Tag: writing

Starry Sky, 3/x

This took a turn I was not expecting. I wrote all the way to a conclusion, which shall be out in a day or two, and in the process edited out what would have been the opening of this segment. Fed up, Caillie decides to crawl back to her SUV; in the desert, in the dark. Barrett produces a flashlight and shines it down the path she climbed up. The reflective eyes of a mountain lion looked back at them. “The only reason he has not eaten you is he can just make out that I’m here. That has him spooked enough to keep a distance. “Did you – you – really just say ‘spooked’?”

So, instead, things will take a turn for the religious; I mean, the woman is dead, after all. The Four Last Things are “Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell.” We start down that path now. If that’s not your bag, check back later in the week.

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Starry Sky, 2/x

Wow. This is very, very hard. There’s a reveal at the end of this segment, making it hurt even more, to watch, helplessly, a grandchild die. I do not understand why I am told to tell this story. And we’re only a few hours into the night.

As I mentioned last time, this is something of an emotional trainwreck. Bypass at your choice.

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Knoxville Shopping Trip, 6/end

This has been an adorable 3k words, just following Henge around for a day as she tends to her life and sees to her family. There really is nothing more important. In this final segment, the rest of the family comes home – Aurie in her typical style – and then dinner. To make it easier for readers, I have them speaking aloud, even though I think they normally just “think at” one another. I did like how neither child is the remotest uncomfortable with their parents’ physical affection. Not really sure where that entered into American culture, but I think kids should see their parents hold hands, kiss, casual contact; it’s normal.

For the next story, I was shown something just before Mass yesterday and am trying very hard to not think about it. An unpleasant situation for another of Fussy’s kids I’ve never really mentioned. We shall see.

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Knoxville Shopping Trip, 5/x

Had to take a day off. In RealLife, was getting progressively more sick Tuesday morning. After four hours at DayJob, my hands shook too much to enter inventory data. I drank some water and was still for about twenty minutes before I was confident I would not drive off the road. Got home and got progressively worse; a 24-hour GI bug of some sort. Lots of bad news from both ends. Horribly dehydrated and the problems which come with that. Anyway, better now.

With dinner in the over, Henge sees to the rest of her townhome. I had to draw upon 40-50 year old memories of how my mother kept house, as my wife, charitably, doesn’t pick up or clean up anything.

This is also one of the first time we, sorta, get to “see” how the Machines “see” one another in the Void. When I write the conclusion of this in the next installment, I’d imagine about 1-2 seconds have taken place before little Aurie comes bursting through the front door. You can go all the way back to my first book, The Fourth Law, where, nearly ten years ago, I had already come up with the idea of constructs and True Forms.

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Bright Eyes, 3/?

One of the things I am just now realizing it that by being away from these people for just over four months, details that I knew better than my meatspace relatives become clouded or lost. In this case, while I knew Liz’s bio-dad dies in an accident (and her mom later remarries), I screwed up the dating. So, Liz cannot be 25; hell, she can barely be 18, and that still might be wrong. So, Josh is now just turned 23, while they were working on the moon.

So, when I’m starting to edit all of this into my third short story collection, I’d have to be very careful. I’ve made myself some notes in the Word file, so I don’t forget. Again.

Below the fold, Josh learns a little more about what is pending-wife is. And there’s a little romance for these kids who are now both years younger.

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Bright Eyes, 2/?

So, from Fussy’s first word, I guess this story is over? I kid; all the Harmanns are rather hardheaded and used to having their way. Think of it more as a negotiation point.

Looking back at part one, Liz almost seems a little “aspie.” Makes sense as being a demi of a technical bent, she’s used to focusing completely on something before moving on. Thus, that’s why Josh had no idea that she was interested in him until the radar array project was complete.

Below, I love the little bit where Josh is busted for looking at Faustina’s ass. We men really are pigs.

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Bright Eyes, 1/?

A short story about the first child of Empress Faustina. Demi-human, she considers herself a scientist and engineer, most recently working for the Thinking Machine, Ninon, of tribe Tohsaka, on a radar search array on the other side of the moon. While there, a human man, a few years older, catches her eyes, her bright yellow eyes. They have much work to do, so she says nothing. Until it is time to go back to Earth.

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Coming Back to Life

It has been a tough five months. My wife’s mother was dying…and dying…and wouldn’t die. So, my wife was gone much of these months. As an uxorious person, I missed her, and it short-circuited my writing schedule. My 19th book, another short story collexion, was derailed after 24k words. I had no new ideas; none of my characters wanted to talk to me.

As of three weeks ago, that is over. There are still estate issues, but my wife is home again. This morning, at Mass, for the first time in over sixteen weeks, someone said “hi.” I’ve only had Crown Princess Elizabeth, the first child of the Empress, speak two lines in Ice Inundation Intelligence. For my next post, here in just a few hours, we all get to meet her.

Again, apologies for the prolonged absence. I’ll try to do better. Deus vult.

Annexation (5/4 End)

Strange week; much RealLife drama I do not need. Picking at another short story, but nothing really clicking yet. I shall be patient.

Most autocrats enjoy it when people stand up to them, just because it doesn’t happen very often. The imperium’s bureaucracy is very small, as Fussy can do the work of many humans and do it faster, but I’m sure they are rather obsequious. I doubt her legates are. Forewarned by Old Dysart, Stephen does not put up with her shit, either.

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