Chaturday Morning Post
on gratefulness, writing process, music, reading, and more
Greetings, readers. Summer in the deep south is finally coming to end. Our high temps have been in the low 80’s and the humidity is reasonable. The air feels soft, and I’ve had the windows open as much as possible. I don’t have a decent laptop currently, otherwise I would be out on the porch. I suppose I could use a bluetooth keyboard with the old MacBook with the borked keyboard or iPad 🤔.
Looking for more books to read while you wait on my next release? In that case, I have a recommendation for you this week: D.T. Read’s Ganwold’s Child.
“A boy raised by savages comes of age in the midst of interstellar war—fast action and characters you can care about.” -- David Drake, author of Hammer’s Slammers
Gratefulness
Do you practice a gratefulness routine?
At the end of each day, Aubrey and I exchange our two best things from the day. No matter how shitty the day, we have to name our bests. Most days, it’s easy to find a best. Maybe I enjoyed a good cup of coffee or tea, maybe I found a new author to read or band to listen to. Maybe I spent the day with a friend or upped my skill in a video game (I only play one game these days, and not much). I might even choose a movie I didn’t particularly enjoy, just because of the experience of watching it.
Some days, though, when I have felt like crap and not much has happened, it can be difficult to choose one. Actually, it can be easy. I could say I am grateful for food on my plate and a roof over my head, because I am grateful for those things. And when I write in my journal, I do mention the basics often.
But when exchanging bests, I always try to find something more specific.
The act of searching for things you are grateful for can improve your mental health. The act of searching alone. I suppose because it focuses your mind to adopt a more positive outlook. I have certainly found it helpful.
Writing Progress
I have done more work on Storm Phase revisions this week.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not working on Outworld Ranger.
I’m letting my brain ponder through some ideas. There’s this one thing in particular that I would like to see in the next Outworld Ranger book, but I’m just not sure if the way I’m working it into the text is the right way to go about it. This particular thing will set off a chain reaction, so once I commit to it, there’s no going back. So I want to give it a good think before proceeding.
As for Storm Phase, I am continually reminded how much I have grown as a writer in the last twelve years. Through the practice of writing more. Through the practice of reading as I have written more. And through a few short writing courses I have taken.
As I go through the first book adding new scenes and descriptions, and restoring some things removed during the editing phase, I often encounter places where the original description is thin to nonexistent. In some cases, it’s not a disaster. It just makes a scene lack depth. In some others, though, I am embarrassed by my lack of effort/skill.
The most egregious example is my description of Zaiporo, one of the main characters of the series, who only makes a brief appearance in the first book. I described him as “a short, broad-shoulder zaboko teen.” And that was it. Eyes, hair, clothing, unique features? Nothing whatsoever. Sigh. I checked book two and three and couldn’t find any place where I had added to this unacceptably thin description. A primary player should never have the sort of description one uses for a character that flashes through a scene to never appear again.
Music
The Barenaked Ladies released a new album. I had already heard three songs from the album, so it was great to hear the rest. All in all, an excellent album with the quality I have come to expect from them. The band members are about five years older than me, and I have been listening to them since their first album, so I feel as if I have made the journey through life alongside them.
Otherwise, I have been listening to Bridear, a Japanese power metal band. I don’t know how I missed them along the way, but I am super glad to have discovered them.
Reading
This week I read Warhammer 40,000: Tyrannic War, which is the first Crusade rulebook for 10th edition. This kept me from finishing Robert Ludlum’s Prometheus Deception, though I am near the end.
Best wishes,
David Alastair Hayden
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