This year it seems that I will actually be completing NaNoWriMo since, as I write this blog, I have 37,814 words written! I have to say, though, it’s be a bit trippy, since I’m not working on my first novel like I thought I would be. I’m working on the second! 

That’s right! I finished the first draft of the first novel, Unity, the week before NaNoWriMo started! Holy shitballs! I finished! It’s now with my awesome first readers (The Wife and my mom), so what else could I do but start the next one?

Hoo boy, this second one is a doozie! Even more emotionally intense than the first one and oh my poor characters. Not only do I chase them up trees, but I nuke the trees, sew the ground with salt, and then flood the orchard just for good measure. I mentioned to The Wife the other day that it’s like writing fanfiction in my own world: the world itself is already created, so now I have a bit more freedom to really dig into my characters. 

And, of course, torture my poor characters, which is what a good writer does, right?

The draft of the first novel clocked in at 127,779 words. I’m still looking at this number and thinking, “I wrote that much?”

Yes, yes I did. 

The Wife is already doing fan art for me, which I adore! Here’s her concept art for the shuttles (called DMNs in the novel) that the AI use. Isn’t it awesome?

On a different note, for those of you who don’t know, I have deleted my Facebook account. Because the way the deletion process works, you may still see my account at the moment but it will officially be gone on December 5th. If you want to get in touch with me, going through my contact page here is best. I’m still on Twitter (@worthyadvisor) and I’m also on Discord. 

Yes, I’m very relieved about how the election turned out, although I think Trump will have to be dragged out kicking and screaming. I also think the white supremacists are going to cause more damage in the next few months. They’ve been able to be very public for four years and I don’t think that’s just going to crawl back underground again. 

COVID is on the rise in Switzerland and is reaching March levels…again. Heh. And people thought The Wife and I were overreacting when we stayed quarantined. 

I also have a month and a half left of being the Leadership Chair of the Progressive Christian Alliance. I’ve been in some sort of leadership position in that organization for over 5 years, and it will be bittersweet to leave. I have a feeling, though, that I’ll be leaving it in good hands. 

Released

The Four Keys – Download from Amazon: US Link – German Link

I write fanfiction, too (all PG/PG-13): AO3 Fanfiction

In Progress

• Unity: Military/hard sci-fi/spy novel set in a future where humans have colonized several other planets. One of the main characters is a Religious Program Specialist and Senior Communications officer who has PTSD and works with the station’s Chaplain to figure out why the colonization survey they’re supporting isn’t going according to plan, and realizing that who’s behind it is more dangerous than just a failed colony.
  • Finished first draft; with first readers. 
• Survey: Sequel to Unity. After the events in Unity, Jack and Marsha are sent on a new mission with an AI that may or may not be quite sane. 
  • Word Count: 37814

Character Playlists

I’ve made some character playlists on Spotify and YouTube Music to write to. Here’s the lists if you’re interested in getting a feel for the characters I’ve been writing.

Jack (and Loki’s) List (Spotify)

Marsha’s List (Spotify)

Jenny’s List (YouTube Music) (Spotify Version)

Fiber Arts

NaNoWriMo is eating my brain, so I haven’t really worked on fiber arts much. 

Fountain Pens

No new pens recently, but I must say, Leuchturm 1917 notebooks are my favorites. The paper is much better than Moleskine for using with fountain pens (no matter what Moleskine says). I also got my new 2021 daily journal and this time I ordered the A4+ edition and it’s a behemoth of a journal. Although, it reminds me of the journals my Memere (grandmother) used, except it’s not red. I also got a smaller 5 year notebook called “Some Lines A Day”. Each day has five sections where you can write a few sentences about what you’re thinking. It’ll be interesting to see how things change as the years go by. 

Cooking

Not much is new here, either, although I seemed to have perfected my pita recipe. Personally, I think the real secret is that I use a pizza steel to cook them on (basically a pizza stone but made out of steel). We eat pita more than regular loaf bread, which means I have a pita making day every couple of weeks or so. 

I’m a little sad to say that I killed my sourdough starter. While I like the bread that the sourdough makes, and I’ll start another one if I need to, I like the ease of instant yeast. I recently bought bulk instant yeast that is used by professional bakers, and it works a treat. It also means I have enough to last me a few years, I think.