M.J. Oelkers's Blog
October 1, 2025
Still Alive
Hot damn, this got away from me. Promise I'm still alive and kicking. Just been a lot of stress going on that's kept my mind on more pressing matters. Boring stuff like finances and finances... and finances. Lots of trouble there at the moment. Trying to get everything sorted, but it's proving quite difficult. There may be a change in residence here shortly to help pay bills.
All sorts of fun medical nonsense going on, as well. Turns out I've a lovely little infection in one of my toes. The most suitable antibiotic for the case has a bad interaction with my insomnia meds, so I've had to go without for the last (checks notes) five days. It'll be another ten or so before I can go back to sleeping like a typical human being. Still can't get my heart rate down, either. Doc wants to prescribe something it, but it has a bad interaction with another pill. I've been noticing some patterns here recently.
Despite all that, I'm still writing consistently. The current story continues to chug along. We've met our main villain and acquired pieces of the mystery. Now we're on the run from a pack of nasties in search of safety, which, of course, could only go well. Definitely a haven right around the corner. Wink.
Toodles.
All sorts of fun medical nonsense going on, as well. Turns out I've a lovely little infection in one of my toes. The most suitable antibiotic for the case has a bad interaction with my insomnia meds, so I've had to go without for the last (checks notes) five days. It'll be another ten or so before I can go back to sleeping like a typical human being. Still can't get my heart rate down, either. Doc wants to prescribe something it, but it has a bad interaction with another pill. I've been noticing some patterns here recently.
Despite all that, I'm still writing consistently. The current story continues to chug along. We've met our main villain and acquired pieces of the mystery. Now we're on the run from a pack of nasties in search of safety, which, of course, could only go well. Definitely a haven right around the corner. Wink.
Toodles.
August 21, 2025
The Spooky Stuff
Not relevant to the title (at least not in a literal sense), but I realized in the previous post I said I'm working on story six. Actually working on number seven. My brain's not a giant pile of mush that frequently fails to comprehend the passage of time. Nope. Nuh-uh. Maybe. Probably. Just a little bit.
Anyways.
Capped act one off yesterday. We've got almost all of our major players, and we're on the doorstep of our mystery. Now it's time to blow the lid off the whole thing and let the circus run wild. I'm excited to let this cat out of the bag. Mostly because it's more like a dozen cats... that are feral... and hungry... and the bag is small. There will no shortage of chaos.
I'm equally excited to lean back into my cherished horror vibes. There's been a touch of terror in all of the Arnstead Chronicles stories. Of the ones publicly available, it's most obvious in Shikaree. The whole third act is just screaming and worse coming to worst. I had oh so much fun working on that. The one follows leans hard into horror starting from act two, much like the current story I'm working on. Nothing quite like a fat gob of palpable tension to give your generic fantasy some life.
Whelp, off to go work on that horror nonsense now. Here's to hoping it pans out as well as it did for story three.
Toodles.
Anyways.
Capped act one off yesterday. We've got almost all of our major players, and we're on the doorstep of our mystery. Now it's time to blow the lid off the whole thing and let the circus run wild. I'm excited to let this cat out of the bag. Mostly because it's more like a dozen cats... that are feral... and hungry... and the bag is small. There will no shortage of chaos.
I'm equally excited to lean back into my cherished horror vibes. There's been a touch of terror in all of the Arnstead Chronicles stories. Of the ones publicly available, it's most obvious in Shikaree. The whole third act is just screaming and worse coming to worst. I had oh so much fun working on that. The one follows leans hard into horror starting from act two, much like the current story I'm working on. Nothing quite like a fat gob of palpable tension to give your generic fantasy some life.
Whelp, off to go work on that horror nonsense now. Here's to hoping it pans out as well as it did for story three.
Toodles.
August 14, 2025
Not Dead
Let this get away from me the past couple of weeks. It's just been sitting in the back of my mind, is all. Not much to write about. Progress on the current story has been smooth and consistent. All I've got to say on that front is that characters are developing nicely, getting some edges rounded off.
