Stephen Drivick's Blog - Posts Tagged "sometimes-we-ran-4"
Add Another Laptop to my Museum of Broken Stuff
I pressed the rectangular power switch on my trusty, five-year-old HP Pavilion laptop, and sat back waiting for the familiar home screen to show up.
But nothing happened. Just a black screen stared back at me.
The drive began making some strange noises. CLICK...CLICK...CLICK...Whrrrrrr. Sounds expensive.
After several start attempts with the same ugly noises and the same black screen, I suspected my electronic writing buddy was dead. I panicked, then put my forehead on the cheap, folding table that passes for my desk.
“My book is on there. Oh crap...I mean my books.” Sometimes We Ran 1,2,and 3 are all stored on the hard drive, resting comfortably. They sit there along with all my other scribbles taking up disk space. “What the hell am I going to do?” I cried.
After trying a few more fixes that regressed into shouting at the poor sick computer, I pronounced it deceased. It was time for a new laptop. So, I did what everybody does when they need some new electronics. I dialed up Amazon.com. :)
And that's where the problems began. Amazon has – I think – a million and a half pages full of new laptops. My eyes glazed, and my back ached as I paged through dozens of comparisons. Besides needing a computer that handled word documents, I needed one that could run CAD software as well. This means more RAM and a higher end processor. The search became complicated.
It seemed like hours later, but I finally settled on a new model... An ASUS 2 in 1 flip with 8GB of RAM (remember the CAD!), 500 GB(!) hard drive, and a new Intel I5 processor. It ran Windows 8.1 when I bought it, but updated to 10 a week after setup. So far, it has worked out great. The little ASUS is quiet, quick, and boots up fast. The keyboard even flips around, and it becomes a giant (13.3”) Windows 10 tablet. Pretty cool. Hopefully, Sometimes We Ran 4 will get back on track. :)
There is one thing I took away from all this, and it's very important. Back up your work on a daily basis. Luckily, I made a backup of all my files from the old computer, so it was just a matter of plugging it into the new machine. If you write on a laptop, grab a couple of USB drives and back up your masterpiece. Two times on two separate drives if possible. Set up cloud storage with Google Drive, Dropbox, or whoever Apple uses. Throw a copy in there as well. You'll thank me when your laptop starts making those expensive noises. :)
Till next time, friends.
But nothing happened. Just a black screen stared back at me.
The drive began making some strange noises. CLICK...CLICK...CLICK...Whrrrrrr. Sounds expensive.
After several start attempts with the same ugly noises and the same black screen, I suspected my electronic writing buddy was dead. I panicked, then put my forehead on the cheap, folding table that passes for my desk.
“My book is on there. Oh crap...I mean my books.” Sometimes We Ran 1,2,and 3 are all stored on the hard drive, resting comfortably. They sit there along with all my other scribbles taking up disk space. “What the hell am I going to do?” I cried.
After trying a few more fixes that regressed into shouting at the poor sick computer, I pronounced it deceased. It was time for a new laptop. So, I did what everybody does when they need some new electronics. I dialed up Amazon.com. :)
And that's where the problems began. Amazon has – I think – a million and a half pages full of new laptops. My eyes glazed, and my back ached as I paged through dozens of comparisons. Besides needing a computer that handled word documents, I needed one that could run CAD software as well. This means more RAM and a higher end processor. The search became complicated.
It seemed like hours later, but I finally settled on a new model... An ASUS 2 in 1 flip with 8GB of RAM (remember the CAD!), 500 GB(!) hard drive, and a new Intel I5 processor. It ran Windows 8.1 when I bought it, but updated to 10 a week after setup. So far, it has worked out great. The little ASUS is quiet, quick, and boots up fast. The keyboard even flips around, and it becomes a giant (13.3”) Windows 10 tablet. Pretty cool. Hopefully, Sometimes We Ran 4 will get back on track. :)
There is one thing I took away from all this, and it's very important. Back up your work on a daily basis. Luckily, I made a backup of all my files from the old computer, so it was just a matter of plugging it into the new machine. If you write on a laptop, grab a couple of USB drives and back up your masterpiece. Two times on two separate drives if possible. Set up cloud storage with Google Drive, Dropbox, or whoever Apple uses. Throw a copy in there as well. You'll thank me when your laptop starts making those expensive noises. :)
Till next time, friends.
From Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival
Warning: This is a passage from a rough draft. Not responsible for misspellings, plot holes, odd phrases, or extra cursing.
