The Cantina Staring Back At You From The Abyss

*Slowly steps into the bar with barely enough energy to function*
*Turns on prerecorded voice whilst sitting on the bar.*

Hi, it's been so long since the last time I've been here... I think it was, a year ago? I think? If you're hearing this, then I just wanted to say that I'm glad to be back here, at least for a while. Also can I have a cup of cof-

*Quickly paused the recording and plopped head on the counter.*

"warrm milkk" I whispered

*continues the recording*

-fee or whatever my future self wants. So anyway, I've been embarking on a very serious game developing journey these past few months. Learning from various sources, watching some digital seminars, reading some reference, and of course designing my own game.

Of course, it's not easy being a game designer, much less a solo developer. However, this is what I've been learning for my entire life. Coding and creating things have always been my passion. So uhh... I don't know how my condition is like right now, but, I assure you, this worth all the pain and exhaustion in the very near future...

Okay, that's all set and done... Now to work on this Quick Time Event Follow Up Party Member Attack after a certain condition is met, game mechanic... Wonder if I'll get it done today? Well, one way to find out!

*Turns off recording, then slowly make a thumb up in victory*

Fluffs up the smibble pile I've been squishing for days. Here you go, I think I can get up for a while, at least to the bar anyway. It's after five, I can have wine now.

Duplicate.

Oooookay, so it's not unusual as of late for our home internet to glitch out periodically, but today it's the neighborhood power dropping out. Three times so far. Once at 6:44 a.m. (woke me up 20 min before my alarm clock), once a little after noon, and again just now at 3:35. It only lasts for a second, then comes back on and I hear a boom somewhere in the distance. Don't know what's going on but it's a little annoying.

In better news, I haz a new candle that smells like fall and that makes me happy.

Shadow! I'm always jealous of people who have dogs to play with. I can't have a dog here and there's no place to take one even if I did. It's all concrete. Yesterday I had my first aromatherapy session with my cousin. I'm doing some new things to break out of these downward spiral I'm struggling to pull out of. So far, so good. Tonight I made two ice cream bases. One is an experiment with blending in brownies and another is the red wine reduction to use up all the bits of various berries I had in my fridge. I'll churn that one tomorrow. Once I pay rent this month I'll have some money to deal with my chair situation. Then I'll be able to sit at my computer for longer periods of time. Remember that old song we used to sing on bus rides as kids? "There's a hole in the bucket, Dear Marge, Dear Marge..." And basically it's some guy trying to do something basic and he can't because everything needs work. My life has turned into that. Very frustrating. I'd rather just make ice cream. I hope all are doing well.

Morning, Cantina. *sets out big bucket o' hugs for anyone who needs them*


In the continuing saga of the power outages, we had none yesterday until around 8:30pm during a major rain storm when suddenly, with a mighty KA-CHUNG the power went out because *our* transformer blew (and apparently one of the neighbors' too because there was a second KA-CHUNG down the way), with a flash of bluish light. It was very, very dark for half a minute and then whatever backup there is kicked in and the power came back, but the phone line didn't. They're back now because dad called from his cell phone and raised a stink for the company to come out and fix it NOW, not a week from now, and they got out here bright and early at 7:30 to the refrain of da lab pup's BARK, BARK, BAROOOOOOOOOO!!!!


Well, today I continue the editing quest. Feedback is coming in for the latest excerpt I shared with crit group and I'm surprised but pleased that they're saying it's the best one so far. That particular bit of story is one of the oldest in this WIP. I first wrote it back when I was still writing out of order, (back when I sometimes wrote scenes in a notebook, which I only did for the first couple years back when I first started writing.) I pantsed it SO HARD, and have fought with it many times over, tweaking it, cutting it down, trying to get the tone and emotions and foreshadowing right. I was afraid it still wasn't great, but while the group members are pointing out some tweaks (as they should), they overall seem to think I nailed it. One even said it was a joy to read! o.o *dances*


In weather news, I'm wearing long sleeves for the first time this year! And a shawl! *does the happy fall dance* (Fall is in my top two favorite seasons, could you tell? )

The new puppy had a very energetic day yesterday while the weather was good. Light walk in the morning, then up to the dog park in Edmonds to play with his friend Tex. Tex is a pit bull-chowchow-pekinese mix who loves him, loves him enough to put up with his consant dry-humping fore and aft. But what they both really wanted to do was play with the other dogs, which they can't because both need more practice at socializing. So they had to stay on their leads.

Then for some reason they made ME exhausted, so I had to take a 4 hour nap, during which Cholo was taken by my boyfriend to check out a catamaran in the marina. Cholo then slept the rest of the night through. But today he was up early, with me, and playing with his new dragon toy.

