Lanaktallan-Human War - Colorized 8586 PG

Another week, almost another month, has gone by.

The work on the first book has largely been slowed by the fact I haven't been working on it or trying to arrange for a cover. I've kind of been writing and handling family stuff and all that good stuff instead of working on it.

Shocking that it isn't progressing, right?

Anyway, I just figured I'd do a little bit of an update.

My shoulder's healing well. No surgery. Either it's not needed or they don't want to try a repair on a shoulder full of metal parts. Eh, probably the first one, right?

It's been alternating between hot and muggy and rainy and muggy here. Had to replace the sump-pump (we finally found the damn thing) and get the sump mucked out. Made sure my kids had 14 days of food and water in the basement of their house. Pulled and replaced the headlight casings so I can actually see where I'm going in the dark. Had to remind the State of Washington that I haven't lived there in a few years and no, I don't owe them any money (always fun to convince the government that you don't owe them. When they think you owe them they're right there with their hand out, but if they owe you, you can't find them. I just like to remind them that they owe me for tax overpayment on property tax from the 1990's and watch them suddenly vanish)

Went through my old gaming stuff and found my old 1E Gamma World stuff. Still had my wife's character sheet in it from like 1995. (1E Gamma World is a game you play half lit because the whole thing makes no sense) Unpacked the last of the boxes and put the stuff where it doesn't belong.

Meaning we're all moved in.

This one's it. We're not moving again.

It's been a long run over a tough road, but we've made it this far.

Sure, it's a 100 year old house made like a cracker-jack box, but having lived in more modern houses, there's just something about it that is familiar and comforting. Probably all the lead paint and asbestos.

My wife has been knitting and crocheting like crazy. She's making blankets for everyone in the family, all different styles. It's kind of amazing watching her take balls of warn and make thick heavy blankets with them.

Midwest winters are cold, so everyone's happy they'll have the blankets.

As far as the writing goes, it's still going. It's fun, I'm loving it. The Atrekna Second Wave is coming up. Huh, that's odd. I meant to type Atrekna counter-attack. Well, guess we know the name of it.

We're at the "Implementing a Doomed Plan" phase and the "Trying a Long Shot" part.

Funny thing, I was talking about tropes and cliches with someone who, like me, is a hobbyist writer. They were all against them, hated them, said that it's lazy to have them. I said they're good, comfortable, and readers actually like them.

We ended on him calling me an idiot who'll never write anything anyone wants to read.

I haven't laughed so hard in a while, considering he's one of those people who don't want anyone to read what he's written until it's perfect. He's convinced he's going to write the next great novel, the ground breaker. He's the type who says Papa Tolkien was a bad writer.

He got mad when I reminded him I've written 1.6 million words. He tried the "yeah, but 1.6 million words of trash is still trash" and tried to convince me that escapism literature should always teach a political lesson.

I told him that I think people have had enough of Current Year politics and would like to read something that doesn't try to pass judgement on them. Something enjoyable, something full of larger than life heroes.

He pretty much said that the "Everyman" and the "Normalman" was what people really wanted.

Oh well, it's not like we're friends, we're just acquaintances with mutual friends. I'm sure he'll write the next Great American Novel any minute now, just as soon as he gets done telling people they're wrong on Twitter and Writer's Forums.

As for me, I'm glad I'm writing "power fantasy" and "escapism crap" for everyone.

I think we could all use a little escapism and power in our lives.

--Ralts