absence. Didn’t write, didn’t send me post cards, and didn’t call me to say that it missed me. Oh, well – at least it’s treatable and it is something that I am used to…. *sigh*. But – hey! 284 lbs.!

The novel continues on – but this last finished chapter doesn’t really have the feeling of the other chapters. If I have to cut words, this might be the first thing on the chopping block, but I’m concerned that Anya is taking over the narrative. While, yes – the story is about how Rhona manages to deal with Everthirst, but I am concerned that Anya is stealing the spotlight. Before you say ‘why not make Anya the main character?‘ – I have thought of it and I’m not keen on it. Yes, it would make other novels that take place in that world a little easier (several projects that could involve her come to mind), but I want her around for a while. I don’t know – but that’s what rewrites are for, right? Make the rough draft with a sledge hammer and chisel away with the re-writes… or I hope that’s how it goes. Well – I know that this is going to be a good novel once I get it finished. Stop laughing. It’s going to get done.

Anyways – there is a YouTube video of Halo 4 game play. Holy cow – why isn’t this out yet? I love the Halo series and I can’t wait to see what direction they are taking the story in now. I haven’t read any of the books (I might try one, since you can get a little bit more out of the game if you know that backstory), but I might pick one up now just to see if it’s as good as some people say that it is. Boy, I am still feeling a little tired – time for a drink. One of the things they suggest to lower your blood pressure is to take in less caffeine. Those that know me well know that there is a better chance to hit three Powerball lotteries in a row than me giving up caffeine anytime soon. So – it’s not high, but I know there are those that would suggest I change now and head it off at the pass. Maybe tomorrow.

Well, after I put down some words, I am going to watch the movie “The Skin I Live In” – I have to admit that I have a weakness for foreign horror films – ever since I went to Wild and Wooly’s for the first time and saw “The God Of Gamblers” (not a horror film, but a darn good film regardless). I am also one of those weird people who enjoy movies that aren’t re-dubbed in English. Things like that take me right out of the film. Best foreign horror films come from the Japanese. I like a couple of French horror films, but they tend to have the 80’s horror mentality – gore is good and a lot of gore couched in between heavy philosophical concepts. The gore works fine for me. Yeah – I’m a bit of a gorehound.

I need to get to work. I hope everyone has a good day.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Good morning, all. I am sick – in a physical “wasn’t that supposed to be attached to me?” way (mental illnesses aside). Now, here is a rare glimpse into my family history: if you were sick, the only way you could get out of work/school/living was to be to the point where you were ejecting fluid that was:

1. Not meant to come out of any orifice
   
2. Not meant to come out of a particular orifice that fast or that far
   

So, it meant if I had the sniffled, I was told to suck it up (metaphorically and otherwise), take a pill and soldier on. Granted, that’s good advice for life in general – but it also set up something in me that I am particularly fond of: I rarely call in sick and feel guilty if I do. The last time I called in sick was maybe two months ago. The time before that? Early last year. I tend to use only one to two sick days a year – other times I’m ill, I just soldier through. Not because I am some sort of unstoppable tech support machine, but because I was raised to do that.
I understand that I have sick days, and the company is more than happy to let me use them – in fact, they have a ‘use them or lose them’ policy. One thing I will say about my last employer, they had a better policy concerning that: whatever you didn’t use, you got cashed out at the end of the year. Since I usually only took one week off a year, I had a nice bonus coming towards me around the last week of work. Not anymore.

My current position is a reason why I want to write for a living. If I get sick, I can take a couple of days off and let the sickness ooze out of me, or if I need to keep writing as a way of therapy – I can do that. It’s my choice. Right now, the only reason why I am not following my normal routine of blogging, writing and then trundling off to work is because I feel like poo now, and it’s only going to go downhill from here. The fact that Opening Ceremonies are Friday has absolutely nothing to do with it. Seriously. I got my PC at work to live stream the games and my DVR all ready to record what I don’t watch. Anyone who thinks I am slacking off just because of that is sadly mistaken.

Yesterday, I did slack off on my writing however, and I can’t blame illness on that. However, I am going to try to make the best of today and not only hit my 1,100 mark for today, but cram in another 600 to complete that goal for yesterday. Realistically, I can hit that easily before I have to call in (the benefits of having a late night shift, I don’t have to call anyone until the afternoon) and if I write anything after that is just gravy. I had a change of heart for one scene and I want to get that down and finish the poisoner’s feast before too long, which is going to lead to the climax of the book and the last short chapter to the end. Look for it to come in at about 65,000 words when all told and I am aiming for a Christmas release, if not sooner.

