This was the last full weekend of my summer break. Technically, I didn’t have a big break because I worked the summer program for 6 weeks. I’ll get to me throughout the week though. This about other people.
This was the only full week of break I got between summer school and the 24-25 school year. I’m back at work on Wednesday. That’s why I’m currently on my way to Oswego, NY for a few days of rest. Just needed to get away from Long Island since I’ve been having a terrible year. I can already see the last 4 months aren’t going to be any better, so I need downtime. We’ll see how that goes.
This was the only week that I had my son, so we tried to fit in as much fun as we could even though he had a lot of appointments. For various reasons, all of these ‘had to be’ done on my time. Not going to get into it, but I wasn’t happy that this is a rather consistent trend. So, a lot of our days were Pokemon Go between appointments, school supply shopping, and Halloween costume shopping. Next Saturday is going to revolve around sewing, so I’m having to watch videos on clothing alterations. The things we do for our kids, right?
Aside from Pokemon Go and appointments, we did get two trips in. Last Saturday was the Bronx Zoo with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. It was fun and we were pretty much at the whim of the little one. Got through most of the zoo, but it was a weekend and some lines were too long. It was pretty hot too, so a lot of the animals were resting and taking naps. Can’t say I blamed them. Best picture is probably this one:
The other outing was on Wednesday when we went to the New York Aquarium with my parents. I haven’t been there in years and they were still repairing from damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. Most was fixed, but this exhibit on invertebrates wasn’t open. It was cool with all of the jellyfish and crabs. It isn’t a big aquarium like the one out east, which is fine since we’re only allowed 3 hour parking. It was just nice to get out to some place new and relax a bit. Best picture of the trip was:
I know I said the main goal was fun, which I did have this week. Yet, there were a lot of things that had to get done. So, I didn’t get to rest and felt like everything was being rushed. Appointments set the pace more than I expected. You can’t go off and do much if you have to be somewhere in the middle of the afternoon. Either you wake up early and run around in the morning or just take it easy. Doesn’t help that I had to start packing as I got closer to today, which meant staying home for a bit. Can’t really say that a rushed, somewhat tiring summer is par for the course this year.
Writing-wise, I didn’t get to anything that I wanted. With Darwin & the Avenging Elf done in terms of edits, I didn’t want to dive into the next book until after my trip. It means I have to carry less since a printed out manuscript is heavy. I had hoped that an afternoon long appointment for my son would have given me time to work on ‘Phi Beta Files’. It didn’t because there wasn’t any place for me to work in the room, which makes sense. That and the company wasn’t very inspiring for creativity. Guess those outlines are my goal for when I’m in Oswego. Want to at least get most of them done and then I can start designing one of my other ‘group stories’. These aren’t really outlines so much as one line explaining what happens in each of the 10 short stories that compose the volumes. I hope I don’t just end up sleeping the whole two days away before I come back, but it’s entirely possible.
As I said, I go back to work next Wednesday even though the students will still be off. It’s two Superintendent Conference days and then a 4 day weekend. Got some minor stuff planned on those days like I said. Seeing a friend on Friday for a full day hang out and sewing to get as much of my son’s costume done as possible. Once I get all of that done, I’ll be starting in on Darwin & the Demon Game. Although, I might start that on the work days when I have downtime. The school district is changing the high school times from 7:50-2:26 to 8:25-2:55. I’m still showing up at 7:15 because my son has be into his own school by 7, which means I’m just getting a longer day. Might as well get my body used to it instead of making it a shock to the system on the first day. Definitely going to need a Dunkin breakfast since I go in the day after I drive back from Oswego, which is going to be about 7 hours or more depending on traffic. I really can’t get any long-term rest unless I catch Covid.
So, what are the goals for the week?
Drive safely on both travel days.
Relax and enjoy Oswego.
Do NOT fall asleep during conference days.
Get back home on Tuesday in time for Pokemon Spotlight Hour in evening.
Finish ‘Phi Beta Files’ prep.
Get together with friend for day of chillin’.
Start editing Darwin & the Demon Game.
Get to Oswego before the place with unique candy and chip flavors closes. (These are the types they have in China and Japan like Strawberry Chocolate Torte Kitkats.)
Come in and have a seat at the bar. We don’t serve alcohol here, but the setting helps people find their perfect glass. You know that the right glass will enhance the taste of what you’re drinking? It’s not scientifically proven, but it makes sense if you think about it for a few seconds. Now, take a look and see what catches your fancy. Here is our list of products:
Chalice– Perfect for any light drink such as wine. Enjoyed by many religious people, so holy engravings are available.
Goblet– Preferred for water and tea. Ours are enchanted to maintain the perfect temperature of whatever it is holding.
Beer Stein– Comes in lid and lidless varieties. Can include a snack summoning enchantment for either pretzels, pork rinds, chips, or nuts.
Snifter– Designed specifically to the customer’s hand for optimal swirling. Will do minor adjustments as person grows.
Wine Glass– Comes in sets of 8 with 4 for white and 4 for red. Made to be unbreakable and impervious to smears.
