Mid-Year Update

It's long overdue

Oh, um, hey.

How’s it going?

Oh, me you ask? Um, pretty good, getting better, but pretty good. Yes, I remember when I said I was going to post occasional updates, and yes, I agree that occasional updates should be more occasional than once every three months, but hey, I’m here now. That’s gotta count for something.

So updates, right.

I started training for a marathon.

We’re on week four, and I haven’t torn anything yet, so that’s good. Hopefully, I can stay healthy and motivated until November 9th. I’ll keep you posted.

What else?

I’ve been thinking about giving up alcohol. It’s hard for a socially awkward guy to enjoy all the activities of summer without a little conversational lubricant. Plus, with kids, a needy 1-year-old lab, work, and running, a cold beer on a summer night always goes down smooth. But oof, the hangovers are getting worse. Maybe, I’ll cut it back a bit to start, like I said, I am thinking about it.

What else?

You probably don’t want to hear about all the awesome adventures my family and I have been on this summer. It’s been pretty dang fun, though. So, a different update then. Come on, there has to be something else.

Oh! Reading!

I’ve been reading more. I’m supposed to be doing that right? That’s what writers do. I went through a slump about a month ago, but I’m back at it.

I just finished Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott–I recommend it for other writers. It’s funny and honest and inspiring. I’ve also been rereading The Walking Dead graphic novels. I forgot how much more I like them than the show–good stuff. Oooh, and I just finished The Glaciermen by

Xavier Macfarlane

here on Substack. I loved the setting and ‘magic system’. Lee’s resilience kept me coming back even after my slump. I just had to finish this one; I highly recommend it if you're looking for a new serial.

Writing Update

But I’m guessing you’re not here for these updates. You probably want to know how the writing is going. Sorry, I buried the lead. You gotta throw a wrench into the industry conventions every now and then. Yes, I have been writing. Oh, you want more details. Fine.

As of this post, Bards & Bargains is at 86,620 words. I’m guessing draft one will finish somewhere around 130,000. I’ve written just over 75,000 words this year and am almost done with Act 2. Oh man, I didn’t realize it was that many until I tallied it up. Pretty cool. Yet, I’m still behind the pace I wanted to be at.

I wanted to publish Bards & Bargains by the end of the year, but I don’t know if that will be possible. I’ve still got a whole act to write, then a draft to edit, then I gotta send it out to beta readers (if you're interested, let me know), then I’ll have to edit again, and format, and edit, and edit, and edit. I don’t want to rush it, but it's also good to set lofty goals. Right?

I’ve got a better system in place. I’m getting up early every day and writing first thing in the morning. Trust me, there’s been some foggy writing going on, but I’m making progress, real progress, and I’m feeling really good about where it's heading.

And so, my occasional update ends without any substantial news or release dates. I know. You would think after three months, there would be a little something more.

Oh, well, how about this? You want a little bit more from Bards & Bargains, maybe a snippet from the new POV character (whose name doesn’t start with a ‘V’ by the way). I teased her a bit in Tales & Treasure. You thought I was gonna make it a whole post without mentioning it, didn’t you? I did too. Sorry. So, yeah, let’s do that.

Here’s a bit of her first chapter in Bards & Bargains. I hope you like it.

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Bards & Bargains Chapter 3 - Elisa

Elisa swung her spear from side to side in the quiet of the palace garden, twirling it through the air with practiced precision. She spun, simultaneously jumping from her left foot to her right, sweeping the spear close to the ground as if attacking her opponent’s feet.

This morning, she had no opponent, only the changing wind. Silently, she honed her craft.

She continued her routine, just as she did every morning at dawn: jumping, spinning, slashing, balancing, and breathing, like a well-choreographed dance. Her golden hair whirling about, but somehow managing to stay out of her eyes. She breathed deeply through her nose, filling her lungs with the cool morning mist.

Elisa pulled her spear directly in front of her and brought the steel tip to her forehead, twirling it expertly, so it finished its motion tucked beneath her right arm. She exhaled. Half of a jade-colored leaf fluttered to the ground in front of her. She picked it up, rubbing the dew between her finger and thumb—a mistake.