Well, I am off to get some juice and tissues. I hope you’re feeling better than I am right now.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Really… that whole ‘people think about sex every seven seconds’ was meant to be a bit of trivia, not a goal. J

The Opening Ceremonies are Friday night and I can watch them on my computer at work! Finally, I can watch something decent! Sound is going to be an issue because I will have to plug in headphones, but I am also going to record it here at home – I want watch it here, then come home and watch it with sound actively turned on. The sports themselves I don’t really need sound. I just need to set up recording times and bask in the warmth that is the Olympics. When I erased Battlestar: Galactica (with the understanding I would buy the series on DVD) my recorded space went from 60% to 40%. I knew that digital channels took up more space than analog, but wow – I didn’t think a whole series would take up 20% of the DVR’s memory. Lesson to be learned: analog is still king.

My novel lurches towards its ending. I have written one of the major scenes and I am now concentrating on the aftermath… which gave me a good idea for another series in that same world as it were, or that world in the future. I am sticking with my task however of getting this novel finished so I can move on to the next one. Thank God I have that commonbook – otherwise I would go mad with trying to remember everything. Of course, I still have the issue of writing things down when I have the time. This is why I am thankful for my work’s rather liberal policies about restroom usage – if I had to actually relieve myself as often as I make myself out to do… I should see a doctor.

Today is Wednesday. Halfway through the week, I keep telling myself. Today is going to top out (as far as temperatures go) at 104 degrees. Yikes! Did I also forget to mention that my car has no A/C? I know I should get it fixed, but it’s going to be about $200.00 dollars and I need that money to go towards an artist for the book. Maybe I will get the A/C fixed with the first set of royalties (after the celebratory dinner of course). Thankfully, the tires have been replaced (grumble) and I am not due for another oil change until I get paid again (further grumble). I’m starting to see the value of horses – and being as someone who had to muck their stables, that should be an indication of how much this car is killing me.

Well, that’s about it for now – there will be other things to comment on eventually, but I have to get Anya back to the pub to cure everyone eventually – the plot marches on as it were. Stay cool and have a mice day.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I have this thing –when I dream, I try to analyze that dream either while I’m dreaming, or in the next dream I’m trying to analyze the previous dream. The last time something like this happened, it was in the very next dream where I am discussing the previous dream with a small beagle, who is asking me questions about what I felt the dream was about. All in all – it was an interesting peek into my inner workings, but I’m concerned about the beagle’s license to practice psychiatry here as opposed to Maymont Park. I should try to perform some lucid dreaming techniques when I get home at night.

I have three major scenes to finish in the novel: the apothecary, the advice, the duel – with a smaller scene to wrap everything up at the end. I’ve been doing a thousand words (or a little over) a day. Yesterday, I had to tear myself away from the computer to get ready for work – it was great! I love moments like that, when I’m in the zone as it were and everything just flows from my fingertips. It’s like catching fire in a jar, except that warm feeling is from a sense of accomplishment and not my skin burning off through the glass. You’ve probably had moments like that, dear reader. Aren’t they great?

Anyways – other than that, there is surprisingly little going on here of note. I found a gym near where I live where there is a pool where I can swim. I have to admit, I’ve been in a bit of a physical funk for two days. My legs hurt a little and it’s why I tend to just go home directly after work. Maybe I can say ‘fie to you, rat-kin’ and swim a couple of laps during the weekend. It’s not like I have to pick up hewn logs to build muscles anymore.

Oh! Speaking of lifting heavy objects! The Opening Ceremonies are this Friday! I am going to have to clear a lot of space off on my DVR – so I will have to sweep away Battlestar: Galactica to make room since I’ve seen that and I am going to buy the full DVD collection (I was going to buy it, anyways…). While I’m not going to get every hour of coverage (I wish I could) and when the Winter Olympics roll around, I should take those two weeks off. Oh – and the last little bit of Olympics until tomorrow, I swear – Wiggins is on track to be the first person to take the yellow jersey in the Tour de France and earn a gold medal in the games! He’s the first English Tour de France winner, so there’s a bit of pressure on him, but that’s what makes the games great – to see the end result of sacrifice, sweat and tears.

Man, I can’t wait.

Well, off to complete another chapter.

Have a good day.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I like yogurt, but I am not a spy. I just tried Greek Yogurt – and if I had to eat that on a daily basis – I too, would wreck the economy just to get the factories that make that stuff shut down. It is thick – like whipped cream, but a lot more dense, and it’s far more salty than regular yogurt. Even when it has honey flavoring, I can still taste the saltiness in it. Blech. Just… blech. Oh, well – on to other things in the day.

