Goal Post: Writing On The Backburner

Posted on October 3, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

Unfortunately, the title is going to be what it is for a week or so.  Darwin & the Deadland Queen requires a level of focus and positivity.  I don’t want to start writing and wreck Darwin’s happy personality because I’m stressed.  If I can fit in some time then I will, but at least this weekend is out.  Next weekend is going to be just as busy, but I might have a shot since it’s a 3-day.

My hope is to switch focus to ‘Coven of the Gray’ solely to keep my creativity going.  I’m still 1 or 2 sections away from getting the plot done.  Then, I’m going to design all of the coven members and turn the chapter book set up into a collection of short stories.  It’s roundabout and messy, but I’m thinking it will clean up as I work.  Again, this is dependent on my mood and getting other things done.  Plenty of appointments going on this week too.  Won’t be surprised if I hit a day where my body gives up on me and I have to spend it in bed after getting my son to school.  I’m already feeling strained at the joints and edges.

Without going into details, the life event involving courts isn’t settled.  Things are still going on and now I have to spend a lot of time going through files.  It’s going to be exhausting and I have to do it in solitude.  Not easy when you have a teenager who wants to play video games in your room or hang out for an hour.  This is on top of running errands and getting some fresh air because I’ll need the mental cleansing.  Keep in mind that I have work and those appointments too.  That removes most of the weekdays and a few evenings.  My brain is going to ooze out of my ears by the time this is all over.

I feel bad that I can’t do any writing.  Looks like I can’t get things ready for November blog posts either, so I will pull more of the older posts and hope for more time to do stuff in December.  Another thing I feel guilty about since I’m just treading water.  Almost forgot that I have to help my son with a bunch of college stuff too.  Surprised I’m going to have any time for sleep.  All I’m going to try to really push in at the end of the day is some Lego time to let my mind defrag . . . Anybody remember what defragging was?

As far as positive news, my son attended his first open house last weekend.  Yes, it was during the Nor’easter, but they provided ponchos.  The wind took those as a challenge, so we got wet.  Not drenched, so victory.  He loves the campus, especially them having a Subway and soft pretzel place in the student union, and we got to meet one of the heads of the department his major falls into.  Really nice guy who is funny and has a good philosophy on getting students ready for graduation.  This is my son’s top school as well, so it’s even better that he loves it.  To be fair, it was his second time visiting, which made it impressive that he knew how to get back to my car while I was totally lost.

So, goals of the week:

  1. Prepare stuff for life event.
  2. Cook all the dinners.
  3. Help son with college prep.
  4. Bring son to SAT.
  5. Buy food to make the dinners under #2.
  6. Try to ward off the physical collapse.
  7. Lego and Pokemon Go to relax.
  8. Reach out to friends when stressed.
Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Windemere Monsters: Eusu

Posted on October 2, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Revisiting some old monster posts for October.  This is a favorite from Legends of Windemere that I’m always happy to bring back.)

The Eusu’s Little Cousin

I’m actually very surprised that the Eusu had the top spot of the poll for so long and tied for it by the end.  This is a creature of my own design, but it isn’t very complicated.  Yet, it’s so entertaining to use this swamp monster whenever the setting is right and I want to terrorize my heroes.  So, let’s get into the origins and behaviors of this top tier predator of Windemere.

The Eusu debuted in Legends of Windemere: The Compass Key and was made on the spot.  All I had written in the outline was that Timoran Wrath was fighting a monster during the big swamp battle near the beginning of the story.  Technically, it was a moat monster, but the Lich’s castle was in the Caster Swamp and I assumed he would hire locally.  More importantly, I needed something big and strong and fast and deadly to give a barbarian a challenge.  Not much of a threat if the Eusu loses its head in one casual thwack with Timoran’s axe.  What was a powerful and dangerous swamp creature that I could base this monster off of?

*Nods to the top of the post*

I’ve always been cautious about alligators and crocodiles even when I was going to a lake that was in the north.  This actually stems from me being at my grandparents and playing with the TV when I was a little kid.  Stumbled onto a movie where a kid was being picked on and convinced to walk off a short diving board into a pool.  As a bullied kid at the time, I related to him and was waiting for him to get free to seek revenge.  Sadly, this was a horror movie or something.  The kid screamed as he was swallowed by a giant alligator that apparently came out of the sewers or something.  All I know is that I wouldn’t go near pools and showers were my thing for a couple of weeks.  Yes, the Eusu was partially born from what many would call a silly childhood trauma.