“Your grace,” a quiet, whimpering voice called from the garden’s entrance. Elisa glanced over her shoulder but remained silent.

“Your Grace, I, uh, I’m sorry to bother you, it uh, it’s the King, he says it's urgent,” the young male courier said.

It’s always urgent. “Tell him that I will be there momentarily,” She said, turning back towards the garden.

“He, uh, he said to bring you with me.”

“Then you can wait until I am finished.”

“Uh,” the boy continued.

He’s persistent, you have to give him that.

Elisa took a deep breath, then somersaulted backward and flipped into the air, twisting to face her messenger. She bound left, spun onto her right foot, and leaped over a small bush; her spear punctuated her movement as its sharp, polished tip rested underneath the boy’s chin.

In the span of two breaths, the King’s errand boy went from nervous to petrified. “I, uh…I’ll wait,” he said, shaking.

“That’s what I thought,” she replied, lowering her spear and walking back to the center of the garden. She knelt facing an ancient tree, its dark green leaves glimmering in the rising sunlight. She took another deep breath, calming herself.

In and out, in and out. Who is this boy?

“What’s your name?” Elisa called with her eyes closed. “I haven’t seen you before.”

“It’s, uh, it’s Ral, your Grace,” The brown-haired boy replied.

Your Grace, ha. “Ral? Is that short for something?” Elisa asked, still focusing on her breathing.

“Well, yes. It’s short for Ralan.”

“A fine name, don’t shorten it. Ralan sounds like the name of a warrior. Ral sounds like the name of a courier who is content delivering messages to people who do not want to be disturbed,” she said.

“Yes, your Grace,” he answered with more confidence.

“And stop calling me your Grace, save the formalities for my egotistical brother.”

“Yes, uh”

“Elisa.”

“Yes, Elisa,” the boy said as a hint of a smile formed on his face.

He’s a bit raw, but with the proper training, he could be useful. She finished her ritual and walked towards the messenger. “Ralan?” Elisa asked.

“Yes, your Grace,” He answered.

Lots of training. “You are a slow learner, Ralan.”

He bowed his head, defeated. “Yes, Elisa,” He said, looking at his feet.

“In what corner of Emre did my brother find you?” Elisa asked, shaking her head.

“I beg your pardon?” Ralan asked, looking up.

“Do you not know where you are from?”

“I, uh, I’m…I’m from, wah, Waterfront, Elisa,” Ralan said; his nervous stutter returning.

This may take a while.

“That wasn’t so hard,” Elisa said. “Ralan,” she added, her tone becoming more serious. “Get out of this messenger position as soon as possible, my brother seems to have a new courier every other month, soon you will have to deliver a message to someone who won’t stop their spear at your chin.”

“Tha, there is na, nowhere else for me to go,” Ralan replied anxiously.

He’s not wrong; there aren’t many options for a boy from Waterfront. At least he didn’t resort to thievery or gambling.

Elisa stopped. She looked intently at Ralan, examining the boy from head to toe. She furrowed her eyebrows.

“Catch,” she said, throwing her spear at Ralan.

He jerked back, surprised by the toss. The spear hurled through the air straight up and down, tip pointing towards the sky. His eyes found the falling object, and he grabbed the shaft with his right hand, controlling the wooden spear before it crashed. He’s quick.

“Not bad,” Elisa smiled. “Quick reflexes, learns commands swiftly; there might be another place for you. Let’s meet with my impatient brother. We can talk after.”

“Yes, your Grace,” Ralan said, handing Elisa her spear. “Damnit! Sorry.”

This might be harder than I thought. Elisa glared at the boy, slowly turning her scowl into a smirk. “Just quick reflexes then. But still, that is more than I have had to work with in the past. Come, the King awaits,” she said, beginning the short walk to the Throne Room.

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Share & Stay in Touch

If you enjoy these occasional updates and want them on a more regular basis, let me know, or better yet, share my stories with someone who’d like them. I’m getting there, building the habits, staying consistent, just trying to get a little better. See you soon. (Maybe even before October.)