20251014
[As usual, three weeks lag here, if you aren’t reading this on my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/blazeward). If you’d like your news fresher, and the monthly Anti-Stodgy/Redneck Chef newsletter, all I ask is a buck to help keep the lights on around here.]
Good morning and welcome to the sideshow. Or something.
Scattered Tribes 3 is just about done. 67K of an expected 70-75, and I’ll finish it tomorrow, probably. We’re in the denouements anyway, so wrapping up. Still feels like 5 books, so this was the emotional halfway point, focused almost entirely on one team of major players with only hints from the other two. Book 4 will flip that, as major team gets back to civilization and those other two story lines (plus two more) move to a collision point that is the climax of 4 and most of 5.
I will say that I worked backwards from the end of the series when planning it. I know how it resolves, and it will even be obvious in retrospect, because I have been able to plant foreshadowing seeds along the way, with just enough ambiguity that you have to think about it to see how it’s going to go.
And I plan a long essay when I get there, so you folks are prepared for the two major literary starting points I used as inspiration, but I honestly want you getting to the end, so that essay might not be published until the month after book 5 comes out.
Counting coup, as it were. But you people should know me by now.
After 3, I need to finish off Ollie. First Reader report confirms that I need to tack another chunk of story on the back, either as book 5 or writing a next act. Going to start rereading 4 possibly tonight (take a couple of days) so I’m ready when I get there.
Also have been working on a new Action-Thriller project. Early in the research phase and already have two unrelated files built. Dunno if folks will read it, because while I have a lot of SF fans, the Action-Thriller stuff is less known. That’s all the things in Thrill Ride Magazine, plus spin-offs, so Chace Haig, Boston, Swordmistress Zhen, and a few more. Mostly, it’s the Red Branch novels. Got four out and two more written. Doing research for what will be #7, but also considering a few spin-off shorts to explore things and seed distributors.
I enjoy historical research, which is why I have fun writing this stuff. Modern can be fun as well, but I read a lot of history in various eras, and have always done that. Tang China predates the Swordmistress by decades, but I didn’t have anything to do with that knowledge. Same with all the Kremlinology and Sinology from college (late ’80s).
Gonna be more.
Anti-Stodgy/Redneck Chef News tomorrow. Been up to no good, but again, that shouldn’t surprise you one damned bit.
Not a lot past that. Nice day for the first time in a week, so probably winterize the mower this afternoon. Rainy season will be in force, so last night was the last night of dojo on the river bank and we’ll be back indoors next week. Sensei is having a green belt test for folks at the end of the month (I already have green, working on brown at this point, timeline unknown) so we’re focusing on getting everyone ready for that.
Hope your week is going pretty good.
shade and sweet water,
b
West of the Mountains, WA
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