After a month of delays, depressions, and schedule mishaps, we’re finally gathering around the metaphorical game table for an evening of dice and shenanigans!
Sigh. It feels good to be ‘home’.
Now, with the damaged vocal cords (yes, I’ve been through the ringer lately) and my voice being that of Batman on a time limit, I don’t know how well I will be able to act.
But damn if I don’t try.
Stay safe out there, folks!
-JB Swift
It was a joke among my group of childhood friends that “Swift’s got to have some healing factor” when we were younger. An injury that would normally put someone off their feet for weeks wouldn’t slow me down after a couple days.
As I barrel towards my 40s and wince on every inhale (pulled muscle), I think it’s all caught up with me.
Gonna be a night of ice packs and whimpering, folks. Stay safe out there.
-JB Swift
When your postal customers live in one of the roughest driving neighborhoods and think you need a wardrobe update, it might be time to retire the old shirts and hat.
Of course, I never pass on an excuse for a new hat!
…I like my hats.
Time to find out if the physical therapy has helped the pulled muscles recover any before I do something else that’d be considered stupid…such as getting the training rings for my next set of Kung Fu forms.
Yes, I thought for the longest that these were just for Shang-Chi in the Marvel Comics, and also yes, I want them now that I know they exist.
Stay safe out there, folks.
-JB Swift
If you take a look around the place, you’ll no doubt notice that some changes have been made to the appearance and layout of my little corner. And you’d be right!
Firstly: when I put this site together in the beginning, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I didn’t realize until I went back through a few essays that navigating this place could be a headache for everyone who doesn’t know how I organize things. That made it comfortable for me, but that’s not the point of having a website to show off my work.
Secondly: a subscriber messaged me and asked if I could fix a few things, after I reminded her that she pays me for the content I put up, so her opinion carries legitimate weight.
Ahhh, capitalism. A great idea; just needs strict ethics following it around.
Thirdly: some of the stuff here was just old or was hindering me from publishing. I had to take down a couple short stories that I was trying to submit to a magazine here and there, after realizing that they couldn’t publish anything if I had already put a copyright here. So, I had played myself from getting my name out there by actively protecting myself. Go figure.
A consequence of this was, as you’ve noticed, that a lot of my pages and links are either down or under construction. That’s because as I’m learning, some aspects of the template here are also being updated or restructured. Note to the subscriber: don’t feel guilty that I have more work to do, it really needs to be done.
I’ll be fixing things up and setting them back up in the top menu (had to figure out why I lost a whole damn menu option yesterday; that was frustrating) over time and after consulting with my subscriber. If any of you, readers, spot something that you wanted fixed or just put back up, let me know!
It feels very mercenary of me to mention, but if you donate or subscribe, I’m kinda obligated to listen to you.
My Personal pages and the primary page for the Sidewinder Stories should be active, and the Search Bar can help you find something that doesn’t have an active link. I’m now off to write a little more in the sci-fi story and the SWRPG novel. And to message my players so I can set up my next sessions. And also talk to the artist who’s coming into the campaign.
It only sounds overwhelming until I remember that I can type really fast. Stay safe out there, folks!
-JB Swift
There was little to no writing last evening, and in light of my recent experiences, I’m telling myself that that is okay.
I’ve had a fiercely strong hypocritical streak in me for a long time: telling other writers to not be so harsh on themselves when I am my own worst critic and mean coach. I couldn’t (and still can’t, really) stand it when I am making towards bed or turning on a game without having made just a little progress in one writing project or another.
But as my wife, several friends, and I, myself have said in the past: “You’ll get there, one day.”
So, stumbling through the door after a 10hr shift and tumbling the kids into their beds, I debated taking out the tablet and beginning what the 7yr calls “Dad’s night-work” of pummeling across the keyboard in hopes of coherent sentences.
I knew I wanted to progress in the story (something that might be an essay later on if I don’t first talk to the psychologist friend about it) but my belly was screaming at me, there were dishes that needed cleaning, and honestly, I needed sleep more than I needed answers.
A weird twist for a nerd, I know. I did make a note that I’d use the half-day today to work on my outlines and the SWRPG story, and fought off the nagging self-chastisement that was haunting me as I staggered to bed.
Sometimes, you need a real night off that isn’t executive dysfunction.
Stay safe out there, folks! Don’t forget to take care of yourself along the way.
-JB Swift
…sigh
I have to say, though, that the fact that this magazine responded in less than a day is a point in their favor. I’ve had to wait years to know a story submission had been rejected.
Maybe it’s time I rewrote that story. It’s a few years old; might need fixing.
