There is writing

And then there is writing that matters.

Progress slow

But steady. Fires is now done and reviewed once. Water is as it is. I'm going to start concept work for Earth Wednesday.

Same thing with Chapter 14-17 of Precyber to Ken. Right now I'm trying to get the revisions to Micronation out the door and should be done with those Tuesday.

One novel at a time.

Fires of Prophesy Done

Revising both that and Wood of the World Wyrm tomorrow. Will probably submit by the end of the week. Feels good. It has been months since I submitted anything for publication and longer for a short story.

Water is at 800ish words. Will write more tomorrow.

Writing Group

The writing group went well. We've scheduled another meeting in three weeks. My current goal is 1000 words a day but unemployment is already taking its toll. I doubt I'll get anything written at all today.

Slow but steady progress

Wrote a bit of water, only a bit of fire, 250 words each. But I wrote 750 words of Chapter 14. So I still got 1000 words done today, which some writers consider a good day's work.

I don't, but that's because on a good day I can do 7-8 times that. I know a lot of artists get their energy from pain...but I don't. I actually have less creative power when I'm stressed about where we'll find our next meal. It isn't that bad yet, but I can't always help but wonder about what if it gets that bad.

One step at a time. At least 1000 words a day, try for 2000. Writing group will meet on Sunday, which will help with at least one story a month.

Writing

Things seem to be going well for the most part. Lots of writing projects and other things to keep me busy when not looking for a job. I finished "Vance the Demigod" for the writer's group this Sunday (just started) but the title is horrific. No idea what to change it to.

I will finish "The Fire of Prophesy" and tomorrow and then start on Water while preforming the next story here.

We'll see how it comes out.

Into the minds of the Abysmali

So the first key here is...what do they think like?

Let's start with what we know about them. We know that they're the second oldest race....they kicked the pants out of the Simsaur in the first war. The third race didn't care about them, neither did the fourth. The Bleyoki kicked the pants out of them, but so did everyone. The Sopensen kind of did, but in a benevolent condescending way.

So its really only been humans that ever really beat them down. And they haven't really done this just once, but every single time a new empire arises and wants to throw its weight around.

So the thought occurs that the Abysmali are going to have a slow, simmering anger building (which culminates at the time of Fulcrum but this is before that.) But they're mindful that another empire is coming along, so they're not going to want to kick humans around TOO much.

Most cultures that have been victimized have one of two choices or tactics they most use; the first is to adopt and absorb the conquering culture as one's own. I just don't see the Abysmali doing that, and the second is to invent their own history that paints them in as positive a light as possible. I see the Abysmali doing that.

The thing I think that makes this interesting is that I see the Abysmali starting to take the really long view of things, both because they ARE old, and separate (being in the water), and they live a long time. But also because it contrasts them with humans. As such, I think that they hold humanity to the first deal made with the first empire....a hundred thousand years ago.

So what seem like magic tokens of protection and tribute to the humans of Glashause, are in fact navigation and tarriff agreements to the Abysmali. Of course, it isn't their fault that humanity hasn't bothered to collect on their end of the deal for 40,000 years. They're holding THEIR end of the deal up.