This week, I talk a little about my opinions of sex and death as a way of introducing the first chapter that crosses my NSFW threshold.
This week we introduce a potential conflict of the novel and the reason for Kendrick's difficulties. We'll find out later what Relik da Martin ne Golid has over Kendrick. For the time being, just a little gentleman's introduction into the story.
Well, my vacation is all over and I had a blast. I was up in northern Wisconsin for two weeks with coming home in time to do an author event at the local mall. I got a lot done, but time to change gears and focus on commissions for a week or three.
This week, we are introduced to the fourth (and final) person that is going to be in the core of Lily's life for the novel. Mindil is a much different character than the others, both in her original purpose but also how she's grown across the novel.
This short chapter is there to show the passage of time because I really dislike montages in writing. Actually, I don't like them much of anywhere. However, I wanted to show that she is moving forward with Nirih's dress, which is a "backbone" of the tension in this novel.
Since this is a short, steamy little scene between Lily and Hasan, it is a good time to talk about Hasan being a married to Mindil while kissing Lily. I like this scene because it shows that Hasan has poor control over Lily when it comes to his passion and Lily is no less than receptive of them for her own reasons. It is also intimate and personal, something that both crave at this moment.
In the process of updating my website, I ended up doing significant amount of work on my arbitrary culture library, mfgames-culture.
Over the last week, I've focused on improving the Fedran website. This took a fair amount of work but there is a lot more content and easier navigation as a result.
This week, Kendrick comes back and interrupts Lily. I also write a little bit about creative/writer's block, romance in restrictive societies, and the bad luck of having a failed duel means to a young woman.
This week introduces our second love interest for the novel, Hasan. Lily's life gets more complicated as the two men who were responsible for her not being chosen for a wife have come back into her life, months before she officially becomes a kudame.
This week is a short little chapter in Second-Hand Dresses which forces Lily to make a decision about her future. The path she chooses will color the events in the near future and eventually her fate.
Well, it's Sunday and time to switch gears on writing projects. I found it easier to treat my overwhelming number of projects as iterations like software development. Work from Monday to Sunday, then decide the next project (which may be the same one). Unfortunately I have some obligations that need to be completed by the end of the month so I have to stop writing Second-Hand Dresses.
After a few weeks of voting over on Patreon and my forum, the next novel selected is Second-Hand Dresses. This is a much different piece than Sand and Blood and its sequels in that it is a romance and drama piece with little violence and a good and proper Happily Ever After.
After thirty-five weeks, I've finished serializing Sand and Bone. The novel has been completely edited and posted. It is released as Creative Commons BY-NC-SA. On the website, you can download the EPUB, MOBI, and PDF versions of the book. Or you can just read the chapters right on the website.
We are now at the penultimate chapter of the novel. Only one more left before we get to the end. This is also one of the more emotional chapters for me because it puts a capstone on one of the longer threads that ran through the entire trilogy.
We are rapidly heading over to the end of the novel, only three more chapters including this one. We also get to revisit two characters who were influential in Rutejìmo's life as they get one last chance to give their respects and encouragements.
A year ago, at one of my more successful panels at WisCon, I was on a panel with K. Tempest Bradford and Kristine Smith talking about writing processes. I got to see a lot of cool gadgets but I also got a chance to talk about my processes of writing with Markdown, YAML, and Git.
A busy week as I reach the end of Sand and Bone being serialzied on my website. There are giveaway, decisions, and a call for patrons. Not to mention a short chapter of Rutejìmo night time run.
So, it's been a long time since I've done anything with Second-Hand Dresses but a number of folks on Wattpad stumbled on it so I was feeling guilty about not updating it. This evening, I did a little organization on the first chapter, split it in a half, and then merged it with the first section of the next chapter.
It's hard to believe that I'm near the end of the book. Only a few more chapters left. I'm betting I can abuse Rutejìmo a little more before the end though, besides there are a few plots (but not all) to finish up.
This week has been a lot late, I apologize for that. I decided to redo the Fedran website and try to fix a few things. Fortunately, this week is a very short chapter that bridges two important scenes.
This afternoon, I did my first audio interview/conversation about writing. It was with Bryan Aiello and his new podcast.
I've always said that Sand and Bone was inspired by Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven. I love samurai dramas for many reasons, one of them is you don't always know who is going to survive the piece. At the same time, there are very few "cheap" deaths. For a warrior, the noble sacrifice is one of the best ways to die.
