For the most part, I’ve followed the advice of W.C. Fields when it comes to working with kids and animals when I write. I don’t count werewolves as animals because for the most part, they’re still human. A technicality, but one I am going to cling to for all I have.

Father of the Year!

Of course, I had to break this rule when writing Tribal in that the main character has to make another werewolf for the pack he’s gotten himself tangled up in. Lycanthropy is transmitted by bite in this book, and Edgar is told up front he needs to bite someone.

So, he bites a young man because that’s what you do, among other horrible things. I really didn’t have this in my original outline, but I had no idea how to get along with the story. When in doubt, think of what’s the most likely outcome to cause chaos and go with it. I don’t think it’s one of Pixar’s rules for writing, but it works.

I also have the feeling that Tribal may not get finished by the end of the year, and I am okay with that. I can still fiddle around with it when Unbroken is at a standstill. Since I haven’t finished the outline to that yet, that is almost a certainty. I probably should work on it tonight, rather than paint minis. I can do minis later in the week, or next week when I have more days off.

On a lark, I got myself a dip pen. It’s neat to write with it. The ink flows very nicely, it’s smooth – not a smooth as my best fountain pen – but it’s neat. I recommend getting a dip pen and writing with it for your journal or notes. Obviously, it’s not for every day, common use. It’s good for me because the pen writes much drier than my fountain pens, and I have a problem with smearing because I write with my left hand. There are problematic notebooks that I like to use, but smearing is prevalent unless I use a particular brand of ink, which really limits my color choices.

Yes, I am one of those weird people that write in different colors. I’m not organized about a lot of things, but my writing and my notes are a different matter.

I did manage to see Netflix’s Frankenstein, and it is well worth the viewing. It follows the book very closely and has some very good performances in it. If you have the chance, I would see it. There are a couple of jump scares, but all in all it’s a rather interesting metaphor on hubris and childhood.

That’s all for now – living this exciting life and all. I need to go get to some laundry and finish putting Tyro through her paces. Ta-ta for now!

I’m starting to hate Tribal. I’ve been told that pregnant women close to the end of the third trimester just want the baby out and done. I don’t know, I’ve never been pregnant. I do however empathize with those women. I want Tribal to be done so I can move on to the next book. A new idea popped into my head, and I think it might help me tie the book together in the end – which we all know I have problems with.

I’ve also restarted the Kyklos Saga – a cringeworthy name – and I am thinking that I am going to dip my toes into progression fantasy, since it seems to be still popular. Progression fantasy is a genre that tracks the advancement of a character, watching them become stronger and more capable book after book. The series I’m writing fits this nicely. It also has cute bunny people. Can’t go wrong with that. I’ve started outlining that when I’m not outlining Tyro’s series.

At least when the New Year begins, I can go to Tyro – speaking of her — and maybe that will get me back into it. Lately, I’ve been avoiding writing (*gasp*) anything on Tribal for the reasons outlined above. Is this common? Do other writers get to the point where they’re just done with the characters and want to shove the whole kit-and-kaboodle off a cliff? If I didn’t have this deadline, I would actually set it aside and work on something else long term, but I’ve got to have something published for this year and The Show Must Go On is not ready for that yet.

Might as well bear down and try to get it finished before December. I am going to take a break from it while I work out how this new idea is going to lead to the end.

Other than that – everything is going well. I’ve taken up light jogging and I feel a little better for it. With the weather turning away from summer, I am ready for the crisp fall air, soup for dinner and the crunch of leaves underfoot. I love fall.

Well – ta-ta for now. I should get back to work on something.

If you know, you know…

I am so close to finishing Tribal! I did the math (or rather, I let the website calculator do it for me for accuracy’s sake). If I do at least 600 words a day, every day – I can have the second draft of this novel done by the end of November. Which is good because I have not gotten very far in the outline. I want to have all of December to write the outline nd get it done, because January 1^st, I am dropping everything to work on Tyro’s novel, with an eye on getting it done in three to six months. That’s me being very optimistic.

Six hundred words is about an hour’s worth of quick work – maybe a little bit more if the stars aren’t in alignment. I think for Tyro’s novel, I might have to stretch it to 1700 – which means I’ll get it done in March if I really apply myself. Which is 850 during my lunch break, and another 850 after work. The time after work is going to be the hard part. I do have other things to do when I get home: laundry, dishes, lunches and spending time with the wife. I can cut one of these things. Lunch isn’t an important meal, is it? No – I don’t think it is. There! A few extra minutes gained!

I briefly considered handwriting this, then a realized I wanted to be productive. Maybe I’ll hand write one that’s not a major project. Perhaps Pleasure to Burn or one of the other ones I’ve got in my head. I watch a vlog about a very cozy looking writer who wrote a couple of chapters by long hand and seemed to like it. I’ve got all these pens and inks, I should do something substantial with them.

Other than all of this – nothing new is happening. I am buying more pens because I certainly don’t have a problem. Nope. Not me. Who’s got forty-five fountain pens, no money and two thumbs? Not me – I don’t have forty-five but thank you for the challenge. I won’t let you down.

On a personal note, my wife and I have just celebrated our 31^st wedding anniversary. She still won’t get matching tattoos, but I am willing to overlook that slight. Our marriage is made of sterner stuff.

I think that is going to be all for now. I need to get the rest of the daily word count finished and help out in the kitchen. Ta-ta for now!

I am not going to get a thing done today…

I’m sorry for missing last week, but those Thursdays sneak up on me.

Is that a Thursday?

I was also playing Baldur’s Gate Three when I should have been writing, obviously. Well, since there is no game tonight – moved to Mondays – I can finally get back on track for blogging at a regular day and time like clockwork.

Well, crap…

I’m getting ready to write another ice cream scene in Tribal, and this is going to be a doozy, so I really want to get it down the first time. I’m over halfway through the draft, so it’s looking like I’m going to have it done before the self-imposed deadline of December 31^st. I hope so because I am so far behind on my outline for Unbound. If I can get it done even a little bit before the end of the yar, I can spend the remaining time flinishing up the outline, because January 1^st – come hell or high water – I am going to get it started and finish it in six months. It’s going to be hard, but I have ot do it. This idea has been laying dormant for way too long of a time, and I think I have a shot of getting it traditionally published.

I also just finished up watching the movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. It’s a funny movie that pokes fu at Weird Al and rock movies in general. The jokes are there, but you’ve got to be a bit of a Weird Al fan or a movie buff to get some of them. I recommend it if you want something silly and pretty much by the numbers.

Not much else going on. I’m trying to get a group together in my area to play some Pathfinder 2.0, and that’s coming along as expected. Badly. It’s not a niche game, it’s just that it’s overshadowed by the larger dragon in the room. I might have to go to startplaying.games and put down some money. Not the best option, but the only one I have right now. If you’re in the Clarksville, IN area and want to get in on this game – drop me a line. I am way more interested in live games than I am playing through a VTT.

That’s really all for now – just me and my boring life trying to outhustle the crackheads. Hope your life Is far more interesting than mine, and I’ll see you in the next one.