Still, I couldn’t have this be nothing more than a large alligator, so I gave it one physical alteration.  The Eusu’s jaw splits into four instead of two and all of them have the same immense level of crushing power.  So you aren’t getting hit from above and below, but around the shoulders and knees when the mouth closes.  Adding to the danger, I made this predator both strong and smart.  It had the power to toss an experienced barbarian around and would jump back into the moat if things got too rough.  Thinking back, I also made it able to accelerate underwater within seconds to get a leap that leaves only the tip of its tail in the moat.  I believe alligators can jump like this, but I think they need more of a swimming start to get that height.

The Eusu would return in The Spirit Well and cause some trouble in another swamp.  I hand them more as avoidable dangers since these weren’t taken to be castle defense.  In the wild, an Eusu is much less likely to attack armed warriors and casters.  They have plenty of food to choose from in their territories, which is dominated by an alpha male and has at least 6 females.  Like they’re smaller cousins, they will eat anything that they can catch, but they don’t do the death roll unless their prey is struggling and very big.  The reason is because their jaws slam shut with enough force to break bone and cut the victim to pieces.  This is avoidable if you can manage to catch all 4 jaws and push back with enough force.  Eusu do have the crocodilian weakness that you can hold the mouth shut easily, but you need to use both hands to cover the four slits.

Even though I can’t use the Eusu outside of jungles and swamps, I’m really proud of this simple creation.  Yeah, it’s a slightly altered alligator, but sometimes creatures like these are the most fun to use.  There’s a lot of real-world information that you can work with even though it’s a fictional creature.  Needless to say, I’ll be looking for every chance to bring this predator back in future stories.

Posted in Legends of Windemere | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Poetry Day: Zombie Horoscope

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

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(This was a fun one from years ago.  Felt like bringing it back.  Looks like I’m running out of old poems too.  Not sure what that means for Poetry Day.)

Ares battles against the swarm.
Cursing loud with little charm.
Soon his face is being chewed.
By a zombie with the name tag ‘dude’.

Taurus makes a stand alone.
Every chance to run is blown.
He will be eaten to the core.
Once zombies bash down his door.

Gemini stays within the groups.
Surrounding himself with several dupes.
One day the others found his plot.
Instead of eaten, he has been shot.

Cancer runs to live and breathe.
Lack of sleep making her heave.
She will be eaten upon collapse.
By zombies clothed in dirty scraps.

Leo gathers those in need.
A brave hero who steps up to lead.
He will be eaten and peeled like a grape.
Allowing others to escape.

Virgo stresses while she hides.
Dreaming of her chewed insides.
She wanders out to find a meal.
Then dined on by zombies with hungry zeal.

Libra designs a house of traps.
Always carrying her bag of maps.
Never straying far from base.
Some day will be gone without a trace.

Scorpio rushes in to kill and flee.
Splattering zombies with childish glee.
Like Ares she will be killed with ease.
When zombies descend on her like bees.

Sagittarius tries to blend into the horde.
Stiffly moving to be ignored.
A dangerous move that will not pay off.
He is dinner with a single cough.

Capricorn decides to stay up high.
Believing the ground is where he’ll die.
He tries to be careful to avoid a goof.
Zombies will shred him on the roof.

Aquarius leaves the cities quick.
Wanting open space to run full click.
Her end will come as she takes a nap.
Never hearing her warning twigs snap.

Pisces tries to stay at sea.
Surviving on caught fish and tea.
Nowhere within in sight of shore.
A monster storm makes him no more.

Posted in Poems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Questions 3: Welcome to October

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

Well, it’s nearly that time of year again.  I know October starts tomorrow, but I always use that month to post things about monsters.  Since I couldn’t figure out how to put a poll on WordPress like the ancient days, I’m going to repost some Windemere monsters throughout the month.  It isn’t like I have any new ones to show off yet, but maybe next year.  Anyway, let’s have some fun with audience interaction:

  1. What is your favorite thing about October and don’t say pumpkin spice?
  2. What is your top October memory?
  3. If you could change one thing about October, what would you do?
Posted in Questions 3 | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments

Teaser Tuesday: She Knows A Guy

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz
Cover Art by Jon Hunsinger

Cover Art by Jon Hunsinger

Here’s an excerpt from Chasing Bedlam.  There might be a few spoilers, so I put a ‘Read More’ tag.  Not that the book sells, but you never know.