I was tiring. My old body was giving up. I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Scaly, smelly arms reached between the bars. They wrapped around Sam's neck, chest, shoulders, and even his clean-shaven chin. He cried out again, starting to panic. All the Red-Eyes remaining outside our home were engaged now. They crowded in seeking a meal of tasty flesh. They poked their evil faces into the bars, twisting the slack mouths of the dead into nightmare grins. The sound of jaws snapping drowned out the cries and screams of the living. I let Sam go, and fired my gun into the crowd. The hollow points I loaded this morning destroyed the skulls of the nearest Red-Eyes, but they just kept coming. The red eyes of the attackers glowed in the shadow of the gate. Sam's arm twisted, and their was a horrible crunching noise. I closed my eyes.
I knew what that sound meant. I had heard it too many times before.
With one final heave, we pulled Sam from the gate. It happened so quickly, we wound up on our backs on the hard asphalt. Sam rolled over onto his knees, then stood up. I got to my feet. There was something I had to do.
It wasn't clear at first if Sam was even hurt. He turned around, and said, “I'm okay....I'm okay.”
I looked at the ground beneath Sam's feet. A few drops of blood hit his shoes, then it became a torrent. Sam raised his left hand. Where his two middle fingers should have been, was now a bite wound almost past his knuckle. It was bleeding like a fountain, but that was the least of his troubles.
Sam began to scream, grabbing his hand in agony. We all froze in terror, knowing what was coming next. Claire tried to go to him, but I stopped her.
Sam walked along the gate, wailing at his destroyed hand. The bleeding was actually slowing down, but that was not a good sign. We followed along waiting for the next step. Maybe he wouldn't turn. Maybe not enough parasites had transferred to his blood to complete the process.
Maybe.
Sam turned towards us, left hand held up. “Look,” he said, tears showing in his eyes. “I'm okay … really, I'm okay. It's not going to happen.”
Something like a cramp racked his body, and he fell to the ground. The screaming was getting worse and louder. Sam grabbed his head, and let out a scream that raised goosebumps. He put his head on the ground, and his breathing started to rasp. Sam was dying.
I walked over, and pointed my gun at the back of Sam's head. He reached out, and touched my foot. “I'm okay,” he said in a raspy tone. He looked up at me. Sam's eyes were almost vibrating, and turning a deep maroon color. His lips and skin were going pale and lifeless,.His breathing was coming in ragged gulps. “I'm okay,” Sam said again, in a voice barely above a whisper.
I pulled the trigger, and Sam fell, face first to the asphalt. His arms outstretched like he was begging for help. Blood and brain matter leaked into the street. I kept the gun trained on the corpse to make sure the job was finished. The defenders of Cannon Field stood around me in silence. Even the dead outside the gate went quiet in witness of my act of mercy.
Sam, or the living corpse of Sam, wasn't quite done yet.
I'll finish it soon, guys. I swear. :)
I was tiring. My old body was giving up. I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Scaly, smelly arms reached between the bars. They wrapped around Sam's neck, chest, shoulders, and even his clean-shaven chin. He cried out again, starting to panic. All the Red-Eyes remaining outside our home were engaged now. They crowded in seeking a meal of tasty flesh. They poked their evil faces into the bars, twisting the slack mouths of the dead into nightmare grins. The sound of jaws snapping drowned out the cries and screams of the living. I let Sam go, and fired my gun into the crowd. The hollow points I loaded this morning destroyed the skulls of the nearest Red-Eyes, but they just kept coming. The red eyes of the attackers glowed in the shadow of the gate. Sam's arm twisted, and their was a horrible crunching noise. I closed my eyes.
I knew what that sound meant. I had heard it too many times before.
With one final heave, we pulled Sam from the gate. It happened so quickly, we wound up on our backs on the hard asphalt. Sam rolled over onto his knees, then stood up. I got to my feet. There was something I had to do.
It wasn't clear at first if Sam was even hurt. He turned around, and said, “I'm okay....I'm okay.”
I looked at the ground beneath Sam's feet. A few drops of blood hit his shoes, then it became a torrent. Sam raised his left hand. Where his two middle fingers should have been, was now a bite wound almost past his knuckle. It was bleeding like a fountain, but that was the least of his troubles.
Sam began to scream, grabbing his hand in agony. We all froze in terror, knowing what was coming next. Claire tried to go to him, but I stopped her.
Sam walked along the gate, wailing at his destroyed hand. The bleeding was actually slowing down, but that was not a good sign. We followed along waiting for the next step. Maybe he wouldn't turn. Maybe not enough parasites had transferred to his blood to complete the process.
Maybe.
Sam turned towards us, left hand held up. “Look,” he said, tears showing in his eyes. “I'm okay … really, I'm okay. It's not going to happen.”
Something like a cramp racked his body, and he fell to the ground. The screaming was getting worse and louder. Sam grabbed his head, and let out a scream that raised goosebumps. He put his head on the ground, and his breathing started to rasp. Sam was dying.
