It's been a busy month filled with graduations, studying, last minute essays, more studying, and final exams. Thankfully it's all over and done with so the summer vacation can begin.
I'm still writing, and I think I'll be able to get the story done over the summer with the (very tentative) goal of publishing in September-ish. Until then, here's a quick short story I wrote for /r/WritingPrompts that includes our three adventurers from Shiloft. On the timeline, it takes place after both The Outcasts of Vampire Flats and "Book 2" during their very, very brief stint in the elvenlands.
Enjoy!
Friday, May 30, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Captain America!
So, we went to go see Captain America: The Winter Soldier over the weekend and... wow. "The Marvel Cinematic Universe" has yet to disappoint, but there are some entries (Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2) that feel slightly more than baseline. Enjoyable, but not much more than that. The Winter Soldier is easily my favorite Marvel film so far. The action is exciting, the story is fun, and the characters are given room to breathe and do other things beyond protecting their respective love interests.
I liked it better than The Avengers, which I didn't think would happen.
All this brought to you by the co-directors whose last big theatrical release was the venerable (/nausea-inducing sarcasm) You, Me and Dupree. I don't know how those guys pulled off one of the best action films of the year and what I believe to be one of the best superhero films of all time. I really don't.
But go check it out if you haven't already. It's most definitely worth the price of admission!
I liked it better than The Avengers, which I didn't think would happen.
All this brought to you by the co-directors whose last big theatrical release was the venerable (/nausea-inducing sarcasm) You, Me and Dupree. I don't know how those guys pulled off one of the best action films of the year and what I believe to be one of the best superhero films of all time. I really don't.
But go check it out if you haven't already. It's most definitely worth the price of admission!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
April Update!
I know there's been more radio silence, but things have been progressing smoothly these days. Book 2 is shaping up nicely, as is another project I've been poking at for a few years. It'll be post-apocalyptic and likely zombie-infested.
I know, I know. Zombies are played out. But! I'm really enjoying writing it, and I'm hoping to put enough of a personal twist on it that people might find it interesting. Definitely no comedy there, though, so it's odd switching back and forth between the two.
I'll try to get more excerpts up in the future, but until then, I'll try and keep the word count meters up-to-date as I go!
I know, I know. Zombies are played out. But! I'm really enjoying writing it, and I'm hoping to put enough of a personal twist on it that people might find it interesting. Definitely no comedy there, though, so it's odd switching back and forth between the two.
I'll try to get more excerpts up in the future, but until then, I'll try and keep the word count meters up-to-date as I go!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Excerpt from: "Lore of the Reluctant - BOOK 2"
The assassin wasn't on a job, and she hadn't been for some time. Every now and then, she questioned whether that still made her an assassin and if she could even rightly claim that title these days. Over the regular course of the last few years, she had certainly killed people—multitudes, even—but it had always been in combat, in self-defense. She couldn't even remember the last time she had cut a contract.
On those off days, she questioned further: Did she even have it in her anymore? Could she kill a man or woman for no other reason beyond their names being scrolled across the wrong sheet of parchment?
It took people like their driver, Jacob, to make her revisit those questions with marked intensity.
Jacob, who preferred to be called “Jake,” who made his own liquor once, who departed university early because “those boneheads couldn't teach him nothin',” who could break any horse, who could win any bare-knuckle fight with any chump south of the Portis Freeholds. It couldn't have been more than a half-hour since Acys had gone into the shop, but it felt like flimsy concepts like time broke down around the ramblings of someone like Jake—not Jacob.
“So, I wandered the North for a time, mostly bouncing from job to job between the Freeholds. They always said I could stick around on a permanent basis if I cared to. I was that good at what I did, but I couldn't put down roots like that. Never seemed right. Like I knew I was needed elsewhere, you know?”
“Mmhm,” the assassin said, hearing a pause.
“Got it in my mind to head south, happened to pass through Trevarun before hitting the Red River and met up with a man running some stables near the edge of town and got a job breaking horses. You ever head out that way, go to the Reiser Stables and ask anybody there. I was the finest horse trainer they'd seen in years. Years, I'm telling you. Old Mr. Reiser said I was the best he'd ever employed. Go ahead and ask him.”
“Mmhm.”
“Would-a stayed longer than I had. Stars above, the Reisers practically begged me not to leave, but it was just like before. Got that same damn feeling that I wasn't quite where I needed to be. You ever get that feeling, Jasper?”
“Mmhm.” The assassin, Jasper, unsheathed one of the twin daggers at her hips and used it to scratch the dirt out from under her fingernails. “Shit happens.”
“It's like there's gonna be a place on the road where everything's just gonna work out perfectly, and then I'll be able to put down roots and do so with a smile. I'm sure they want me back in the ring already. There's a guy down in Winterset who would pay me fifty zayl a fight because of the crowds I drew in.” He slapped the door of the coach. “Just taking this job as a driver to help pay my way back down there. Bet he's willing to up my pay just for showing up—”
“Hey, dude...” Jasper sheathed the dagger and opened the door out of the coach. “Listen, I'm gonna stretch my legs and see what the others are up to, all right?”