Continue reading →

Posted in Bedlam Series, Chasing Bedlam, Teaser Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Fantasy Communication Styles

Posted on September 28, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

Palantir (Corrupting Communication Orb of LOTR)

An aspect of a fantasy world that I don’t think I’ve talked about is communication.  They don’t have phones, email, or texting.  They have other modes, which can be mundane or magical.  I’m just going to dive into the categories:

  1. Regular Mail– Letters and scrolls being sent through non-magical means is probably the easiest to write.  It can be carried by people on foot or horseback, which both have real world entities to copy.  You also have messenger birds or other animals if you want to get creative.  The challenge here is explaining how the sender knows exactly where the receiver is if the person is a wandering adventurer.  This is where a magical addition might be needed to act as a locator.
  2. Familiars– This is specific for anyone who uses magic.  Basically, they can summon an animal or have their own helper beast that can travel with a message.  This is something that can fix the issue with the first category since there is magic involved in the sending.  Of course, there are downsides here depending on the system.  For a non-summoned, flesh-and-blood familiar, being away from their master can cause weakness or put them in danger.  So, this can be a method used in extreme circumstances.
  3. Magical Messages– A spell can be used and not only by casters.  This method can be done through a scroll or with the help of a caster.  So, anyone can use it.  Many authors have this be instantaneous or within seconds, which helps move the story along.  It can be done through a voice showing up in the mind, a ghostly vision of the sender, or even appearing out of the surrounding.  One risk that I’ve seen added to this method is that those with magic can spy on the message.  So, it doesn’t always have the protection of a physical letter, which requires more effort to be stolen.
  4. Relic– An item that allows for sending messages is popular as well.  Much of the risk depends on how it works too.  If it’s simply sending a verbal message then you don’t typically see an issue.  If it’s mental and has a way of spying as well, you can add the threat of corruption.  This brings up the issue of forced mental communication as well, which can cause damage to both minds.  I don’t think this should really be a problem unless it adds to the story though.  A relic that party members share to talk when away or separated on a mission would be common, so adding risk would be an unnecessary wrinkle.
  5. Telepathy– I’m putting this in its own category for the non-magical version.  Some characters simply have this ability for one reason or other.  While people typically think of using it to spy on thoughts, it can be used to communicate.  It can require focus and knowing the target if going long distance.  For example, a telepathy shouldn’t be allowed to communicate with a person they’ve never met and lives thousands of miles away.  It would be jarring for the target and make the telepathy far too powerful because it would allow for other actions.  This can only be initiated by the telepath unless they open a two-way line with the mind of someone else.

Those are the only general categories I can think of.  Anybody know of others?

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

No Need For An Outlet: The Electric Eel

Posted on September 27, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

So, this animal isn’t endangered, but it really is cool.  There are actually three species of electric eel as well:

  • Electrophorous electricus– discharges 480 volts
  • Electrophorous varii– discharges 572 volts
  • Electrophorous voltai– discharges 860 volts

Before I list some facts, let’s get an overview of how these animals operate.  Electric eels have collections of special muscles called electrocytes.  These have a positive side and negative side, which is like a battery.  Once these are triggered, they release the electricity using three organs.  The main and the Hunter’s organ releases powerful blasts to drive away predators or stun prey.  The Sach’s organ release weaker pulses to navigate and find mates.

Here are some electric eel facts:

  • Electric eels aren’t actually eels.  They are more closely related to catfish.
  • They have terrible eyesight.
  • As stated, they navigate by releasing weak electric pulses to find food, mates, and get around in general.
  • Electric eels can grow to 6-8 feet.
  • There are three electricity-created organs: The main, the Hunter’s Organ, and the Sach’s Organ.
  • When fighting a predator, they will twist to make sure they deliver the full shock.
  • They can jump out of the water if they sense danger or prey above.
  • Males create a nest during the dry season using foamy saliva.  They guard the eggs until the rains come.
  • Electric eels breathe through their mouths due to the low oxygen waters they live in.
  • 80% of their body is made up of their electricity organs.

Here are some pics, but more importantly videos:

Posted in Animal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Goal Post: Hello From The Storm

Posted on September 26, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

Feels like months since I made a goal post.

Last weekend was focused on taking care of my son as he recovered from getting all four wisdom teeth out.  He was doing better by Saturday, but got tired really easily.  The med schedule was a headache at times too.  Sleeping was another problem, so both of us went back to school/work on Tuesday with fatigue.  Thankfully, he’s doing much better and only has some residual numbness, which is normal.