Other than that, life soldiers on. The daily grind is both daily and grindy. Weight-loss is continuing on a downward trend. Weather has been nice enough to write outside everyday. Just taking things one step at a time.
Other than that, life soldiers on. The daily grind is both daily and grindy. Weight-loss is continuing on a downward trend. Weather has been nice enough to write outside everyday. Just taking things one step at a time.
July 24, 2025
Ding
Had a few of those 'aha!' moments recently. Those little flashes of brilliance where a bullet-point on the storyboard becomes something nuanced and personal. Nothing that drastically changed the course of the story this time. It was a couple little bits. Flavoring. The glue that makes things stick to characters and give them relatable motivation.
I love when those flashes hit. There's never any kind of warning. I could be walking about in the grocery or tidying up the house. Maybe mowing the lawn. Playing a game. Idly walking into a room and forgetting why because of ADHD brain. Then, like a bolt of lightning, I go, "Ah! That thing gets better if it happens like this! Oh, then this makes more sense! And this can happen like that!" Possibly my favorite part of writing. I talk-up storyboarding as a favorite, and initial drafting is a good time too, but those little moments are just *chef's kiss*.
Nothing else too crazy right now. Spellseeker and Shikaree remain dead in the water, but I chalk that mostly up to myself. I don't really have the energy to go out and push the older ones while focusing on the new stuff. Barely have the inclination to start preparing Keeper (one of these days). That'll probably be the next time the old stories get any traction, when the next one comes out. Such is the way of things.
Toodles.
I love when those flashes hit. There's never any kind of warning. I could be walking about in the grocery or tidying up the house. Maybe mowing the lawn. Playing a game. Idly walking into a room and forgetting why because of ADHD brain. Then, like a bolt of lightning, I go, "Ah! That thing gets better if it happens like this! Oh, then this makes more sense! And this can happen like that!" Possibly my favorite part of writing. I talk-up storyboarding as a favorite, and initial drafting is a good time too, but those little moments are just *chef's kiss*.
Nothing else too crazy right now. Spellseeker and Shikaree remain dead in the water, but I chalk that mostly up to myself. I don't really have the energy to go out and push the older ones while focusing on the new stuff. Barely have the inclination to start preparing Keeper (one of these days). That'll probably be the next time the old stories get any traction, when the next one comes out. Such is the way of things.
Toodles.
July 9, 2025
Sweet Relief
And lo! There was AC again, and it was good!
So, yeah, AC is fixed. The whole thing was gobs cheaper than expected, too. Turns out the capacitor for the compressor was dead. The tech swapped it for a new one and everything was good to go. Two-hundred bucks.
Sidebar: I'd like to take a moment to share my appreciation for techs and handyfolk who are as transparent as they are efficient. This fellow was quick, gave good advice, and I haven't had to call the company back to fix-up any loose ends. Those folks give me hope for humanity.
As for book stuff, I'm still plugging away through story seven. Added a few pages to chapter six today and we're already over the hundred-page threshold. That's by MS Word's measurements. The number shrinks when converted to a print manuscript, but it gives a solid picture: this sucker is gonna need some cuts. Especially since I'm eyeing a total of twenty-two chapters. Par for the course at this point, though, so I'm not gonna worry about it while drafting. I'll let my hands do what they do and my brain can sort it out later.
Toodles.
So, yeah, AC is fixed. The whole thing was gobs cheaper than expected, too. Turns out the capacitor for the compressor was dead. The tech swapped it for a new one and everything was good to go. Two-hundred bucks.
Sidebar: I'd like to take a moment to share my appreciation for techs and handyfolk who are as transparent as they are efficient. This fellow was quick, gave good advice, and I haven't had to call the company back to fix-up any loose ends. Those folks give me hope for humanity.
As for book stuff, I'm still plugging away through story seven. Added a few pages to chapter six today and we're already over the hundred-page threshold. That's by MS Word's measurements. The number shrinks when converted to a print manuscript, but it gives a solid picture: this sucker is gonna need some cuts. Especially since I'm eyeing a total of twenty-two chapters. Par for the course at this point, though, so I'm not gonna worry about it while drafting. I'll let my hands do what they do and my brain can sort it out later.