Martini– Name says it all and they have been designed to never spill.
Large Drink Glass– Enchanted to sprout drink accessories on command such as little umbrellas.
Margarita– Once the rim is covered in salt, it will self-replenish the ring until the drink is done.
Champagne Flute– Comes in set of 2, 4, and 12. Maintains bubbliness of liquid whether it be champagne or soda.
Shot Glasses– Any picture can be put on the glass. Due to small size, they are enchanted to return to the owner after an hour of being used. Special container given to prevent them from appearing at inappropriate times.
Collins Glass– Can also be adjusted to highball size. Releases flavor enhancer when touched by garnishes.
Tumbler– Basic drinking glass that is indestructible, self-cleaning, and does not sweat when ice is added.
Milkshake– Keeps drinks cold. Can be enchanted with a lactose negation spell, which means people can have a milkshake without fear.
Balloon– Can release drink as bubbles. Not sure why people like this one.
Faux Solo Cup– The glass is tinted red and made to feel like plastic. Very popular for frat parties that wish to appear fancy.
We have more, but those are our most popular ones. Why are you asking about frames and lens? So strange.
Carl Sagan Quote (Supposedly. Internet isn’t always honest.)
(A poem about missing the creativity we had as children. Feels like adults can’t even try to fly as high as kids. Maturity definitely comes at a price.)
I remember older days
When my mind would wander
Taking flight in vivid form
Leaving reality for visions
Where all my senses stirred
I remember wrestling bears
And playing games with dragons
Monsters stalked me
As I walked along with legends
Birthed from my limitless mind
An innocence of thought
That I treasured above all facts
A power I took for granted
Never dreaming
That the flights would end
Facts and fears fill my mind
As I move from boy to man
My visions begin to dull
Until they are shadows
Of the worlds I wandered
I try to fly again
Hoping to stir the power
Long ignored for practicality
All I find are glimmers
As reality strangles me
This is going to be a strange and awkward topic. I’ll connect it to writing after I give the initial catalyst event.
So, I had to deal with two people who don’t always get along. I brought up a complaint one of them made to me about the other. They were then accused of always exaggerating things, which causes trouble. While I agreed, there was an emotional side of things that made me understand why things felt bigger to them. Of course, a few minutes later, the other person made an accusation about an event I knew of and they went all in on exaggerating things. Let’s just saying pointing this out didn’t go in my favor because I was told that they are telling the flat truth.
That event had me thinking about how many people will exaggerate things, but believe their own words. I used to think this only happened when a person repeats the same life over and over again. They say it so often that they get themselves to believe that was the truth when it wasn’t. Basically, they gaslight their brains and it becomes a challenge to get them to admit what really happened. When you have people arguing over a event and even one of them is exaggerating, you can’t get anywhere. Either they have to suck up their pride to admit they went too far or dig in their heels. Sadly, I tend to see the second option.
Exaggeration on a low scale can effectively get people on your side, but it tends to fall apart when you make things too big. At that point, those who don’t blindly agree with you or are actually thinking about your story could turn. The story transforms from a simple retelling to a flat out lie. Many times, an exaggeration of a real life event is done to boost the speaker’s ego or tear another person down. Heck, I’ve seen a few people achieve both of those goals in the same conversation. Flat out manipulation, which one could consider toxic, harmful, and possibly evil.
Unless you’re an author telling a story where you want to make your world and characters as colorful as possible. Authors have a long history of using exaggeration to boost the effectiveness of a story. It could be with describing the world or the characters, but they come very close to breaking the suspension of disbelief. Fantasy authors do this a lot for creatures and battles too because one feels like they have to push extra hard to get a truly fictional world across. Don’t know what I would do without my army of adjectives to help me describe things. Can only say ‘large’ or ‘huge’ so many times, which are milder versions of exaggerations.
Even with writing, you can go too far with exaggerating things. This can happen when you describe one thing in a ‘normal’ way and then exaggerate something else to the point where they don’t mesh. It’s similar to a liar who doesn’t know when to quit and pull back on the fibbing. The author just goes a few steps too far and damages what they have previously made. For example, describing a cavern as being the size of a small house because you aren’t thinking much about setting. Then, you have the characters run into a monster with exaggerated features like enormous body, limbs that stretch for miles, or a mouth that could swallow an adult dragon. The two things don’t always add up in the mind of the reader, especially if the author made the cavern bigger in their mind as they wrote. Oops.
My question about exaggeration being effective really does appear to depend on how far one goes. Like any type of lying, there is a line you shouldn’t cross if you want to be believed. The other person’s trust in you is important because they can’t look very hard at the exaggeration before it crumbles. I definitely see it as a potent writing tool, but one with sharp edges that you can get yourself with. An author can’t always tell when they’ve gone too far because their minds adjust things in real-time. Hence, use exaggeration with caution if you want it to be effective.
The finale of War of Nytefall wasn’t an easy story to write. Having to juggle the aftermath of the previous volume, I put myself into a rather difficult corner. Can’t even do a synopsis without spoilers. I’ll just touch on the memorable challenges.
