Wednesday, July 27, 2011

If you're not getting better, you're getting worse.

Entropy is a son of a bitch. If you're like most people, you get about two decades, give or take a few years, when you're 'growing up.' Physically, mentally, and financially, your first 16-24 years are a rather steady progression of acquiring more physical, mental, financial, and legal capacity. Then right around your early to mid twenties, entropy catches up like the asshole it is.


All of a sudden all of that progression you've enjoyed reverses. You're up to your ears in debt so you get a job that you're likely woefully overqualified for, yet still have to sink 8-12 hours of your day into. You stop walking places, you spend what money you have on shitty food because you're too tired to cook, and you forget what a gym looks like. You suddenly have no time because of your professional and social obligations. You rack up bills for your car, your home, your entertainment, and suddenly you have no money.

Call it what you want, but I call it decay. Entropy grabs you and doesn’t let go.


It's fucking RARE to see someone at 30 who is in as good shape as they were in college, much less better shape.

It's RARE to see someone at 30 writing poetry or doing art for fun, and in college you can't walk to the next building without tripping over a circle of kids doing both at the same time.

You get $20 in college and you're set for a week; a few years later that won't even buy your Starbucks and takeout for the day.


You're getting older, slower, more set in your ways, less introspective, and are taking on more obligations every single day. And all of that holistic natural progression you took for granted your first two decades comes to a screeching halt.

If you're not getting better, you're getting worse.


If you're over the age of 25, your base metabolism will never be any hotter than it is right now. You think it's hard to lose weight now? You think sitting on your ass for the next few years while your body withers from atrophy is going to make it easier?


If you're over the age of 25, your creative mental processes will never be more acute than they are right now. And you're going to wait until you're retired to write a book? Sure, if your book is just a bucket for you to regurgitate everything you've read into.


If you're over the age of 25, it will never be easier to change your bad habits than it is right now. You've smoked for 5 years and quitting is hard? Try it after 10. You lose your temper with your spouse? Try dealing with a kid.


Time is not on our sides, friends. Every time you put your personal development on hold for any length of time, for whatever reason, you slip a little further. You will not have more time later to get your shit together. You're fighting the current at this point, and doing nothing for one day means you have two days of work to get back to where you were.

Start paddling.
Onward...

Sunday, July 24, 2011

In which I review a book about wizards in space

Arcana Universalis: Terminus is the first of a five part serialized novel by Chris J Randolph that follows the adventures of Caleb Gedley, an apprentice wizard aboard the Imperial spaceship Ashkalon.

That’s right, wizards in space. What now?

Caleb and his friend and fellow apprentice Bibbs are ordered to investigate the disappearance of another Imperial spaceship around an idyllic and mysterious planet. There, they discover Alia, a pixie who has been trapped in a magical vault for millennia, only to return to base camp to find themselves under attack by a war party of the Imperium’s enemies.

This first episode seems mostly to set up the cowardly and inept Caleb for a grander adventure in the coming installments, but the world here is rich enough to keep the reader engaged throughout. The author’s descriptions are as vivid and colorful as you’d expect, although they can make occasional scenes seem like a slog. Otherwise, the pacing is generally good, particularly after we meet Alia. Don’t be fooled by the overwrought beginning; the language is crisp and imaginative, and will pull fantasy fans in right away.

An hour, or two at most, should be enough to get through Arcana Universalis: Terminus and will leave the reader anxious for the followup.

4/5

In other news:

The apartment is almost unpacked. I think I said that last week, but it's more true now than it was then. Girlfriend is putting together some Ikea cabinetry because APPARENTLY it isn't "classy" to store our videogames and Star Trek DVDs on the mantlepiece.

I restarted the process with Lucky Bat this week, and my last minute tweaks to Battlesongs are coming along swimmingly. Got a good month of push left on this book, and then perhaps I can pick up The Nomad's Wilds at some point in August.

Onward~

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Hooooo shitcakes

It has been one hell of a month. After a long running list of disputes with our now-former landlord, including a week-long episode without air conditioning during a heat wave, we moved out and are now renting a condo. I know the guy who owns it, and he just so happened to be remodeling it right around the end of June, which was when we needed to move out.

Excellent; the deal is Girlfriend packs, which I hate, and I move everything, which she hates. But after recruiting some friends, renting the truck, etc., we find that when we arrive on July 1, the place is gutted save for one room.

We cram all of our stuff into this room, and after a lively series of discussions with our new landlord, we shuttle ourselves off to a hotel using some prorated rent dollars and Girlfriend's connections in the travel industry.

As it happens, last week was my vacation week. I intended to get things unpacked and then tuck myself away for some writing, and I managed to get one of the two. Girlfriend stayed at her parents house for a few days, and so I wrote for a solid 4 days from about 10am till 9pm. Made some good progress, and was in pretty good spirits when we checked out on Sunday.

Ha ha! There are contractors all over the place on Monday. Still here today, in fact, and I'd be shocked if they aren't here tomorrow. The bed is down, and my computer is set up, but that's about it. Everything will be amazing when they're done, but it's not the most conducive environment for getting work done.

However, if all goes well I'll have this weekend to put some final touches on Battlesongs of Hope before I send it off to Lucky Bat Books for formatting and covers. And hopefully I'll see this thing published by the end of August.

Onward...