It is Monday and all the baggage about it remains. The dogs are back, so all is well as far as distractions go. I was oddly troubled by their lack of barking on Friday and now that they’re back, I wish they’d be a little quieter. “I don’t like the sound of those drums” shortly followed by “It’s quiet… too quiet”. Yeah – that’s my life here. Maybe this is just the Greek yogurt talking. I’m also waking up, still, so if nothing makes sense, then get some coffee and try to read this. Actually, that won’t help. I should get some coffee.

The novel continues along at its own pace and should be ready for major editing by beginning of September. Still looking for an artist for the cover of the first novel, so if you happen to know anyone, please direct them to this email address (keythsea@earthlink.net) and include in the subject: ‘cover artist’. I am willing to pay a small amount for the art and would be more than happy to discuss fees… but not right now, I need to focus on getting the book finished. I am so close to getting it done… I’m tempted to call in sick, but I can’t. I already did that last month just because I needed to have a day off. I’ll just have to put up with everything as best as I can until I can get to the point where I can leave the job and write full time. I know I’m putting the cart before the horse, but I need to get some other thing straightened out, like how I’m going to pay taxes when I go solo – should I get an LLC? It may be fairly optimistic of me to think down to a point where I’m going to need to have some sort of business license, but since I am taking on the duties of a publisher, I should look at the bigger picture. Besides, if I can incorporate in Nevada, it would be wrong of me to not go to the casino.

Back to reality – I didn’t get to go to see The Dark Night Rises. Maybe the next time I get paid, I’ll go see it. I had the writer’s meeting and by the time I got out, I was more than ready to come back home. I like the group, I like the interaction; but after hitting the Indian Buffet, I was ready to retreat home. I’m not the most social person on the weekends, I save up for the week. Speaking of which, I need to get back to the novel.

Have a good day.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

The first problem was that I could not make any sort of nifty links like this one. I managed to fix it and now I can add stuff when I can – like this. This may not seem like a lot, but honestly, when I get another novel finished, I want to be able to give you a direct link to it from here, rather than tell you look for it. I can now try to be more entertaining… or less boring, I suppose.

I managed to make it to my writers’ group meeting today. I am surrounded by very talented writers – I mean, these guys blow me clear out of the water. I could have printed up a part of another project, but wow – I feel like I’m a first grader holding up a piece of paper with my name and saying ‘see… I stayed within the lines!’ I know that this is part of the growing process, and I went through it with the Village, but with the Village, since it was online, I never had to read my work aloud. Dear God, I cannot stand the sound of my own voice, especially if I have to read something that requires voices (female voices, for example). One of the reasons why I love writing is that I don’t have to actively interact with people unless I want to do so. Holy cow – I seriously need to have my work evaluated, but going through the gauntlet of hearing myself drone on and on almost kills me.

I also got to eat at a Hindu buffet afterwards. It was… OK. I am not going to be going back voluntarily. I don’t mind that the food was spicy, and it wasn’t as spicy as I thought it would be compared to the stories I heard. I liked the rice pudding and there was a chicken dish that wasn’t too horribly spicy, but it did give me a better background on the food of the elves that eat in my novels, since I got the idea of their food from a Hindu woman I knew from my time back there. While the food was mildly spicy, the variety that was there was fairly sparse. Enough to give me an idea of what the elven pallet would consist of. The day wasn’t a complete wash. Next time, I might bring something to be read. I’ll just muddle through it.

I’m also fairly tired. I had to get up early to get ready for the trip. I can’t even remember if I changed out the laundry – well, I’ll check tomorrow morning.

All and all – it’s been a good day.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Hello, all – I woke up this morning with only one goal in mind: to get out of bed.

I try to keep my motivations really, really simple.

Now that I have accomplished that – I should be able to carry on with my day. It’s the beginning of the weekend for me, and my plans other than writing are fairly simple: TV and movies. I am going to go see The Dark Night Rises and bring back a review.

Wait. I just noticed something. The neighbor’s idiot dogs haven’t barked yet. I don’t see them walking around the fence. I think this day just got better. I’m not a dog hater. It’s just they bark at every little thing that comes near their yard, including me. They can see me when I sit down at my desk and start barking. I know they are used to me because their tails are wagging, so they don’t see me as a threat, just someone to bark at for hours on end. Wow. It’s really quiet. I can hear my music without having to keep jacking up the volume. I think I can really concentrate today!