Toodles.
July 2, 2025
Languishing
Ugh, gods... these past couple of weeks have sucked. My AC is staring to show its age. The compressor is struggling to keep up with the heat/humidity for one reason or another. Haven't been able to figure out why. Naturally, this came about at the beginning of a heatwave. Feels like I've been swimming around my house for the last two weeks.
As one might expect, this has made being productive really fucking hard. The consistency of my exercise has tanked hard. June was the first month in quite a while that I gained weight. Not a lot, and I expect fluctuations, but still... kinda like salt in the swampy wound. One of those months where it feels like the whole world is pulling down on my shoulders.
That said, writing has remained mostly consistent. I've still got that bedrock. There's an AC tech scheduled to come out tomorrow and take a look at the situation. Not excited to spend the money, but the prospect of getting back into the swing of things helps temper the sting. As always, there are positives. Just gotta keep my head up so I can see them.
Toodles.
As one might expect, this has made being productive really fucking hard. The consistency of my exercise has tanked hard. June was the first month in quite a while that I gained weight. Not a lot, and I expect fluctuations, but still... kinda like salt in the swampy wound. One of those months where it feels like the whole world is pulling down on my shoulders.
That said, writing has remained mostly consistent. I've still got that bedrock. There's an AC tech scheduled to come out tomorrow and take a look at the situation. Not excited to spend the money, but the prospect of getting back into the swing of things helps temper the sting. As always, there are positives. Just gotta keep my head up so I can see them.
Toodles.
June 18, 2025
Squared
At last, the proof for Spellseeker is in a place where I feel somewhat content. I'm no professional when it comes to editing. There are likely still errors tucked about here and there. My hope, however, is that they're nothing beyond blink-and-you'll-miss-it typos. It should be in good enough condition that anyone coming to it after reading a later book won't be absolutely horrified by the poor quality.
Good news continues with the current story. I'm a few chapters in already and about to knock out the fourth. The story is gaining texture as it hits the page, just as they always have. A rather satisfying feeling. I imagine this is what it feels like when a clothing designer puts their newest creation on a mannequin or model for the first time. You get a sense of what you've constructed actually is.
I've been moving my writing outdoors more often than not. Not for any purpose beyond just being outside more often. It gives me an excuse to go soak in some actual sun, get the warmth of the day in my bones. Sad to think that such behavior requires encouragement, eh? One of the many inconveniences that come with my brain being as shite as it is. That's the negatives, though. The sun is a positive, and I'll stick to it.
Toodles.
Good news continues with the current story. I'm a few chapters in already and about to knock out the fourth. The story is gaining texture as it hits the page, just as they always have. A rather satisfying feeling. I imagine this is what it feels like when a clothing designer puts their newest creation on a mannequin or model for the first time. You get a sense of what you've constructed actually is.
I've been moving my writing outdoors more often than not. Not for any purpose beyond just being outside more often. It gives me an excuse to go soak in some actual sun, get the warmth of the day in my bones. Sad to think that such behavior requires encouragement, eh? One of the many inconveniences that come with my brain being as shite as it is. That's the negatives, though. The sun is a positive, and I'll stick to it.
Toodles.
June 5, 2025
Blech
This week has been a bit of slog. Overcast days almost the whole has had me relying on my sunlamp. It's a useful tool, but not a full replacement. My brain is starting to melt from the lack of sun. Kills my motivation and leaves me in a puddle mental and emotional muck. Hoping it clears up soon. I wanna get outside and cut the grass the first day things clear up. My body needs that sweet, sweet vitamin D.
That said, I have made progress on the next chapter. Not over here slacking off. Writing is the foundation of my routine. If that buckles, it's a sign that I'm really off the deep end and probably need some help getting back up. About to go work on it a bit more actually.
Hoping to have most of my bathroom finished by the end of today, as well. Started work on that back in -checks notes- February. Can't wait to have that done. Having a routine visitor to my house Tuesday, Thursday, and a day on the weekend is taking its toll on me. I'd really like to be left well alone for a while. It'd be nice to just have some quiet for a couple days in a row. Of course, some of that might be the overcast weather speaking through me. It's hard to say sometimes.
Toodles.
That said, I have made progress on the next chapter. Not over here slacking off. Writing is the foundation of my routine. If that buckles, it's a sign that I'm really off the deep end and probably need some help getting back up. About to go work on it a bit more actually.
Hoping to have most of my bathroom finished by the end of today, as well. Started work on that back in -checks notes- February. Can't wait to have that done. Having a routine visitor to my house Tuesday, Thursday, and a day on the weekend is taking its toll on me. I'd really like to be left well alone for a while. It'd be nice to just have some quiet for a couple days in a row. Of course, some of that might be the overcast weather speaking through me. It's hard to say sometimes.
Toodles.
May 28, 2025
One Down
First chapter for story seven is done. Glad to be back on the boat and reeling in the satisfaction that comes from completion. I'd planned to make the intro a little more bombastic. When I got to where action would ensue, however, it felt correct to take a more somber and thoughtful approach. It'll reflect on the ending much better. Given I didn't have hard plans for the ending when I started, small changes like this will probably happen throughout.
So, turns out that the second completed draft from the Spellseeker publisher was... not that. It was an email saying they could not see changes, and requesting for a separate document. Apparently using 'track changes' is too difficult for some people. I pointed them toward the function and await their reply. Hopefully I'm not gonna have to go through transfer everything to a separate word doc. The sheer amount of laziness on display here is appalling.
As for the world outside writing, my gamer senses are tingling. Elden Ring: Nightreign hits the market tomorrow. The number of hours I'll end up spending in that game will likely border on embarrassing. Can't help myself. Love a good Souls game, and ducking into the co-op is a favorite pastime. Time to go help some scrubs kill bosses!
Toodles.
So, turns out that the second completed draft from the Spellseeker publisher was... not that. It was an email saying they could not see changes, and requesting for a separate document. Apparently using 'track changes' is too difficult for some people. I pointed them toward the function and await their reply. Hopefully I'm not gonna have to go through transfer everything to a separate word doc. The sheer amount of laziness on display here is appalling.
As for the world outside writing, my gamer senses are tingling. Elden Ring: Nightreign hits the market tomorrow. The number of hours I'll end up spending in that game will likely border on embarrassing. Can't help myself. Love a good Souls game, and ducking into the co-op is a favorite pastime. Time to go help some scrubs kill bosses!
Toodles.
May 22, 2025
Once Again
Feels good to be writing new prose again. The anxiety I mentioned previously (what I feel when starting a fresh project) was surprisingly short-lived this time. I think the myriad hours spent tweaking story number six had me wound a little too tight. Scratching the surface of story seven is like a pleasant release. I know where to go, I know how I'm gonna get there, and I'm excited to see it done. Simple as that.
As for Spellseeker, the publisher got back to me about my second round of requested changes. Looks like I have yet another weekend of comparing documents before me. Joy of all joys. My absolute, most favoritest way to spend my time. Golly gee willikers. That was all terribly convincing, right? I don't need to sell that any harder? Good... because I won't.
Not too much else going on besides. Almost done renovating my bathroom. It'll be nice to not have to walk down stairs in the middle of the night anymore (hooray for early-onset old person body). The colors are all coming together quite nicely, as well. A mellow beige with a mossy-green accent wall. Shower and floor are similar shades of mottled gray. Should be a very peaceful space. With any luck, that'll be done before the month is out.
Toodles.
As for Spellseeker, the publisher got back to me about my second round of requested changes. Looks like I have yet another weekend of comparing documents before me. Joy of all joys. My absolute, most favoritest way to spend my time. Golly gee willikers. That was all terribly convincing, right? I don't need to sell that any harder? Good... because I won't.
Not too much else going on besides. Almost done renovating my bathroom. It'll be nice to not have to walk down stairs in the middle of the night anymore (hooray for early-onset old person body). The colors are all coming together quite nicely, as well. A mellow beige with a mossy-green accent wall. Shower and floor are similar shades of mottled gray. Should be a very peaceful space. With any luck, that'll be done before the month is out.
Toodles.
