Some writers I follow out there on the interwebs talk about something called “season of life” from time to time. For them, that seems to be things like the ages of their children, their marital status and/or problems, or things that actually happen in the course of normal human existence.
Humans, am I right?
I look at the world around us, with a pandemic that is worsening by the day and civil unrest that is being met with cruel and swift injustice and think that my own season of life is trying to keep my head down and hope for the best.
I have written (technically) four words since we last got together in this corner of the internet. The good news is that I know what I’m writing next. (More on that in the “WRITING IN PUBLIC” segment.)
In other news, I have a new milestone to report: I am now a worldwide-seller! That’s right… I have sold a book in or near Australia. Okay, so worldwide is an exaggeration… but this makes two continents, so I’m calling it a win.
What makes this particularly exciting is that, with this sale, my second book has officially doubled the sales of my first. (For context, Seeing Red has been out for almost two years, while Comedy of Terrors has only been out for four months.) I’ve been told I should celebrate this fact. Consider it celebrated.
WRITING IN PUBLIC
As mentioned already, I have only written four words since the last entry. BUT: I know what I’m writing next. My one blog reader once challenged me to write a romance novel. I saw a cover at that wonderful book cover site (SelfPubBookCovers.com) that I absolutely loved. I tinkered with the text, put a tag line on it and mulled over what that line meant. Before long, the concept consumed my mental space. (I hate when that happens. Said no writer, ever.)
What coalesced was a story inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Wait! Wait! Before you start groaning and complaining that I’m going to “ruin” something that already exists (I have a rant on that, one of these years), let me assure you that I will be breaking the primary directive she gave me: She said I can’t kill anyone.
Well, in true Shakespearean fashion, I’m not only going to kill someone, I’m going to kill just about everyone. It’s Romeo & Juliet with an axe murderer’s bent. Just like life, no one gets out alive. Hmm. That may have been a spoiler. I honestly don’t know yet, because I haven’t written it.
Incidentally, because I have a story for it and one that I intend to write, I bought the cover.
Hopefully the writing will commence soon. I’m still fairly excited about the story. All that is missing is the motivation to start typing.
GAMING THINGS
In-person game group sessions are still not happening, for obvious reasons. The trio of online folks have been playing Pathfinder — yes, we have started yet another campaign. More accurately, we are playing Rise of the Runelords with a different set of characters. We do not have a Kyra, so we have to be much more careful and grab up healing boons as much as possible. My character (Merisiel) has six item slots, so any potions of healing that come our way will have a place, even if no one else wants to hold onto them. (She has two copies each of two other items, so it will be easy to make room.) Seoni has spell slots and found a Cure spell in our last session. The only issue is that she’s an Arcane caster and Cure is a Divine spell. She will have to banish it the moment she casts it. (Then again, the same is true of a Potion of Healing since we do not have an alchemist.)
We temporarily went weekly last month because we were all bored. We have played the entire prologue adventure.
In our next session, we might be able to talk our holdout into joining us. If that happens, I will have another session created. I’m going to crack open the physical set and get everything set up in the virtual game so we can just continue from where we left off.
Either way, our next session is sure to be all kinds of fun.
WRAPPING UP
As is so often the case, I hope you are all keeping yourselves happy, entertained, and safe. Wash your hands and wear your mask when out and about.
Most importantly, be kind. (Something I need to work on a little more.)
Talk to you next month!