Category: christianity

Threshold

Putting aside our visual novel, OTChi Kocchi, it was NaNoWriMo that taught me to be a novelist.  I am utterly wedded to the idea of irrational deadlines; were I not, nothing would ever get finished.  This entry of Nichole5’s second book would put me just over the 50k limit demanded by NNRM, were I playing along.

That’s all well and good, but I need the Nation across the Cascades, beating the cannibals, betrayed by the Special Police, and burning Portland.  In two weeks.  Dang.  The best I can hope for is either a mild heart attack that sidelines me from my DayJob, or a meteor hits the place, with the same affect.

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Stretching Home

I really need to find a doctor or NP.  My drinking has lead to liver disease or cirrhosis.  Not that I’ll stop drinking until N5 v2 is complete, but I’d like to know exactly what’s wrong with me:  even with Metoprolol, my BP is up, I get tired easily, lose my balance in the mornings, and my right under my ribs hurts.

In the mean time, Nichole starts her tour.  This segment touches on her school fellows and puts Nancy in a can.  We’ll be back to Zom’s for dinner – have to fit Joe in somewhere as he’s a part of the second to last scene of Part 3… a fighting retreat.  Honestly, I don’t actually see him die…  Tomorrow should be a good day for writing.  If you’re inclined, pray for me*.  I’d appreciate it.

*For the stories, not my health.  I’m gonna die regardless… need to get these out!

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Modeling Clay

No, that’s not a pun on my given name.  Just where we’re headed.  A solid, two days work below the fold.  My boss has been gone for two days – a working vacation, as I call it – so I do not arrive home exhausted and shocky.  Here’s some theology, politics, and conversation.  With a few surprise reveals.  I think after a couple of thousand word this weekend, I’ll be finished with Part 2 and ready to wrap everything up in 3.

On Sunday, September 16th, the missus & I will be seeing Gary Numan in Columbus, Ohio.  I hear he plays “Down in the Park” in this tour.  How very appropriate.

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“All of Alcohol is divided into three parts…”

Probably sounds better in Latin.  Which makes an appearance in the last few lines of this update.

Saturday I had two mixed drinks:  gin and Monster.  Wrote about 1600 words.  Sunday, as I was making then eating my chili con queso con carne, I’d beer.  Wrote Nichole and Tuchman into a room, about 150 words… then, nothing.  Late Monday AM, back to wine and 1100 words were there at my fingertips.  I’ve seen the snippets of their ride back and her reunion with Gil and Mackenzie, but I’ve RealLife matters to attend to.

So much for beer.  Sad.  I homebrewed for over fifteen years, but gave it up because of the carbs.  “All things change; all things die.”

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Doing Your Best

Some caffeine and alcohol in the afternoon helped me to lay down the rest of their dinner.  I’ve over 1k words beyond that, but it’s another day and back to political stuff with Teresa.  I hope to wrap it up tomorrow and then wait and see what comes next. I think there will be one more installment with Mac, followed by the POP back to ‘present’ of Nichole with the Nation on the move…

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Prednisone & Gabapentin

For the dog, not me.  I’m for the cheap wine, with some occasional gin in the warmer months.  See, for example, my recent post on Instagram (@machciv).  The story below follows immediately on that from my last blog post; I’d seen all of it, but was just too tired.  Bad news at work, bad news at home… it piles up.  Instead, let’s have three friends drink tea and nibble cookies on a rainy, Portland, Sunday afternoon!

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Friends and Allies

Chose the winning design for the cover of my next novel:  The Saga of Nichole 5:  Part 1 – Friend & Ally.  It still needs a little tweaking, so I shan’t roll it out quite yet.

In other news, I’m also getting back into the habit of writing.  I have to:  if I am about to publish a book called ‘Part 1’ I tanjed well better have a ‘Part 2’ lined up on deck and ready for launch.  Of course, I don’t.  Quite.

I hand-wrote about two pages of notes yesterday.  That’s something for a pantser such as myself.  Still, with all the RealWorld things I had to do about the house today, at least I was able to lay down a few words for Act I.

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Retro 4/4

What do you get when you take CS Lewis’s ‘That Hideous Strength’ and cross it with… well… me?

You get Shadowlands.  Where quasi-human janissaries serve those dithering-fallen angels who could not make up their damned minds.

What happens if one of your overpowered agents wakes up… and turns on you?

Again, this is all here and there… take the walk to the pharmacy door of OTChi Kocchi.

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The Second Bridge, Coda, pt3

Ate dinner.  Put down 800 words.  No one else here.  Why the heck not keep going? So:  1200.

I’ll be wrapping all this up – well, sorta – in part 4.  Gary figures out what he wants to do with his life and we flick back to ‘present time’ with Lauren and Henge riding home after fishing.  I learned something very surprising about present-time Henge today!

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