Back to the writing desk! Stay safe out there, folks.
-JB Swift
Just to prove to everyone around: I’m still presentable!
And yes, I do know how tie a tie. Not well, mind you, but I have at least one basic knot.
Process of Swift’s writing:
Step 1: Wake up at desk to see the work done the night prior.
Step 2: Growl at the screen and caffeinate.
Step 3: Try to cudgel brain into remembering where I was going with the chapter.
Step 4: Ignore thoughts of self-doubt, turn on headphones, and start writing.
Step 5: Get twenty words down, be interrupted by family wanting to ask questions.
Step 6: Attempt to write throughout day, slowly feeling guilty for not handling chores until the domestic side kicks in.
Step 7: Try to write after everyone goes to bed.
Step 8: Pass out at desk.
Step 9: Repeat Step 1.
And that’s on an actual day off with no responsibilities that take me out of the house! Han approached me this morning to ask what I was working on and she was astounded when I said I had been working on this one story for almost two years.
Han: “Dad, why don’t you just write it down?”
Me, smiling: “Because you wanted to talk to me, and y’all are more important.”
But she did say she was going to leave me alone so I could get some progress. Considering that she’s 7, I’m betting that’ll last for about an hour…
After whittling away at the SWRPG novel a little more (that’s getting easier, as the outline for that one was discussed among the players and it’s a lot smoother to write), I keep working on Peregrine, especially since I’ve had to do some major restructuring in order to get the level of high science fiction I was wanting. A lot of that requires ‘homework’.
The best kind of homework: reading ‘classic’ sci-fi books to see how others had done it.
This is also just fueling my desire to read some of the older books, though I do keep going back to one of my favorite writers who writes in a way that I still can’t: John Scalzi.
Scalzi’s dialogue writing feels extremely natural to me, and I keep trying to learn it. If you haven’t picked up this series yet, I strongly recommend doing so.
But now, I have a 14-page outline for one chapter (the prologue) that I’m going to try and turn into a narrative! I want that done today!
Morgan Freeman narrator voice: “And Swift had just jinxed himself.”
Stay safe out there, folks.
-JB Swift
I’m attempting another magazine submission, folks.
It’s… it’s been a minute since I’ve tried to get one of my short stories out there. Long enough for me to forget how to write cover letters in a convincing manner.
Don’t let that persuade you that I ever actually knew how to write a convincing cover letter. I still don’t, but I need to keep my confidence up.
There’s always the chance that “William the Pecostian” might get picked up, or there’s a chance I’ll get feedback on why it didn’t make the cut. But it’s still one of my favorite short stories, and damn if it’d be nice to have a home for that one.
Who knows? If the concept was liked enough, I could even write out the short series of other Interstellar Tall Tales I’ve had tucked away in my notes all these years.
Along with that, I’ve stepped back into writing with determination. After weeks of little to no progress, I’ve managed some 2500 words in the last 24 hours for the SWRPG story. Not just that, but after using that time to study and actually learn about “The Hero’s Journey”, I’m tackling the Peregrine novel again.
Granted, because of what I’ve learned, I went through the last document and realized where it went wrong… so it’s back to the outline and basic construction.
This time, though, I have confidence in two things:
1: Making up the ‘hard science’ in such a way that nerds might, just might, give me the benefit of the doubt and suspend their disbelief so as to enjoy the story, and
2: I have an actual map of the territory, so now I actually know where things are!
I’m going to have to tell myself to relax a little and let certain characters breath, while also being stricter about other characters who went way too far from their original concepts and derailed the plotline.
It’s always a learning experience.
Let’s see how far I can get with today. Stay safe out there, folks.
-JB Swift
The vet called yesterday and said that Jojo had arrived.
I couldn’t go get him, then. The chest cold had done a number on me over the last few days, and I did the dumb thing by thinking I could still work on the mail route. Doctor put me on bedrest until Monday, but I was determined that Joe would be coming home today.
They’re both home, now. Sitting together as they always did.
Having them together again will help mend my soul back, even if my body is going to need more time to recover. My voice is all but gone, but I’m on strong medication for bronchitis, so that’ll get fixed soon enough. I’ve also recently learned that a severe cough can pull muscles in your chest… the hard way.
Sigh…I’ve been through the ringer lately.
But hey, I’ve been ordered off of work for a few days, and now that my home feels a bit more whole, maybe I can write again. Han (7yr old) has said that she did not like it that I was sick and not myself. She’s said she hopes I will feel better and write like she always sees me doing.
I’ll get there, kid. Promise.
Stay safe out there, folks.
-JB Swift
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