I swore I'd never get a puppy, and especially a midsize or large breed puppy, because I didn't want to put up with all the crazy puppy energy. But now look at me!

Cobalt Jade said:

Tex is a pit bull-chowchow-pekinese mix

Click to expand...

That's quite an interesting combination! I'm glad you're enjoying puppy parenthood. I was like you when we first got da lab mix pup, thinking I didn't know how to handle a hyper dog (all our previous dogs were older and calmer when we got them), but then you adjust and then you can't imagine life without them.



I'd hit a sticky point while editing my story and was going to ask here about it, but by typing it out, I think I've solved my own problem. So. Nothing to see here.

Happy Friday, and happy October!

Cobalt Jade said:

I swore I'd never get a puppy, and especially a midsize or large breed puppy, because I didn't want to put up with all the crazy puppy energy. But now look at me!

Click to expand...

Woo, go Cobalt! Much respect for finding your own matching enthusiasm. That’s best for dealing with puppies, and you get the most out of that time with them, but it’s not always easy to do.

Hi all. Might as well find myself a cosy corner, since genre fiction is my go-to.

Sum of my achievements this week is 4K of fanfiction and deciding to write a fantasy story for NaNo. Now to figure out what the story is about.

Welcome, Time Lady AuraHeyworth!



If anyone hasn't seen, there's going to be Forum Maintenance tomorrow (10/4/2020) https://absolutewrite.com/forums/sh...nday-October-4-2020-from-2-pm-EST-to-7-pm-EST

AuraHeyworth said:

Hi all. Might as well find myself a cosy corner, since genre fiction is my go-to.

Sum of my achievements this week is 4K of fanfiction and deciding to write a fantasy story for NaNo. Now to figure out what the story is about.

Click to expand...

Hi. My novel which I've finished except I've been polishing for a few years started as a NaNo challenge.

We recently started a new appointment booking system at work. Today I get a slack message from my boss, she's just created a group calendar for me and my coworker, so people could have a single link and calendar to deal with. Which I'm sure is nice, but the problem is that she just did this on her own without talking to us. So neither of us (the people who are actually having to deal with appointments from this system) have editing access, or any control over the appointments, and no way to trade or hand them off to each other. We can't even edit the text that it gives people while they're trying to book.

I'm sure this will be a nice feature, but I'm furious that she yanked control away from us. It's only our goddamn calendars, is it too much to ask that we be allowed to manage those ourselves?

I just heard from my coworker--boss came up with this in a meeting between them, then just did it on the spot, even with my coworker trying to suggest that they bring me in on the discussion first. Ugh. But I feel better after griping with coworker--at least she gets me well enough to have realized I wasn't going to like this.

I know that it's been a while since I posted on here, but I figured I'd give ya'll an update on what's been happening in the Siwy household. After Angie's passing, we got the house remodel finished, had been fighting bedbugs so bad that my surgeon had to reschedule my surgery because they didn't want an opportunistic bug to crawl into an incision, and finally got my aunt to agree to do a combination heat and chemical treatment for them (which we should have done in the first place). Then my desktop's SSD borked and I've been stuck on my old school laptop for around a month (gonna build a new desktop come next month). Because of this, I've backed up all my files/photos on an external ssd that'll be ready to go when new desktop is ready. Also, it's gotten me to be a lot more productive towards my writing.

I got a piece done back in July to workshop level (and it's a nice little 30k novella that is my current trades piece for beta-ing) and finally jumped on the old YA Fantasy isekai novel that I've had open for ages. Being smacked away from gaming a bit and finding the close knit community that is the Twitch Writer's Network has done wonders for my productivity on that piece. Though it will need heavy edits before it gets to workshop level because of how much I've grown as a writer in the past 15 years, I'm finally getting it finished. I'm right before the climax scene for it, and when I write on stream, I've been pulling 1-2.4k sessions (partially because I write until the scene is done, which can take upwards of 3-4 hours). It's really been helpful for accountability, and I do feel welcome in the community.

Now, I've had to take a break for the next month or so because I underwent a hysterectomy (once they got the all clear that no more bedbugs were in the house) and it's bad for me to have my laptop on my lap for extended periods of time, as my weight carry capacity limit is 10 lbs until my next follow up. But when I'm cleared to have my laptop on my lap for more than 10 minutes at a time, I definitely will be working on it again. I'm hella excited to get this story finished.