I walked over, and pointed my gun at the back of Sam's head. He reached out, and touched my foot. “I'm okay,” he said in a raspy tone. He looked up at me. Sam's eyes were almost vibrating, and turning a deep maroon color. His lips and skin were going pale and lifeless,.His breathing was coming in ragged gulps. “I'm okay,” Sam said again, in a voice barely above a whisper.
I pulled the trigger, and Sam fell, face first to the asphalt. His arms outstretched like he was begging for help. Blood and brain matter leaked into the street. I kept the gun trained on the corpse to make sure the job was finished. The defenders of Cannon Field stood around me in silence. Even the dead outside the gate went quiet in witness of my act of mercy.
Sam, or the living corpse of Sam, wasn't quite done yet.
I'll finish it soon, guys. I swear. :)
A Little Something from Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival
Here's something from Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival Not responsible for any plot holes, bad words, or terrible grammar - it's very rough. :)
"As Lisa got into the clear, the zombie that was on his feet began to move. It caught our scent on the rain-dampened air, and turned to strike. Lisa, trying to keep our approach as quiet as possible, drew her knife. She stood, knees bent, watching the parking lot Red-Eye come to within arms length. Swinging the sharp blade in an upward arc, Lisa caught the zombie in the chest. She opened a huge gash all the way to it’s chin. The Red-Eye screamed in surprise and pain, then fell to the asphalt. Lisa didn’t kill it, but it was out of action. The Red-Eye was now on the ground, swimming in it’s own body fluids. We could move on to the bank.
Lisa turned. She had gotten too close, and experienced some blowback from the Red-Eyes’s grievous wounds. The creature’s blood, black as oil, was splattered across her shirt and up into her face. Lisa wiped it from her cheeks and neck. “Lovely,” she said.
“Like a baptism,” I said, handing her a fresh handkerchief.
A high-pitched squeal came from behind us. Lisa and I turned just in time to see another parking lot Red-Eye hit the ground with a bad knife wound. Ben and Big Tommy gave me a thumbs up after the kill.
“We better get inside before something murders us out here,” I said. No one argued. We quickly got into a single file, and got to the bank door on the double."
I'll finish it soon...I promise. :)
"As Lisa got into the clear, the zombie that was on his feet began to move. It caught our scent on the rain-dampened air, and turned to strike. Lisa, trying to keep our approach as quiet as possible, drew her knife. She stood, knees bent, watching the parking lot Red-Eye come to within arms length. Swinging the sharp blade in an upward arc, Lisa caught the zombie in the chest. She opened a huge gash all the way to it’s chin. The Red-Eye screamed in surprise and pain, then fell to the asphalt. Lisa didn’t kill it, but it was out of action. The Red-Eye was now on the ground, swimming in it’s own body fluids. We could move on to the bank.
Lisa turned. She had gotten too close, and experienced some blowback from the Red-Eyes’s grievous wounds. The creature’s blood, black as oil, was splattered across her shirt and up into her face. Lisa wiped it from her cheeks and neck. “Lovely,” she said.
“Like a baptism,” I said, handing her a fresh handkerchief.
A high-pitched squeal came from behind us. Lisa and I turned just in time to see another parking lot Red-Eye hit the ground with a bad knife wound. Ben and Big Tommy gave me a thumbs up after the kill.
“We better get inside before something murders us out here,” I said. No one argued. We quickly got into a single file, and got to the bank door on the double."
I'll finish it soon...I promise. :)
I swear....I Didn't Know it Was Going to be This Long
Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival began just like the other three books. A couple of scenes strung together towards a good ending. But then something happened.
It got big.
I wrote and just kept on writing until I had a huge book. Could not believe how much I managed to write. I read through it and took out some things I didn't need or didn't contribute to the story. The result was a still pretty large but more manageable book. At least the ebook version was anyway.
When I got my print copies in the mail, the package seemed to have a weight to it. I took out the copy, and it was a huge print copy. I thought at least people are going to get a lot of story for their money. :)
Hard to believe that was three years ago. To celebrate that fact, Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival the Kindle ebook is going down to .99 cents until New Year's Day. For that price, that is a lot of story for the money.
Check it out on Amazon along with the rest of the series. And as always, Merry Christmas, Zombie Fans.
It got big.
I wrote and just kept on writing until I had a huge book. Could not believe how much I managed to write. I read through it and took out some things I didn't need or didn't contribute to the story. The result was a still pretty large but more manageable book. At least the ebook version was anyway.
When I got my print copies in the mail, the package seemed to have a weight to it. I took out the copy, and it was a huge print copy. I thought at least people are going to get a lot of story for their money. :)
Hard to believe that was three years ago. To celebrate that fact, Sometimes We Ran 4: Survival the Kindle ebook is going down to .99 cents until New Year's Day. For that price, that is a lot of story for the money.
Check it out on Amazon along with the rest of the series. And as always, Merry Christmas, Zombie Fans.