OK – I am getting a little carried away. I’m sure that there is a good reason why Shemp* and Curly Joe* are not barking their heads off, but it’s odd and I’m hoping they are just inside to avoid the heat of the day. Let me get some caffeine to wake myself up a little more. There. Now, I am still in the home stretch for the novel and I should get it done fairly soon. Yeah – I know I keep talking about it because:

1. It keeps me motivated to finish it
   
2. This is only the second novel I have finished. It’s still a new experience for me.
   

After the novel is finished and while it’s being edited, I need to find a cover artist (any volunteers?), because while this novel is being written under a pseudonym – I want to put forth a really good first impression, something beyond grey ties and bland efforts. As far as the cover artist goes, I am willing to pay for the art. I will need to save up a lot of cash, I would assume… maybe above $500.00 (hey, that is a lot of money for me – that’s almost a full paycheck), but not too much. I’m still somewhat in the hole for my last effort. Expect several links to appear when I get everything done. Hopefully by then, I will have fixed this copy of Word so that I can put in hyperlinks. So – let me get cracking on the novel and with any luck, I will have it out there by year’s end and working on a second one (I/O Error) to be finished. My goal is to get a novel finished every season and in the wild at least twice a year.

In order to do that, I need to get off of here and into work.

I hope your day is as productive.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

* more than likely not their real names, but that’s what I call them

OK, I am a metal head. I freely admit that of my own will, and I will testify under oath that I am not a choosy metal head. I like Nu-Metal, Second Wave Of English Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Speed Metal, Death Metal, some Progressive Metal – but I love, love, love the Vitamin Series. What the Vitamin Series is a string quartet and a piano soloist (either or) that takes a band and adapts some of their music for either a string quartet or a piano. Yes, I know – Apocalyptica did that for a while – but the Vitamin Series also venture away from metal and cover different genres. I like listening to instrumental music when I write, and the Vitamin Series hasn’t yet disappointed me. Not really a shout-out, but a recommendation.

Anyways, I am about maybe three scenes away from the end of the book, which has become somewhat different than what I originally different than what I first imagined, but I hope it will be enough of a compelling ending to the story. That’s the one thing I am always not good at is how to end a story, because I can sometimes keep going in my head with what happens next to the characters. I think I’ve got a decent ending for this novel, but in my mind, I see the characters picking up where they left off at the end of the novel and getting into more trouble.

Gah – I’m tired. I think I’ll close up shop here today and retry this in the morning.

Sorry, all.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I wake up at 8:30 AM and give myself a half hour to eat breakfast (today, more yummy sour cream pudding cake, which to me tastes an awful lot like the vanilla pudding cake) read some web comics and generally try to wake up. Well, it was a little harder than usual to get around to opening up this blog and put in the first entry. I’ll start typing, then I’ll think of something and go right to it rather than putting it aside and working on this blog. I wonder if it’s because I am still trying to adapt to this new work schedule and I am going to be far later than I was originally and getting 6 hours of sleep, or it’s because it’s 8:30 AM and I have had no caffeine since 10:00 PM the previous night. One of these I can solve right away (and will do so after this blog is finished), the other will require more time and effort on another front.

The reason why I’m slightly concerned about is, as I pointed out in my last entry, I am so close to being finished with the novel. In 12 to 18 days I should be finished and close to the 60K word count I imposed on myself. When it takes more effort than usual to get around to something, that means I’m getting fatigued about this and want to move on to something else, which is something I normally do (Isaac Asimov did it and he pumped out a couple of books in his time), but to quit this novel and move on to another thing is bad. Especially when I am this close to finishing the second novel of my fledgling career, I shouldn’t give up now. So, I just need to remember the advice I got from Ms. Tan and just smile and fake it until it’s over, and then have a cookie for my efforts (the cookie wasn’t her idea).

This Friday, The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters and I am going to wait until Saturday to see it. After I’ve seen it, I will come back here and give a full review for everyone. There is only one more summer film I am heavily anticipating (Total Recall), and only because it’s based off of the work of Philip K. Dick – who is an author that I recommend highly for the depth of the concepts he brings up in his work… which Hollywood runs to for their films. He is also a greatly influential author to me with his contemplations on the nature of memory, identity and just how shaky the concept of reality can be at certain points. Go look for him, either in book or on the big screen: Blade Runner, The Adjustment Bureau, A Scanner Darkly, and Minority Report are some that are taken directly from his works, but you can see his influence everywhere.

Well, time for me to get back to it.

Have a good day!

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy