Goal Post: I’m Just Going to Remove Anything Before ‘Day’ on the Calendar

Posted on May 2, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

I’m going to start with heavy event number one.  I can’t talk about details because that would be crossing a line.  All I will say is that I got to experience my first Zoom funeral this week.  Found it awkward and uncomfortable only because you can only see what the camera is aimed at.  Glad to be involved to get some closure, but there’s a lingering ache that I don’t get to say an official goodbye.  Yup . . . That’s all I can say on it, so let’s move on.

Heavy event number two is that it was announced yesterday that New York schools are closed for the rest of the school year.  Only the buildings, so remote learning will continue as it has been.  Of course, I’m sure some parents will take this as a reason to simply stop either due to a misunderstanding or not wanting to bother.  Can’t say I blame anyone for going that route because it’s tiring.  I’m acting as a parent and TA, so I’m seeing both arenas.  It’s a strain on the body, mind, and soul because it comes off only as work to get through.  There’s something lacking that you get from being in a physical school, but there’s nothing that can be done.  The alternative is to open schools up and run the risk of people getting sick.  I’d hate to go in and bring this virus back to my parents or my son to get hit by it.  His asthma makes him a high risk and he’s always had a lot of trouble with upper respiratory infections.  So, it’s the right call, but a tough one to swallow.

The writing life has been interesting.  Got another act outlined for Sin’s adventures that I’m still calling The Ether Thief.  I kept forgetting to make more chapter titles for Do I Need to Use a Dragon? (Tips to Writing Fantasy).  So, I needed something for Sunday that was writing related.  I might be delving more into the pile of notebooks for ideas that I haven’t touched in a while to make posts.  I’ll be hashing things out as I write and probably continue doing it after I schedule.  For example, tomorrow will be about a series influenced by my freshman year of college.  It’s not as clear cut as that and it has some challenges that may have been worked out after I made the post.  We’ll see what happens because this is a tricky one.  I can’t divert too far from the events I’m using, so it’s more restrictive than my other ones.  You’ll see when we get to it and I hope people keep an open mind and remember that this works off some real events.

In regards to novel writing, War of Nytefall: Savagery is moving along. Reached chapter 9 of 18 and should be getting into chapter 10 by the end of the weekend.  Barring any unseen events, I’m aiming to finish this by the end of May or early June.  Then, I’ll edit War of Nytefall: Ravenous and not sure what to do after that.  The summer is chaotic right now.  I could use it to do the next War of Nytefall volume and save Do I Need to Use a Dragon? (Tips to Writing Fantasy) for when I hit grad school.  It will be hard to juggling writing, working, parenting, and school, so I need to decide on what I can do during that time.

Going back a few steps, this week was a little tougher than usual.  The first thing I mentioned was a factor, but I think my son and I hit a few moments of burnout.  So, both of us had trouble getting motivated and would shut down a little earlier in the day than normal.  I’m going to try to change things up a bit if I can.  He has a fun PE assignment and the weather is supposed to be in our favor.  Could really use some outdoor time, which I haven’t had much of these days.  If I’m not working or parenting then the weather is too gross to go out.  Too much rain and too chilly, so I’m looking forward to warmer temps as long as they’re not sweltering.  Just never happy here.

What else is going on?  Television and puzzles.  Probably be a few weeks before I finish the last of the DC Superhero Thomas Kinkade puzzles.  I’ll post the collection once it’s complete and I hope more come out.  Television hasn’t been watched as much as before since the nights were busy.  I started and finished a BBC comedy called ‘Black Books’ that I’ve seen clips of.  Good to get some funnies and I noticed that Hulu also has ‘Black Adder’, which is another BBC comedy with Rowan Atkinson.  I’m going to step away from that genre for a bit to watch another anime and then go back.  This time it’s ‘Kaze no Stigma’, which I only saw one episode of.  Not bad with good world and character building right off the bat.  Doesn’t seem to be a high fan service one too, which is a relief.  Definitely was getting tired of stumbling onto those.

Goals of the week?

  1. Schoolwork including a PE obstacle course building.
  2. Classes and meetings.
  3. Fun with the munchkin
  4. Try to finish outline for The Ether Thief: Song of the Conqueror 
  5. Work more on Phi Beta stuff
  6. Chapter titles for Do I Need to Use a Dragon? (Tips to Writing Fantasy)
  7. Write more of War of Nytefall: Savagery
  8. Puzzles and TV
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Questions 3: Stressing About Stress

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

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Let’s finish up our week about stress by opening the floor to everyone.  I’m sure we all have an opinion, strategy, or thoughts on the topic.  Some people shrug it off while others let it get to them.  So, I’m going to remind everyone that we’re all different.  What works for you won’t always work for other people and you might get some push back too.  Stress and mental health in general is a touchy subject.  So, here we go:

  1. How do you deal with stress?
  2. What is the biggest source of stress for you?  (General categories like money, family, future, etc. instead of specifics.  You’d be surprised how many people will be in the same boat.)
  3. Do you think there is a positive side to stress?
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Immortal Wars: The Summoning Part 16 #fiction #throwback

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

(Previously on Immortal Wars.)

(Geez, I have the pacing of a drunk cheetah on a haywire treadmill.)

Disclaimer: Immortal Wars was the book I came up with and wrote in high school.  I hadn’t even hit college by the time I wrote the first two books.  That means I hadn’t developed my style yet, wasn’t good at self-editing, and the story was fairly basic. So, you’ve been warned that this is the ultimate author throwback segment for my blog and will show my author origins.  FYI-  I put the first book (The Summoning) through a Print-on-Demand publisher and the second one (Light, Blood, & Tears) never saw the light of day.  Enjoy!

On one of the lower levels of the warship, Kilanus enters her bedroom, which is decorated with pictures that are obviously for children.  She looks around the room in complete disgust as she picks up her death scythe that was carelessly lying on the bed.  With the magical weapon in her hand, Kilanus starts destroying the pictures of playful kittens and other cute animals.

“I can’t believe I actually lived in this room.  It’s so nice and disgusting.  Makes we wanna puke,” thinks Kilanus as she walks over to a small terminal.

“Computer online.  Hope my new voice pattern is in the system.  Change the walls and ceiling from pink to either blue or silver and get me some pictures that don’t have cute and adorable things in them.  A couple of gory posters would be real nice.  And a couple with some nudity in it.”

The door to her room suddenly swishes open and Kilanus turns around to face a very bloodthirsty Psylon.  The redheaded lunatic has her morning star in hand and her eyes look for anything to either kill or destroy.  The dim light shines off a tiny bit of drool that hangs off of the psycho’s mouth.

“What the hell do you want?”

“I heard some loud noises and I thought that I could finally get to kill someone.  It’s been a few years since I’ve had a good fight that ended in a good kill,” answers Psylon with a slightly confused look on her face.

“Get your freaking ears cleaned, firefly.  I was simply remodeling my personal space and needed to use some . . . destructive methods.  This room was way too bright and immature for me.”

“Are you feeling all right, Kilanus?  You seem to be much older and a lot more impulsive.  Sort of like your mother.  Only you haven’t jumped anybody’s bones yet, so it isn’t exactly like her.”

“Don’t start with me, Psylon.  I feel great.  Mindtrigger and Adriana just finished putting my brain back together.  So now I can act like my real self.  Do you have any problems with that, dragon breath?”

“Not at all.  Are you ready for a little battle workout?  It might actually be a good fight instead of me knocking you around for an hour. You’re no longer a little wuss hiding under your mother’s protection.”

“Of course I’m ready.  But you’re in for the biggest beating of your life.”

“Don’t make me laugh.  You haven’t been able to defeat me yet, runt.  And I seriously doubt that new attitude is going to help you today.”

The two immortals walk off toward the battle arena that is on the top floor of the warship.  This battle arena looks exactly like the one the guardians have, except this one doesn’t have that many lights.  Kilanus and Psylon silently walk into the room and turn to face each other.

“Let’s see what you got, squirt,” growls Psylon as she charges at her younger opponent.

“Okay.  Just remember that you asked for it,” responds Kilanus with an evil smile.  She vaults over Psylon’s clumsy attack before giving the redhead a sharp kick to the back of the head.  Psylon stumbles forward and whirls around to block another attack, but the girl is nowhere to be seen.  Only the long, blue cape is seen on the ground along with Kilanus’ chainmail armor.

“Where the hell did you go?  You’re just going to drop your gear and run away in your underwear?  Get your frozen ass back here and fight like an immortal!” yells Psylon.  From out of the dark shadows, Kilanus smashes her fist into Psylon’s angry face.  Not letting Psylon recover, Kilanus viciously knees her opponent in the stomach with crippling force.  The older immortal falls to her knees gasping for air.

“Nice . . . shot.  You . . . collapsed a . . . lung,” mutters Psylon once she catches her breath.

“I don’t believe this.  The great secret gladiator of Sparta, Psylon, is giving up already?  I didn’t even work up a good, healthy sweat.  This is just so pathetic.  I doubt I even burnt off any calories either,” says Kilanus, who is leaning against the wall on the other side of the room.  A slight shiver goes through her body, since under the cape and warm armor she was only wearing a tight, silver T-shirt and a thong.

“I’ll gladly burn those off for you!” screams Psylon in primal rage.  From her outstretched hands an enormous blast of fire erupts toward Kilanus.  The fireball’s target leaps out of the way and the fire leaves a smoking burn mark on the wall.  Psylon yells again and incinerates the pile of clothes that Kilanus makes a cautious attempt to retrieve them.

“You can walk back to your room in that outfit.  Call it a lesson in humility.  But here’s an important tip, little girl.  Never let your guard down during a battle.  Especially when you’re fighting someone like me!” exclaims Psylon as she gets off of her knees and leaves Kilanus shivering in the arena.

“That psychotic witch.  I can’t believe she tried to kill me with her powers.  What’s worse is that I’m freezing my ass off.  Stupid of me to take the bulky armor off for easier movement.  Keeping it on would have made it more of a challenge,” thinks Kilanus as she gets up from the place she was kneeling.  She tries to ignore the cold air in the arena and slowly walks toward her room.  As she walks down the warm corridor, her mind is suddenly bombarded with distorted images of people she has never met or seen before.  These images cause feelings of pain and hatred to surge through her brain.  As soon as her head clears, Kilanus can’t remember exactly what had just happened or what these mysterious images meant.  And she is not so sure she wants to find out.

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7 Ways to NOT Make a Stressed Person More Stressed Out

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

Here’s the thing.  People who are stressed out already know it.  They may even have an idea on how to relax, but something is blocking them.  Many know at least some of the sources of their stress.  With all of that, there’s really no reason for me to do a list where I tell people how to eliminate stress.  Works differently for each person.  Instead, I’m going to give some ideas to those who are around a stressed person and may to either help or at least not make things worse.  Yes, your hearts are in the right place, but that doesn’t mean much to a person who is about to explode like a Psyduck with a migraine . . . Look it up.

  1. Just look at the picture.  Seriously, you aren’t going to get very far by telling somebody to relax.  They won’t suddenly snap out of it and immediately rid themselves of the stress.  It’s more likely that this will upset them more because it will come off as patronizing.
  2. Learn to read body language in order to gauge stress levels and if things are getting worse as you interact.  Tension rising in the muscles, high rate of averting one’s eyes, inching away, twitches, and changes in voice tone are some examples.  If it is getting worse then you’re probably making things worse.  Oh, you’re texting and it’s impossible to tell?  Yes and no.  If the person takes long breaks between answers or only gives noncommittal, one word answers then communication is breaking down.
  3. Many times, you don’t have to say anything.  Much like with anxiety and depression, you can help out a lot by sitting there and listening.  Do not respond unless asked for something.  Interrupt only for clarification and then let them proceed.  Show that you are interested in hearing them speak about what has them upset.  The release may be enough to push the rising stress back.
  4. If you know the person is stressed because of a situation or certain people then don’t force them to face it.  Do the opposite in some cases.  Invite them out for time away from what is plaguing them.  Catch a movie or get some ice cream or anything that is relaxing.  Talk about anything they want.  If they don’t want to go then accept that and don’t make them feel guilty.
  5. Some people have various hobbies that they use to unwind and these are very important for those who get stressed easily.  Show interest in this, but do not push too hard and ruin what is a good thing to them.  Trying to involve yourself or others in the same activity or giving suggestions on how else they can do it can infect their relaxation zone/object.  For example, I use jigsaw puzzles to relax.  A person who will remain nameless has kept trying to get someone else involved in my hobby to create a bonding experience.  This upsets me and makes it feel like my ‘happy place’ is being stolen or turned into a chore.  Another issue is when someone sees the puzzle I’m working on and decides to help.  Again, there’s a sense of violation.  (This could also be caused by anxiety.)
  6. If someone in your life decides to take a mental health day from work, DO NOT tell them why it’s a bad idea.  They are already aware that it removes a potential sick day that they may need for a physical illness.  By pointing out the risk, you’ve actually made them waste a day that was intended to be one of recovery.  Also, don’t see it as a chance to hang out and get things done.  They took the day off for themselves and not to be given chores or for your entertainment.
  7. Do NOT take offense if a stressed person tells you to go away or leave them alone.  Even if it’s blunt and rude, you have to understand that they are under pressure and are reaching the edge of a mental cliff.  You may have pushed them too far by accident and that’s why they’re lashing out.  It could be that they were at this point before you arrived and you were simply unlucky.  Just wish them a good day and, if you want, let them know that you’re around if they’re up to talking later.  They might not take you up on that offer and you shouldn’t push, but it could help for them to know.
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Teaser Tuesday: Creative License? #fantasy #adventure

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

 

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Continuing through the series, we have an excerpt from Legends of Windemere: The Merchant of Nevra Coil.  It does contain a spoiler in that you will see what the titular Merchant has made to give the champions a headache.  This is mostly playful banter around some liberties taken with one of the objects at Nyx’s expense . . . which ends up being a bad thing for another champion.  Poor guy had to open his mouth.

Continue reading →

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The Building Blocks of Story

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

Staci Troilo's avatarStory Empire

Ciao, SEers. I’m currently wrapping up edits on a full five-book series. It’s hard to revise all day, every day—especially when it’s your own work instead of a client’s—so sometimes, creative breaks are necessary. They actually serve two purposes.

  1. They let your analytical brain take a rest, so you’re less likely to make editing mistakes due to mental fatigue.
  2. They give you fodder for your next work.

And, let’s face it. If you’re a writer, you’re probably not a one-and-done artist. You’ve got a lot of stories to tell. There are no shortcuts. If you want to write multiple books, you have to write multiple books. So, while you’re doing the post-work on your soon-to-be-released masterpiece, you might as well also be thinking about your next one.

I’ve got a pretty cool concept for my next series. It’s combining two genres I love plus lore that I adore. (Sorry…

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Let’s Talk about Stress

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

Cruella Devil

Stress is brutal.  In small doses, it can drive us ahead, but how often do we get the proper amount?  The longer I live, the more I meet people who are either unstressed to the point of being unmotivated and those who are on the verge of a collapse.  It’s like we aren’t able to truly relax any more because we’re either bombarded by negativity on social media or made to feel like resting is a sin by those around us.  Many times, I’ve wondered if my high stress levels are the only thing keeping me alive because I begin to freak out when I calm down and become highly aware of my pulse rate.  Not healthy at all and it only happens when I’m exhausted . . . So Thursdays.

Stress eventually becomes a way of life for people and that’s when mental issues stir.  It can plunge people into depression or lock them in a spiral of anxiety.  Outlets are searched for to relieve the pressure, but this can turn dark fast.  I use puzzles to help me relax, but I could have gone for alcohol or cigarettes or any number of harmful activities.  You just want a sense of peace while not knowing exactly how it feels.  Numbness can mimic it for a time, but the stress always comes back.  There’s not stopping it from returning if you aren’t in a comfortable life.  Bills, work, sleeping, exercising, diet, making time for family, politics, religion, family, pets, hobbies, dreams, unexpected expenses, setting the alarm, taxes, state of the world, and the list of stressors keeps going.  It’s different for everyone, but most have at least one thing that needles at them.

So, why am I talking bluntly and darkly about stress this week?  Because it’s really been my world for a long time.  This year started off bad with my writing goals getting crippled right out of the gate, trying to find a Masters program, and wondering what to do about the upcoming summer.  Turning 40 wasn’t a picnic since my birthday was the second night of Passover.  As you can see, if it’s not one thing going wrong then it’s another.  The stress continues to build and no amount of positive messages can really clear it.  You end up hitting a point where you feel like this is what your life is because every step forward is met by a violent shove back.  You’re not even treading water, but gradually drowning and seeing no hint of land being around.  It’s frustrating and demoralizing.

Outsiders always look at a person being stressed and assume they know exactly how to cure them.  It rarely works.  Most only get a general idea of the situation and then become a cheerleader with no sense of the depth.  This can actually increase the stress of a person because now they feel like they aren’t being listened to.  Not entirely.  We live in such a brutal world that it’s easier to increase a person’s stress than reduce it.  Most people have only a small circle of those that can defuse them, which is not always those they spend the most time with.  This whole thing is why I think mental health days are important, but god forbid we take one and then get sick.  That or you fear that your boss will find out or you need a doctor’s note in the first place.  Let’s be honest.  Our society doesn’t really give a shit about the mental stability and health of its citizens.  Stress is a big problem and nothing is ever done to make life easier across the board.

Anyway, what do you think about stress?

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A Heaven for Toasters: Chapter 11

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

Nicholas C. Rossis's avatarNicholas C. Rossis

A Heaven for Toasters | From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's book After relaunching A Heaven for Toasters, complete with new cover, I promised to publish it here in installments. Here’s the next chapter.

Note: You can find a link to all published chapters at the end of this post or read more parts on Wattpad.

A Heaven for Toasters

What if your perfect man was a robot?

Detective Mika Pensive has a new partner. He’s hot. Smart. Funny. And an android.

Set in the near future, A Heaven for Toasters is more than a sci-fi crime adventure with plenty of romance and wit. It’s the book that will make you look at your toaster in a whole new way.

CHAPTER 11: Sergeant

Monday, 2:24 p.m.

I didn’t get much sleep that night, despite my exhaustion. My body was still high on adrenaline from both the warehouse chase and my encounter with Sergeant, but there was more. I had the…

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Solution to the Summons Snag in Keys of Eden (Alliteration Fail!)

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

Quick recap of this idea:  Keys of Eden is going to be almost a child series with a few volumes of short stories.  I’m thinking 5 volumes with 3 having 10 and 2 having 11.  The reason for the cut is that the story is about a prince and his female partner setting off to gather the 100 magic beasts (name to be made later) that one needs to save the throne from a creature that ousted the previous rulers.  Before anyone gets annoyed, I’m doing a recap and details will be later.  I think some people were agitated at the prince having a female partner even though they’re going to be on equal footing.  Anyway, I decided to make this easier by having the beasts come in pairs, which is also what had me come up with the duo protagonists instead of a single main one with supporting.  The probably I had was figuring out how to do the divide.  All I got was that I wanted to do it with a female/male pairing.  So, here’s what I came up with:

The Protagonists

The prince is going to be a young boy, so his family will have been run out of the capital for about a decade.  Might up it to a later teenager since there might be romantic elements between the main characters.  The female lead is going to be born from a warrior family, so she’s the tactical and muscle.  The prince is going to be a little spoiled, but more book smart.  Haven’t fully decided on if they’re going to start as friends, be former friends, or not like each other, but they will have a past.  She’s going to get pulled into this by a magical ritual that chooses his companion.  Weapon-wise, I was going to give her a mace and shield, but I don’t know if combat will happen a lot in this.  Maybe just a shield for defense.

The Magic Beasts

This is the real meat of the post.  The previous stuff just came to me as I was thinking about this.  I’m still going with the beasts coming in pairs, but I don’t think I’m going to assign a gender to most of them.  Part of the idea I have now is that these creatures symbolize the balance of the kingdom.  With the attack, everything was thrown out of balance, so they’re needed to fix that.  This is why they come in pairs and have almost opposing, yet matching abilities.  For example:  a pairing might connect to water with one having the ability to unleash a flood while the other creates a gentle stream or mist.  It’s a work in progress since I got a few aggressive questions about why these things had to be male/female pairings.  Seriously, that really seemed to be a sticking point.

The other issue was a theme for each of the 50 pairings and that’s where the balance of the kingdom comes into play.  These beasts are supposed to be connected to the health and stability of the land.  So, I’m going to figure out 50 pieces of nature.  This is harder than it sounds because being too general can close off other paths.  I can’t have an earth pairing and then another that is dirt because those are the same.  I can do desert, mountains, stones, and farmland for 8 creatures.  There can be some dark ones too like disease and love/hate.  It’s tough because 50 sounds like a lot, but then there are days when it doesn’t seem like enough.  This is going to take more flushing out and research.  I could even do a parent pairing based on major elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Life) and then connected ones.  This might be too restrictive though.  Best to keep relatively simple and open to mental wandering.

Anyway, that’s what I’ve been pondering with this idea.  We’ll see what happens down the road.  Not sure which idea I’ll present next.  I know I said a long time ago, I’d do more with my superheroes on Sundays, but that idea is giving me trouble ago.  People are probably tired of hearing about that until I’m ready to move on.  We’ll see what happens in a week’s time.

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Goal Post: The Weather Didn’t Help This Week

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

The lockdown, quarantine, stay-at-home orders, or whatever you want to call it is hard enough without crappy weather.  At least for me, I’d rather it be nice outside, so I can open a window or feel warm.  Take a step into the backyard for a bit to clear my head.  Just be nice to air out the room a bit since I’m spending so much time in it.  Not possible when it keeps raining, some hail, and being just cold enough to make things uncomfortable.  I mean, it’s simply miserable outside, which adds to my mood.  Can someone go stir crazy and get cabin fever at the same time?

This week was basically a return to a full school schedule since the previous week was spring break.  Not that we had off, but it was a smaller workload.  Definitely felt like we got hit pretty hard in some avenues.  We got the work done with time to play games and have fun around 2 or 2:30.  The downside is that it left me tired earlier in the night, so I was nearly useless.  The occasional comedy of errors didn’t help matters:

  1. One day I was home alone with my son, so I had nobody to watch him while my class had a session.  No problem.  He would do math or read while I was in the class on mute unless I had something to say.  Done it before, so it shouldn’t be a . . . phone rings and I have to figure out how to contend with that, my son, and the class.  I was hearing a team meeting going on while I was talking to the other person.  Both equally important, but talk about insane timing and Monday is always the roughest day of the week.
  2. Friday was a meeting . . . then another that overlapped with a third.  Don’t worry.  A fourth meeting/session was waiting.  Fifth one a little later to finish off the day.  I got laundry done between these, which is my only victory.

So, my week began with chaos and ended the same way.  Thursday was a little messy with a situation that is for the best, but a little awkward.  Got to do a little writing on that day, which was helpful.  If I maintain this schedule then I should be averaging 2 chapters per weekend.  War of Nytefall: Savagery is coming along pretty well.  It’s running differently than the others because this adventure has some quest elements while those not on the journeys are struggling to stay alive.  Many of the characters who have been highlighted are benched, so I’m giving the spotlight to a few relatively untouched.  Clyde and Lost are the only two big names that are really in the action.  That isn’t really a spoiler.  Anyway, it’s a tough project because I’m jumping between three tales that are connected.  So, I’m switching off with the Main (Clyde), 1st side, Main, 2nd side, Main, etc.  I merge the side ones at few times since one is stationary for a while.  Does this make any sense?

In other projects, I worked out another Act set up for The Ether Thief: Song of the Conqurer.  That would be #2, so I have 2 more to go.  Then, I can tackle the finale and spinoffs to complete the notebook.  Been putting some chapter titles in the notebook that has Do I Need to Use a Dragon? (Fantasy Writing Tips).  Since the book title is a question, I decided to do the same with the chapters.  Once I’m done, I’ll make a Sunday post listing them to see what people think.  For some reason, I think I got the subtitle wrong on this one.  Need to look back at that.

Tempted to talk about family here, but that wouldn’t be right.  Many have made it clear to keep family business off my blog.  So, we’re holding up.  That’s really all I can say about it without incurring wrath.

Not much else to say.  Finished watching all of the ‘Blue Exorcist’ anime, so I moved on to a live-action show called ‘The Magicians’.  I’m in season 2 and it’s not too bad.  Feels like it’s getting a little too angst-filled for me.  Everyone is angry, upset, or in some type of foul mood at this point, so I’m holding out in the hopes of it getting a little more on the brighter side of things.  It’s 4 seasons and will be nice to get a long-saved series off my Netflix list.  I’ll go back to anime after this.

Now, I’m just babbling.  Goals of the week?

  1. Schooling and working.
  2. Write more War of Nytefall: Savagery
  3. Outline more Song of the Conquerer.
  4. Fun time with my son.
  5. Prepare July blog posts.
  6. Consider releasing a book in September.
  7. Finish chapter titles for fantasy tip book.
  8. Tinker with Key of Eden since I made progress.
  9. Puzzle time!
  10. Watch TV when too exhausted to do anything else.
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