Eulogy was originally going to have a lot more politics in it. There were treaties and arguments being made to create the future Clyde wanted, but it was messy. I couldn’t have him be there since he’s not a diplomat, which is why I created Alexis Nucian. Putting Titus and Lost in the political situation helped too because I wanted them kept away from the action plots for a bit. They also ended up being the better characters for this situation since they were inexperienced. I liked having the Dawn Fang group being more human and relatable than the others involved in the treaty debates.
Once I got that situation settled, I had to tackle the ‘evil Clyde’ storyline where reports of Clyde killing mortals were appearing. I know evil twins are cliche, but I had a special twist that required this to happen. A heartbreaking one too. The original plan was to have the readers unsure if there’s a fake, but I established Clyde as having limits. So, I went with it being clear from the start and the priest investigating the claims was going to have doubts to keep him viable. If I made Magrus the Purifier hate all vampires and never believe Clyde could be innocent, he would have been fairly two-dimensional. Making the ‘evil Clyde’ storyline not be one where everyone believes he’s gone berserk helped me build to the big reveal.
The giant issue of Xavier and Clyde no longer despising each other was the final challenge of Eulogy. I needed them to have a final battle and it had to be good. So, I had Xavier fall to jealousy and try to sabotage the peace talks, but that only maintained his role as antagonist. The key ended up being Nadia Sylvan, who I had left hints at creating a nasty plot against the Dawn Fangs. Having established that Xavier loves his wife and would do whatever she wants, I kind of moved her into the main villain role. Still unsure if she was really there the whole time, but it helped with this problem. By the time Xavier and Clyde faced off, the two of them had freshly hurt each other enough that there was no way to avoid a fight to the death. I liked this because it was Xavier’s powerful magic against Clyde’s monstrous physical abilities, which ended up having another reveal that I created on the spot.
Do I think Eulogy came off perfectly? There was a bit too much improv than I liked, so I’m unsure. The outline became useless halfway through as I dropped political scenes, added fight scenes, and went through eliminating about 75% of the cast. This was supposed to be a brutal, high body count adventure to create pain for both sides of the conflict. Not easy to do with a large cast that has remained relatively untouched throughout the series. I did that because I wanted Clyde pushed to the brink of his humanity by losing so many loved ones. In that respect, I think it worked out really well, but I changed direction as I went enough that I can never be certain I went the right way with this. Not many people read it too, which doesn’t fill me with excitement.
Question time!
What trait do you think is important for a diplomat?
If someone nearly destroys the world, should they be given a chance at redemption?
Can a hero lose their humanity finishing their quest and still be considered the victor?
Good morning and welcome to our little shop. We are dedicated to making the perfect pair of glasses for every customer. Just give my your prescription and I will begin the tour of our wares. It is very important for you to be comfortable and confident in your eyewear since people will see it before they notice your face. Colors can be discussed later since we can do whatever you need, including colorless frames. In fact, let’s dive right into that section now.
Frame shape is essential because every face is different. You might have one that works best with oval while your friend looks gorgeous with rectangular. Big frames are nice, but won’t do well on a small head. The same goes for small frames on a large head. I can see that you are in the middle, which gives us many options. Perhaps a fancy cat-eye frame or even aviators. No . . . Well, we do have swooping corners with some going up and others going down. Fish-tails is a style where the outer sides fan out. Dodecahedron is another popular shape. If you wish to be really daring, we have our Escher frames where one can’t figure out where the glasses end and your face begins. Okay, we’ll go with the exaggerated upwards swoop.
Lens thickness is determined by your prescription, but we have plenty of additions. The usual scratch and UV protection. Transition shades are another option that many want to avoid needing separate sunglasses. We have a heat vision option, which activates in the cold and helps you find warm places. There is the typcial x-ray vision, but people get upset when they learn it will look through skin as well as clothing. In other words, you won’t have any luck checking out the naughty bits of other people. This option holds the record for most returns, but we warn everyone. Telescopic vision is for those with severe nearsightedness and we have a sale on that. Peripheral warning system will give your temples a buzz if they sense an impending collision. It can be rather sensitive and react to insects, especailly mosquitoes. So, you want the basics, heat vision, and peripheral warning system. Good choices.
Accessories are the next category and we have plenty. This strap can connect to the back of your glasses to prevent losing them. It’s a simple selection of silk, thin, thick, braided, invisible, sentient, and antiperspirent. Here is a collection of various baubles we can dangle from the sides. All of they are designed to only swing outwards to avoid hitting you in the eyes. Took over a year to realize that problem. Other options are laser pointers from the sides, headlights for evening runs, holographic projector, picture-in-a-picture, and eye color changing. That last one only works while you’re wearing the glasses, so know that it isn’t permanent.
Finally, we have glasses cases. We have wood, plastic, and metal. Nothing special about these. Well, they all have an automatic cleaning function that activates when your glasses are inside for more than 30 seconds. Buffs out scratches too. That’s really it for this and the rest of the process. We can get your glasses to you within a week after we bang out the final details like color. Thank you.
Legends of Windemere 