Jake-not-Jacob looked at her blankly from the driver's seat, twisting the reins as if he hadn't heard. “What was that?”
She sighed. “Me go that way, check on others. I'll be back in a bit.”
“Oh... okay.” He waved at her. “I'll be right here, then.”
“More's the pity.”
“What?”
“I just saw a kitty.”
“Oh...”
Jasper rolled her eyes and walked past the general store. Whatever was keeping Acys, she really didn't want to interrupt. Also, she didn't really care. Instead, she pressed on into the small town of Oliver's Field.
On those off days, she questioned further: Did she even have it in her anymore? Could she kill a man or woman for no other reason beyond their names being scrolled across the wrong sheet of parchment?
It took people like their driver, Jacob, to make her revisit those questions with marked intensity.
Jacob, who preferred to be called “Jake,” who made his own liquor once, who departed university early because “those boneheads couldn't teach him nothin',” who could break any horse, who could win any bare-knuckle fight with any chump south of the Portis Freeholds. It couldn't have been more than a half-hour since Acys had gone into the shop, but it felt like flimsy concepts like time broke down around the ramblings of someone like Jake—not Jacob.
“So, I wandered the North for a time, mostly bouncing from job to job between the Freeholds. They always said I could stick around on a permanent basis if I cared to. I was that good at what I did, but I couldn't put down roots like that. Never seemed right. Like I knew I was needed elsewhere, you know?”
“Mmhm,” the assassin said, hearing a pause.
“Got it in my mind to head south, happened to pass through Trevarun before hitting the Red River and met up with a man running some stables near the edge of town and got a job breaking horses. You ever head out that way, go to the Reiser Stables and ask anybody there. I was the finest horse trainer they'd seen in years. Years, I'm telling you. Old Mr. Reiser said I was the best he'd ever employed. Go ahead and ask him.”
“Mmhm.”
“Would-a stayed longer than I had. Stars above, the Reisers practically begged me not to leave, but it was just like before. Got that same damn feeling that I wasn't quite where I needed to be. You ever get that feeling, Jasper?”
“Mmhm.” The assassin, Jasper, unsheathed one of the twin daggers at her hips and used it to scratch the dirt out from under her fingernails. “Shit happens.”
“It's like there's gonna be a place on the road where everything's just gonna work out perfectly, and then I'll be able to put down roots and do so with a smile. I'm sure they want me back in the ring already. There's a guy down in Winterset who would pay me fifty zayl a fight because of the crowds I drew in.” He slapped the door of the coach. “Just taking this job as a driver to help pay my way back down there. Bet he's willing to up my pay just for showing up—”
“Hey, dude...” Jasper sheathed the dagger and opened the door out of the coach. “Listen, I'm gonna stretch my legs and see what the others are up to, all right?”
Jake-not-Jacob looked at her blankly from the driver's seat, twisting the reins as if he hadn't heard. “What was that?”
She sighed. “Me go that way, check on others. I'll be back in a bit.”
“Oh... okay.” He waved at her. “I'll be right here, then.”
“More's the pity.”
“What?”
“I just saw a kitty.”
“Oh...”
Jasper rolled her eyes and walked past the general store. Whatever was keeping Acys, she really didn't want to interrupt. Also, she didn't really care. Instead, she pressed on into the small town of Oliver's Field.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Full Speed Ahead
Book 2 is back on track!
I know there were some distractions, but things are moving along much smoother than they had been. Back in the groove, everything's on track, back in school, etc. It's all looking good!
I've updated the progress bar to approximately where it should be, since I'm still working towards a word count in the same general range of Outcasts. Hoping to post more in the near future.
Stay tuned!
I know there were some distractions, but things are moving along much smoother than they had been. Back in the groove, everything's on track, back in school, etc. It's all looking good!
I've updated the progress bar to approximately where it should be, since I'm still working towards a word count in the same general range of Outcasts. Hoping to post more in the near future.
Stay tuned!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Recent Endeavors!
Just got back from visiting the folks, with only a Monday sitting between me and the next semester. Really looking forward to it, especially since I was able to snag the English courses I've been trying to get since coming back to college.
Pointed this out in my last post, but I was worked over by Star Wars fever and ended up writing a story about one of the game's characters: Shae Vizla, a Mandalorian bounty hunter who helped topple the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Had a lot of fun writing it. If I ever got a job writing for Star Wars, I could turn out stories from The Old Republic setting forever and not get bored.
If you don't mind fanfiction, here are a couple of places you can check out the story!
I've also been contributing to /r/WritingPrompts on Reddit! Here are a couple of stories that I posted within the last week:
No new news to report on Book 2, unfortunately. Everything's still in place, but I wasn't able to make any progress over the holidays. That will change pretty quick here, though.
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