I never got around to tackling chapter 6 of Darwin & the Deadland Queen.  I had my hopes slightly up, but I knew it was a long shot.  Too many things going on and my stress levels were bad.  Terrible enough to give me stomach issues for days.  I tried to look at the outline to prepare for chapter 6, but didn’t get very far.  My hope is to write part of it this weekend as long as the storm doesn’t knock out the power.  If so, I’ll try to work more on ‘Coven of the Gray’.

My chances aren’t high though because we have a family event today.  It’s here, so the storm shouldn’t cause a problem.  Might mean the house stays full into tomorrow morning.  Not a problem though.  I have to wake up and brave the storm to get my son to a open house at his top college choice.  They aren’t cancelling it, but that could change.  They said it would be primarily indoors and the tour would only be if you really want it.  The wind is supposed to be really bad, so I don’t want to risk our good umbrellas.  We’ll just have to see what happens.

Court . . . I cannot even begin to explain what is going on.  At least on a public forum.  It’s still in progress though.  Really wearing on me, especially since work was stressful.  We started going to work sites, which is fun.  It’s also nerve-wracking when you have students out there for the first time.

The only progress I made on anything was finishing the jacket for my son’s Halloween costume:

Took a lot of sewing and figuring out issues.  The zigzag on the front was a major headache. I originally sewed pieces on, cut them down the middle, and added clips to close the jacket.  The clips didn’t close it completely, so the halves didn’t match up.  I had to undo everything and think it through again.  The answer was the make a complete zigzag piece and use Velcro dots to attach it.  Now, it can simply be taken off when my son needs to get in or out of the jacket.

The final piece are the claws, which aren’t going well.  I have thimbles for the bases, which I’m going to glue to the gloves.  Been trying to use aluminum foil to form the claw, but it keeps looking flimsy and lame.  Going to be experimenting with it over the weekend, so fingers crossed.  Took a break from typing the post to mess with the only one I made and there are options my son pointed out.  Popsicle stick cores and folding the long claw over to make it thicker is what we’re going to look at.  Still resembles aluminum foil and I have no idea how to change that.  My mind is more on the spring cosplay contest than the Halloween costume, which might be why I’m taking this so hard.

Finished this too:

Minas Tirith

Before anyone wonders how I did that and not writing, I will point out that I started this at the beginning of summer.  I needed to clear my craft table for the claws and took a little time each night to do it.  Couldn’t carve out a 3 hour block for writing when I had the energy.  Better luck next weekend maybe.  Actually, my son has the SAT and then a school event on Saturday.  So, I might get the full weekend.

This coming week is going to be another one of mayhem.  Storm isn’t helping.  There are a bunch of appointments, including court.  More could turn up at any moment.  I really need to go food shopping as well because I’m going to have to be doing dinner for a while in a bit.  Got all of my dishes planned, so I won’t buy anything that I don’t need.  I’m starting to realize why people only get far as authors when they’re retired, rich, have a supportive spouse, or at least minimal responsibilities.  Juggling far too much to keep my energy up these days.

Goals of the week:

  1. Finish the Dr. Xeno claws.
  2. Celebrate niece’s birthday.
  3. Court.
  4. Help son prepare for SAT.
  5. Food shopping.
  6. Sleep.
  7. Work on Darwin & the Deadland Queen.
Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Questions 3: Being Negative

Posted on September 25, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

This might be harder for people than the positive ones.  Most people don’t like being negative and even have trouble thinking in such a way.  So, here we go:

  1. Do you think there is any benefit to negative thinking?
  2. What do you think causes people to become inherently negative?
  3. What effect do you think negative thinking has on mental health?
Posted in Questions 3 | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

Poetry Day: The World Moves On

Posted on September 24, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(This one hits pretty hard these days.)

The day will come
When man becomes no more
It is our greatest fear
That shows our deepest vanity
We say the world will end
As if we are all there is

The world will move on
A fact we all must know
Yet this truth eludes our minds
Getting slipperier
Like a ferocious eel
The harder we try to grasp it

Maybe this is a shield
Born from our evolutionary path
A tool to drive us on
Yet it blinds us when it counts
Driving fools into madness
At the slightest sense of doom

After mankind
The world may thrive
Returning to its natural state
Swallowing our cities
Healing the wounds we caused
Erasing all our work

It is the way it is
The way it was meant to be
We act like greedy lords
Over our precious orb
Never realizing
That it is our sleeping master

I wish to see
The world without us
See the changes that ensue
But I know I will be gone
Dust upon the wind
Still dreaming I’m in charge

Posted in Poems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments