M.J. Oelkers's Blog, page 3
February 20, 2025
Ouch (Again)
Dunno if it's the stress lately or if I kinked my hip pillow after washing its cover a few days ago, but my back has been pissed these last couple of nights. Having trouble getting to sleep and staying that way. Woke up at like 5:30 this morning and never really managed to get back under. Been good about my insomnia meds, too. Hoping it's just something about the hip pillow. Ordered a different one that should get here tomorrow. Oh, and I think there's a sliver buried in my thumb from deck work last, so that's fun too.
Revisions are a better story. I got through a chapter in two days, and I can't remember the last time with this book that I've been able to blaze like that. Finally to a point where the changes required to the text are minimal. Of course I've made a little more work for myself, so it won't be perfectly calm seas. Probably not finishing it by the end of February unless I strap an outboard motor to my ass, either, but the end is in sight at last.
Glad for that, too, because pieces for the next story are starting to play nicely. Motives are making more sense. Gonna grab a few characters we haven't seen in a while for a surprising amount of screen time. I'm really looking forward to that one. Another fact that I'm thankful for, as it almost felt like a chore when I realized I wanted to do it. The story should make for a good final run-up to the last in the series. And oh boy has that final book been cooking in my head for years! I'm so excited that it's almost in reach.
This is where I quickly and quietly say I haven't touched Spellseeker revisions in a while because drawing is way more fun.
Toodles.
Revisions are a better story. I got through a chapter in two days, and I can't remember the last time with this book that I've been able to blaze like that. Finally to a point where the changes required to the text are minimal. Of course I've made a little more work for myself, so it won't be perfectly calm seas. Probably not finishing it by the end of February unless I strap an outboard motor to my ass, either, but the end is in sight at last.
Glad for that, too, because pieces for the next story are starting to play nicely. Motives are making more sense. Gonna grab a few characters we haven't seen in a while for a surprising amount of screen time. I'm really looking forward to that one. Another fact that I'm thankful for, as it almost felt like a chore when I realized I wanted to do it. The story should make for a good final run-up to the last in the series. And oh boy has that final book been cooking in my head for years! I'm so excited that it's almost in reach.
This is where I quickly and quietly say I haven't touched Spellseeker revisions in a while because drawing is way more fun.
Toodles.
February 12, 2025
Studies
Got the results for my sleep study back the other day. Fellow read me some statistics over the phone, said I had moderate sleep apnea, then immediately tried to sell me a CPAP. Okay, hold your horses. I've got questions. And those questions led to the tech admitting that home tests are not always reliable. Which led me to reading about home tests, their intended purpose, and their fail points. Needless to say, I will be speaking to my primary about my concerns before buy some piece of thousand-dollar medical equipment that might solve a problem I may have. Bloody absurd.
Revision efficiency has been a little spotty this past week. Between working on the bathroom and screening the deck, my routine had been suffering. The work is gonna be paused for a few weeks now, though, so things should pick back up here in the next few days. Thank the gods for that. I always get antsy when my routine is scuffed for too long. Has always made things like vacations as much a chore as they are relief. Such is the way of the anxiety brain, I suppose.
Toodles.
Revision efficiency has been a little spotty this past week. Between working on the bathroom and screening the deck, my routine had been suffering. The work is gonna be paused for a few weeks now, though, so things should pick back up here in the next few days. Thank the gods for that. I always get antsy when my routine is scuffed for too long. Has always made things like vacations as much a chore as they are relief. Such is the way of the anxiety brain, I suppose.
Toodles.
February 5, 2025
Tired
Pardon my french, but sleepy studies can suck my entire asshole. Shove some plugs up your nose, strap a plastic brick your chest, wear a shirt, clamp a monitor to your fingertip. It was the clamp that really got me. Thing legitimately started to hurt after a while, which made it nearly impossible to fall asleep. Was like a night without my insomnia meds. I'm sure the data yielded from this test will be exceptionally useful and totally worth the shitty night and the shite day to follow (today).
Had my blood pressure appointment, if that wasn't already clear. The staff were on the same page as me. Numbers ain't great. I already have most of the lifestyle suggestions down. They mainly said I should eat more potassium (bought bananas on the way home) and reduce salt in processed foods. Second bit is easier said than done. I am gonna try, though, which is why my house smells like yeast. Taking a crack at homemade bread as my first cut. Hopefully it turns out well.
Story six continues to do its thing. I was hoping to get some work done it today, but lethargy often leads to apathy. Thanks, sleep study. I'll see if I can't get through at least a page or two after I'm done with the bread. I've enjoyed my time with this one, but it's been a long time. I'm feeling ready to move onto what comes next.
Toodles.
Had my blood pressure appointment, if that wasn't already clear. The staff were on the same page as me. Numbers ain't great. I already have most of the lifestyle suggestions down. They mainly said I should eat more potassium (bought bananas on the way home) and reduce salt in processed foods. Second bit is easier said than done. I am gonna try, though, which is why my house smells like yeast. Taking a crack at homemade bread as my first cut. Hopefully it turns out well.
Story six continues to do its thing. I was hoping to get some work done it today, but lethargy often leads to apathy. Thanks, sleep study. I'll see if I can't get through at least a page or two after I'm done with the bread. I've enjoyed my time with this one, but it's been a long time. I'm feeling ready to move onto what comes next.
Toodles.
January 29, 2025
Anxious
Got that pressure right behind my face. Comes whenever something irregular happens or I've got a big something coming up. Tomorrow, as it happens, is the first time I'm visiting a doctor specifically to talk about blood pressure. I was clued into it being not so great about a year ago, but I didn't have the mental bandwidth to deal with it at the time. Finally started tracking my blood pressure regularly last month and found my averages put me right on the line of hypertension 2. This appointment is to address that and my nerves reflect the gravity. Here's to hoping it's not as a big a deal as my anxiety brains wants to picture.
On the brighter side, revisions on story six continue to go along swimmingly. I have two chapters left that need to deal with the location change I've mentioned in previous updates. Sailing should be a bit more smooth once I get past that barrier. There will be a few minor tweaks to the action that follows, but nothing as major as shifting several chapters that take place in a house over a hotel on the other side of town. A lot less back bending. The page count has also gotten back down to a more manageable level, as well. All goes well on that front.
While my progress on reproofing Spellseeker has not improved by leaps and bounds, it HAS improved. I got through two since my last post instead of one. The writing does get a bit better as the story goes on. It highlights me getting more comfortable with long-form writing as I went along. Spellseeker was the first, after all.
Toodles.
On the brighter side, revisions on story six continue to go along swimmingly. I have two chapters left that need to deal with the location change I've mentioned in previous updates. Sailing should be a bit more smooth once I get past that barrier. There will be a few minor tweaks to the action that follows, but nothing as major as shifting several chapters that take place in a house over a hotel on the other side of town. A lot less back bending. The page count has also gotten back down to a more manageable level, as well. All goes well on that front.
While my progress on reproofing Spellseeker has not improved by leaps and bounds, it HAS improved. I got through two since my last post instead of one. The writing does get a bit better as the story goes on. It highlights me getting more comfortable with long-form writing as I went along. Spellseeker was the first, after all.
Toodles.
January 22, 2025
Better Week
Most of the funk from last week is gone, between the natural passing of time and some extra work around the house. Who doesn't love winter? Those sneaky depression windows have a way of sneaking up on you when the trees are dead and the sky is gray. No use in dwelling on it, though. Onward and upward.
Been making good progress on story six. Two chapters that accounted for fifty-plus pages of text got trimmed down to a single, thirty-four page chapter. A little bit of that trim felt painful. There were descriptive passages that got kicked to wayside in favor of hitting a scene change early. Nothing plot-relevant, though, so it's really just embellishment at the end of the day. Someone reading the story for the first time would be none the wiser.
Managed to make a little more headway in proofing Spellseeker, as well. Not as much as I would like. There's still a substantial chunk (read: most of it) to get through. I think I might've worked out a good system to help me push through. Every other day I'll try to blast through a chapter. On the odd days? I've begun drawing again! For the first time since middle school, I've spent several hour-long sessions with pencil in hand. It's ass, mind you, but twenty years away will do that to you. I'm hoping that juggling the two tasks will help keep things fresh.
Toodles.
Been making good progress on story six. Two chapters that accounted for fifty-plus pages of text got trimmed down to a single, thirty-four page chapter. A little bit of that trim felt painful. There were descriptive passages that got kicked to wayside in favor of hitting a scene change early. Nothing plot-relevant, though, so it's really just embellishment at the end of the day. Someone reading the story for the first time would be none the wiser.
Managed to make a little more headway in proofing Spellseeker, as well. Not as much as I would like. There's still a substantial chunk (read: most of it) to get through. I think I might've worked out a good system to help me push through. Every other day I'll try to blast through a chapter. On the odd days? I've begun drawing again! For the first time since middle school, I've spent several hour-long sessions with pencil in hand. It's ass, mind you, but twenty years away will do that to you. I'm hoping that juggling the two tasks will help keep things fresh.
Toodles.
January 15, 2025
January 10, 2025
Snow Day
Every year when it snows, I tell myself I'm going to buy a snow shovel and some preventative salt. Every year, ADHD brain pushes that thought to the non-priority queue. The shovel and salt never gets bought. That is why I spent two hours yesterday clearing my driveway with a rake. Yes, you read that correctly, and let me tell you my body is alive with the sound of agony. Holy sore muscles, Batman.
That lovely bit of trivia aside, proofing for Spellseeker is, uh... not moving swiftly. I've struggled to really dive into that work since my initial push. The prose gets a bit better after the first few chapters, but still not to what I'd describe as overall enjoyable. Oh the things we learn when we look backward in time. I'll get it done eventually, as I'm not reading anyone else's work until this is done. There are a couple books sitting on a shelf right above my computer monitor to serve as gentle encouragement.
Work on story number six is not suffering from any such difficulty. I'm officially two-thirds of the way through the thing. While I told myself things would get less intensive as I went along, the chapter I just finished was almost completely rewritten by time I was done. My initial thought when looking at the next two chapters was, "Can I crunch this down to one chapter?" Fairly certain I'll be going back to chapter four for a few touch-ups, as well, but those will be the only additional retroactive changes. I'm otherwise happy with what's been corrected so far. Here's to hoping I can knock this out by the end of January!
Toodles.
That lovely bit of trivia aside, proofing for Spellseeker is, uh... not moving swiftly. I've struggled to really dive into that work since my initial push. The prose gets a bit better after the first few chapters, but still not to what I'd describe as overall enjoyable. Oh the things we learn when we look backward in time. I'll get it done eventually, as I'm not reading anyone else's work until this is done. There are a couple books sitting on a shelf right above my computer monitor to serve as gentle encouragement.
Work on story number six is not suffering from any such difficulty. I'm officially two-thirds of the way through the thing. While I told myself things would get less intensive as I went along, the chapter I just finished was almost completely rewritten by time I was done. My initial thought when looking at the next two chapters was, "Can I crunch this down to one chapter?" Fairly certain I'll be going back to chapter four for a few touch-ups, as well, but those will be the only additional retroactive changes. I'm otherwise happy with what's been corrected so far. Here's to hoping I can knock this out by the end of January!
Toodles.
January 2, 2025
New Year
And here we are, a glistening new year just waiting to be defaced and spoiled like all the rest! I'm only bitter because I had a hangover yesterday. Had been years since my last one, and this served as a proper reminder of why I drink for taste rather than to get drunk. Here's to hoping this reminder sticks for several years to come.
Got a delightful little notification from LibraryThing. Some of the people who won their December batch for Early Reviewers had selected Shikaree as one of their books to receive. Three, to be exact. Got those copies emailed to the winners today. Had a few winners back in October, as well, and one of those users had already left an amicable review. Here's to hoping the other five folks enjoy their time!
Revisions continue to go well for story six. I was extremely thankful for the opportunity to rip 10-15 pages out between two chapters. It was getting to the point where the revision copy was longer than the original draft, and this help put me back under the bar. We're sitting right around 650 pages in Word right now. Here's to hoping I can find a few more good candidates to tear out and bin.
And finally, here's to hoping I don't type the phrase "here's to hoping" again for the next handful of posts.
Toodles.
Got a delightful little notification from LibraryThing. Some of the people who won their December batch for Early Reviewers had selected Shikaree as one of their books to receive. Three, to be exact. Got those copies emailed to the winners today. Had a few winners back in October, as well, and one of those users had already left an amicable review. Here's to hoping the other five folks enjoy their time!
Revisions continue to go well for story six. I was extremely thankful for the opportunity to rip 10-15 pages out between two chapters. It was getting to the point where the revision copy was longer than the original draft, and this help put me back under the bar. We're sitting right around 650 pages in Word right now. Here's to hoping I can find a few more good candidates to tear out and bin.
And finally, here's to hoping I don't type the phrase "here's to hoping" again for the next handful of posts.
Toodles.
December 26, 2024
Holidays
Happy holidays to all the rest, whichever one or more you celebrate. Hopefully it is/was a time full of cheer and relaxation. The party train has largely concluded on my end. I'm glad for the break, as I always need time to recharge my social battery after a marathon of get-togethers. My brain was not built for non-stop social interaction.
Speaking of things my brain wasn't built for... man is it not fun going back through Spellseeker. I'm finding it genuinely difficult to convince myself to work on the proofing. It's just... not fun to read. I don't find myself enjoying the work like I did with Shikaree. Part of me wants to take it as an opportunity to recognize my growth as a writer. A far louder part wants to simply rag on what was. Anxiety brain sure is a lovely thing, isn't it?
Oh well. I'll do my best to stick to it. Revisions on story six continue to progress smoothly, so it's not all bad news. I'm hoping to have that done before the end of January. After that I'll be diving into revisions for story three, Keeper. Excited to get my filthy little claws back into that one. It's of my favorites from the whole collection.
Toodles.
Speaking of things my brain wasn't built for... man is it not fun going back through Spellseeker. I'm finding it genuinely difficult to convince myself to work on the proofing. It's just... not fun to read. I don't find myself enjoying the work like I did with Shikaree. Part of me wants to take it as an opportunity to recognize my growth as a writer. A far louder part wants to simply rag on what was. Anxiety brain sure is a lovely thing, isn't it?
Oh well. I'll do my best to stick to it. Revisions on story six continue to progress smoothly, so it's not all bad news. I'm hoping to have that done before the end of January. After that I'll be diving into revisions for story three, Keeper. Excited to get my filthy little claws back into that one. It's of my favorites from the whole collection.
Toodles.
December 18, 2024
Insert Clever Title
Another week without much to add. Revisions for story six continue to progress. It feels almost like a whole new book at this point. Between these changes and the audiobook work for Shikaree, this will be the largest gap between finished drafts to date. Over a year! I choose to view this as a sign of quality and will entertain none of the invasive alternatives.
Finished the book I was currently reading, The Bright Sword, so now I'm back to proofing Spellseeker. Gods above, the temptation to make content edits is strong. I want to get into the weeds and improve the language. Rip out poor imagery and redundant passages. Perhaps I'll create a second edition at some point down the line. That would require me to get publishing rights back, I assume, so that's a way-down-the-line-or-possibly-never sort of deal.
Outside the realm of literature, I'm excited for the year's end. Mostly because I enjoy seeing my weight continue to drop year-over-year. I was about 265 when I started my journey. At the end of November, I measured 216. Hoping I can get another or pound or two this month to round out the year. We love attainable goals around here.
Toodles.
Finished the book I was currently reading, The Bright Sword, so now I'm back to proofing Spellseeker. Gods above, the temptation to make content edits is strong. I want to get into the weeds and improve the language. Rip out poor imagery and redundant passages. Perhaps I'll create a second edition at some point down the line. That would require me to get publishing rights back, I assume, so that's a way-down-the-line-or-possibly-never sort of deal.
Outside the realm of literature, I'm excited for the year's end. Mostly because I enjoy seeing my weight continue to drop year-over-year. I was about 265 when I started my journey. At the end of November, I measured 216. Hoping I can get another or pound or two this month to round out the year. We love attainable goals around here.
Toodles.