That sounds like a busy and stressful time, Siwyenbast! I hope you heal up quickly. *hugs*It's generally been business as usual around here, including editing my own story and critting others. One of the other members in my crit group said she thinks I could have a future as an editor because I seem to have a knack for such things. That was nice of her.


On Monday aunt had her first doctor's appointment since Grammy passed away and was able to FINALLY get back on some medication for her hypothyroidism. She should have been back on it a long time ago (years ago) but her old doctor had basically retired without telling anyone and was doing nothing for her. Her new doctor is MUCH better. Hopefully this will also help with her depression as the two things can be connected. But if not, her doctor wants her to check in after a period of time and they'll talk about how she's feeling and if she needs more help. She was also able to get an antibiotic for the sinus infection she's had brewing for a month now and says that's helping her feel a lot better already. This is all super good news because she's been feeling pretty bad.


Today I got a scam/spam text that was also sent to ten other people. So as well as having to block/delete the original text, I'm having to block/delete everyone else's numbers too, but only as they reply to the original message (IF they reply) because the blankity blank phone won't just let me block all 10 numbers at once. I googled to see if I was missing a way to do that but it looks like that's a chronic problem with many text messengers on many types of phones. Grr.


Well, I better get back to the editing. I've gotten a little ahead of schedule, so I'd like to keep up the pace.

EFB, I've gotten a couple of those annoying group text spams. It's GRRRR.

I am just about done recording the audiobook for Legacy of Hunger. I get my rights back next week, but won't be re-releasing until next month to give the publisher time to get it down from all the sites. Also, the last book in the series releases in 4 days, so I didn't want to step on that. I still have to finalize my book cover, but I'm close to being done. All that'll be left is formatting and uploading.

I got to work from home this week (yay!!!) after finally asking my boss if I can start doing so. Everyone is on one week home/one week in the open office but since I was new, I had to be in all the time. I finally got up the courage to ask for it, and it was granted.

Still looking for a different job, though.

Morning, Cantina. Editing continues to go well, except for the fact that I realized yesterday how a character probably should have done a certain thing in a previous part of the story, which is fixable. Unfortunately I already submitted that previous part to critique group, so I can't change it for them. Not a huge hairy deal, just mildly frustrating. I'll probably handle it by leaving the current scene as is and when I submit this part that I'm working on now I'll just leave a note for the group explaining the changes I'm considering and do they think that would work better or does the scene work as it is.


In pet news, da beagle has been scratching his left ear and shaking his head a lot this week and when we used the doggy ear wash this morning it was pretty gooey in there and a little red. He may have ear mites, so we'll have to get him to the vet soon to check it out and get it treated as I'm sure he doesn't enjoy being so itchy (he has a little scab from scratching so much) and I would also like to not be woken up a half an hour early by scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-SHAKE (repeat x10) again.


I'd better get on to editing now. Some online writer friends and I are doing our own early and more flexible version of Nanowrimo in an attempt to have the month long challenge, but not feel pressured to write through Thanksgiving and the challenge starts today. My goal is just to edit as much as possible a little faster than I've been doing.


P.S. Barnes and Noble apparently experienced a cyber attack late last week, so if you've bought from them you probably have an email explaining what info got exposed and what didn't. Thankfully it looks like all the financial info is safe.

News on the home front! I will have one. I'm renting a room. From my old school psychologist, which was a weird twist. It's in an outbuilding, and I'll have to learn to deal with doing the dishes in the bathroom. My aspie mind does not like that.
I'm also in new psych treatment, and it's a very large team that mainly handles patients with schizophrenia and psychosis, generally very unstable but sorta functioning. Problem with being on the spectrum is that you're somehow both (normally) too functional for them but too sick and too abnormal for anyone else.

Weird thing about Danish stores, they have put some Halloween candy and decorations out, but they've got as much or more Christmas stuff out at the same time. It's kind of strange to pass some spooky candy and pumpkins and then there's the advent calendars and the Santa marshmallows.

Religion0 said:

Weird thing about Danish stores, they have put some Halloween candy and decorations out, but they've got as much or more Christmas stuff out at the same time. It's kind of strange to pass some spooky candy and pumpkins and then there's the advent calendars and the Santa marshmallows.

Click to expand...

I went to a store/restaurant to buy my sister a birthday present and there was only Christmas stuff. No Halloween at all. Guess if I wanted Halloween stuff I should have been there in July.


*LOL* I wrote the statement above in quotation marks like I was writing dialogue. Caught myself though. Curse of a writer.