After a rough start of the previous week, I got a chance to really focus on Author Intrusion (AI). Despite the rather significant amount of check-ins and coding, I wasn't quite able to get to a really good "show off" point. Instead, this week ended up being a black triangle (significant progress but nothing visible).
I'm been thinking about trust and relationships on the Internet, specifically social networking and news. Here is one possible approach to handle it.
Over the last few months, I've brought up the words that Gichyòbi had said about how he was encouraged to save Rutejìmo from violence. This same encouragement was one (but not the only) reason that Mikáryo took pity on him back in Sand and Blood. Well, this chapter is why that aspect of the world came into place, all of those ideas and little bits paved the way for this chapter.
I've thought a lot about my master plot, the different threads and stories that weave together into where I'm going. Even thought Sand and Bone is a single point-of-view novel, it is part of a master plot that I hope to see some day. I'm just doing it novel-by-novel instead o scene-by-scene. However, there is a drawback of thinking about stories too much and I'm afraid of burning out the idea before it can be pried out of my skull.
There are moments in life when everything wears you down and you don't think you can move forward. This week, Rutejìmo is experiencing one of those moments as he focuses on burning a body before continuing his journey. I also talk about how the same death march has affected me in my life. Finally, a status update on the Sand and Bone publication process.
This week, I write a little bit about the history of Wamifūko, their shattered mountain that used to be a fortress, and their rites of passage. There is also a question about world-building and these weekly posts. Finally, Sand and Bone gets into chapter 25 as Rutejìmo has to escape the city to burn the body of his wife's mother.
This week, I talk about the limitations of third-person limited as it pertains to the master plot. Also, the problem with dragons coupled with why Damagar didn't destroy Kanéko in Flight of the Scions. Finally, an update on the finalization process of Sand and Bone.
I finally get to answer why Rutejìmo can take so much damage and still be walking.
Sand and Bone is almost ready for publication. Just a few more steps. Oh, and another chapter being released.
Rutejìmo is put into a situation where he has to choose his duties to the clan or the ones to the desert. Which one will he pick? And will the conquences be deadly?
I got lost with a tangent where I try to create simple images for blog posts and ended up spending two days buildng a generic system.
In this chapter, Rutejìmo has a chance to dole out some wisdom that he has learned over the last few books.
One of the common themes in the entire series is that Rutejìmo terrified of the dark. But what happens when unknown assassins are looking for him and he is left with the sorrow of losing his brother?
Along with the others, Rutejìmo ends up running for his life. He sees his friends and families for what might be the last time before he sets off on his own perilous journey. Before he goes, however, his brother has one last thing.
Rutejìmo has come up to a point in his life, where he has to choose between his own life or dying for the clan.
We've gotten to a lovely chapter where two series intersect blatantly and the reader can get a hint of where I'm going with Flight of the Scions.
Sometimes the simplest of phrases can be the most powerful. To stop a death, Rutejìmo makes a declaration that ruins my entire purpose of writing the series and becomes a hero.
This week, we have a lot of violence, destruction, and a really bad idea. I talk a little bit about the mechanics of magic and the Call.
Another chapter of Sand and Bone with the clan making a choice to accept the job or not. In addition, a brief discussion about nudity and sex along with one about struggling for money.
We are now into the second arc of Sand and Bone, where things start to speed up greatly and the bloodbath is going to commence. While I'm setting it up, I talk a little bit about pacing for the book and how I use the HERO System to manage my fantasy.
On the last day of Lexember, I give you a word for the joy of finishing a good book.
On the thirtieth day of Lexember, I give you a word for an unread book.
On the third to last day of Lexember, I give you a word for paper cut.
On the twenty-eighth day of Lexember, I give you a word for paper.
Safely back at the city, Rutejìmo spends a leisurely day exploring the city. At least until Dimóryo finds him again.
On the twenty-seventh day of Lexember, I give you a word for accounting or book of accounts.
On the 26th day of Lexember, I give you a word for a book or registry of taxes owed.
On the twenty-fifth day of Lexember, I give you a word for a registry or list of items.
On the twenty-fourth day of Lexember, I give you a word for The Book of Ash.
On the twenty-third day of Lexember, I give you a word for a children's book or written story.
On the twenty-second day of Lexember, I give you a word for a bound book.
On the twenty-first day of Lexember, I give you a word for written instructions.
Rutejìmo returns to Kosobyo City and finds himself in an unfamiliar civilization that only vaguely resembled his own. Also a little bit on hair.
