My Sunday post had to be moved to Drafts, as it was going from a post about Classic Sci-Fi to an essay comparing Fallout’s Minutemen to US Civil Service. I’ll get both versions posted.
For Monday, it’s shenanigans at the office! My start-time was moved 15 minutes, much to the annoyance of supervisors and senior coworkers alike. Nobody likes that I put my family first in my decisions.
So, in typical fashion, I’m now “early” and am using the time to practice!
Seven Star Praying Mantis on the docks. What’s sad is that I blanked completely on this particular form, so I’m having to go over it without my stances until I can remember the movements correctly.
Just to keep telling the people here that I am an odd one. But it’s time to sort letters and brave the storms.
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.
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.
…I need more novels.
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.
Found this new printing recently, but #5 is nowhere to be found and that bothers me to no end.
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.”
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.
Indiana knows there’s a lot missing in the house nowadays. With his vision mostly gone, and his mental faculties fading, he’s gotten more confused ever since Jojo died.
But he knows where to go when that confusion gets to him. He’s been staying nearby me more often, and barks if I leave the room.
Han’s been asking about the “Classic” stories that ‘you read when you were a kid, dad!’, so I went out to the storage building and grabbed an old, old collection.
I’ve been carrying around these Raintree books since I was probably about Han’s age. Ben’s getting to the point where he wants to know about these stories, so he’ll soon be reading these, as well.
It’s a small moment of pure joy, seeing the books you grew up reading being read by your children.
I’m not entirely sold on that title, but it did make me laugh.
I am emphatically not an artist in the traditional sense. I cannot tell you how many times I have warned my players “this is not to scale” when drawing out an idea.
That said, I will keep trying!
That’s an old picture. I swear I’ve made progress…cue anxiety…
Swift's Corner 