Religion0 said:

News on the home front! I will have one. I'm renting a room. From my old school psychologist, which was a weird twist. It's in an outbuilding, and I'll have to learn to deal with doing the dishes in the bathroom. My aspie mind does not like that.
I'm also in new psych treatment, and it's a very large team that mainly handles patients with schizophrenia and psychosis, generally very unstable but sorta functioning. Problem with being on the spectrum is that you're somehow both (normally) too functional for them but too sick and too abnormal for anyone else.

Weird thing about Danish stores, they have put some Halloween candy and decorations out, but they've got as much or more Christmas stuff out at the same time. It's kind of strange to pass some spooky candy and pumpkins and then there's the advent calendars and the Santa marshmallows.

Click to expand...

I can't see the bathroom but they sell very inexpensive shower hoses that fit over the faucet to make a sprayer. If you had one of those and two plastic tubs (one for wash, one for rinse) you'd have an improvised kitchen sink.

I lived in an outbuilding once that had no bathroom or kitchen. It was a little cabin in the back of a house. I shared the kitchen and bath in the house. But I didn't want to go in the house at night after everyone had gone to bed. So I peed in a large wide-mouthed jar and poured it out off the little back deck. I loved my little cabin.

I was just writing about my character going from loving some guy to her hating him in a single page and then Katy Perry's Hot N Cold came on.

This is a PG-13 writing prompt that I did tonight under an R-rated condition:


She didn't know what to say, the cavern wall around her lit with green glowing mushrooms, it seemed the exit was further away than she anticipated. Two worms of shadow ended or began at the light of her great grandfather's bulky lantern, rocking in her small hand. She was dressed like everyone else from her small village, for the cold, and not fancy, with a thick ugly hood hovering over her face.

A man's voice rang out from ahead, "Help!"

She thought of one of her grandmother's stories, told from a rocking chair made of tree branches and twine, bones and animal skulls. A story about large and hideous monsters that wait in the darkness of the wilderness, and steal the voices of the people that they eat. While listening to these stories, she would sit in the daylight of Summer woods while her one-eyed grandmother held fast to a pipe, and she would eat soul cakes from a silver platter that last belonged to a now dead graverobber-- the butcher's boy, and a pity.

She hesitated from the thought of such a monster, a wave of fear washing over her body in the cold empty night.. there was no turning back after going this far into the cave. Some of her family were camping in the cave's entrance, waiting for food and supplies, and their lives were on the line. The air outside the mountain was so cold it cut like razor blades, and even though she was very high up, the Black Sea was coming for her and everyone she knew.

The Black Sea was large enough to drown these mountains, the fossilized spines of ancient and giant snakes without names, their massive sunken skeletons home to harsh winters and icy treehouse cities that tunneled underground into the bone.. the cities of her ancestors and their enemies-- and enemies' enemies, and home to rumors that drifted into them over decades or centuries from ghosts or creatures that nobody had ever seen.

"Help!" The homicidal monster cried out in agony. "Oh, please help me!"

*waves to people*


Chaotica - Hello, new person! This thread tends to be more of a "writers talking about random stuff" thing. For work feedback, you might want to check the SYW forums (though you can't post new stuff to crit until you get 50 posts.) I will say that it seems atmospheric, though a bit confusing TBH.



Anyway, it's been a while, but the board's loading okay today so I'll swing back through.

Tuesday morning, gray and drizzly and exceptionally autumnal. Today's plans are mostly dropping off household ballots at the ballot box and... um... that's about it, really.

Haven't been writing much since I finished the Solstice Sequel challenge; am doing some quick doodles for an October doodle challenge on Facebook and gearing up for the annual ornament blitz (even though we may not be doing an in-person gathering this year). Want to get back to writing, specifically finishing up some shorts and throwing them at various barn walls of submissions to see if any stick, but right now that's not where my head is.

Work exists. We're finally - finally! - getting some extra help, though how helpful they are is a mixed bag.

And on transcription, I just got "promoted" to the high tier, so that's something. Still need another actual job, though.

Guess I'll wander off.

Hello, all! I'm so glad you find a place, Rel~! A crappy, small place is so infinitely better than no place at all...

I'm getting ready to re-release Legacy of Hunger with it's pretty new cover. I get my Reversion of Rights officially on the 21st (my publisher already sent the letter, postdated, so I know it will be OK). Pre-order is going up on the 21st for release on Nov 12.

I get to work from home next week. I'm relishing that.

I just got a message I'm getting a lot more back from my taxes than I anticipated. Sure, I'll only get it back right before New Year, which is as long as they're legally allowed to hang on to it. But hey, I know it's coming.

And I almost cried and felt silly about it but then I realised how actually starved of good news I have been lately. Probably ain't the only one. Hugs to all.