Weird, but it feels good to be in a space where things are actually starting to resemble a final product.
I am hoping this will be ready by November.
Of course, I should probably try to sell The Mungk and The Conflagration Of Boor & Aghast first.
Right?
Target: 1600 words
Written: 1433 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Stand, Stephen King
Comics: Invincible 97-99, Guarding The Globe v2 4
Music: Fukd ID#3, Interpol (that's how it's labelled, anyway)I’m not sure that’s entirely true, because sometimes, I would think publicity would be impossible to ignore. One isn’t always unseen, and kindness rarely limits itself to one-on-one interactions.
But do we do it solely for the glory? For the good feeling?
I think that’s the rub. It’s okay to feel good about doing good things; one should feel good about doing good things. But it shouldn’t be the motivator, the only reason.
Good deeds done selfishly, in order to feel good, can still do good, however. Of course, it should never be contingent on that.
If it is, it’s little better than running a charity for the social status; it may do some good, but it’s probably more about lining your pockets and getting you access than doing good for others.
In a case like that, the ‘others’ are bound to be neglected.
It becomes about the appearance of good, instead of actual good. I think that’s what a lot of my fellow lefties tend to forget. It’s not the optics that matter. It’s the results.
Hence, why I get pissed as social media liberals, more interested in cultivating a reputation for being on the right side of things than actually being on the right side. It’s why there’s so little rational evaluation of the outrage generated by ‘cancellation’.
(And don’t get me wrong – the right wing are the king of snowflake hysterics. They get their nuts all in a twist over trans athletes that don’t even exist, for pete’s sake, or the “war on Christmas”, which has yet to even become a skirmish anywhere except in their own minds.)
Anyways, my point is, whether people know it or not, it’s good to be good to people. We don’t do it for the glory; we do it because it’s the right thing to do.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds – Matthew 5:15-16.
Of course, that sounds like you need to let everyone know you’re doing good, but hey, that’s a discussion for another day.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 899 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Stand, Stephen King
Comics: Invincible 95-96, Guarding The Globe v2 2-3
Music: Fueling The Flames Of A Revolution: A-F Records, Anti-FlagAfter yesterday’s marathon writing session, I’m well ahead of my overall target (over a million words written since New Year’s Day, 2024). So, today, it’s easy work. A little mental exercise to figure out how to timeline all this out; how close are all these events.
When do the parts out of time happen?
These are puzzles to solve; logic to parse.
Creativity is fun, but organization is sometimes equally rewarding.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 222 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Stand, Stephen King
Comics: Invincible 89-91, The Tick 100
Music: Fruitcakes, Jimmy BuffettApparently, when you get on a roll, or get in the head of the character you’re torturing behind the scenes, shit goes into flow mode.
Thank god I’m working from home.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 5314 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Stand, Stephen King
Comics: Invincible 85-88
Music: The Fruit That Ate Itself, Modest MouseI’m trying something different with this draft. Rather than amorphous “edit scene” as my command, I’m setting specific goals for the editing. Not just “edit”, but rather ensure Miles shows the correct level of worry, or make sure Winsome’s description is properly defined in our introduction to him.
Anyway.
Should be fun. Here we go.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 1645 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Stand, Stephen King
Comics: Invincible 82-84, Guarding The Globe 6
Music: Front By Front, Front 242 (to the back, to the left…)Another milestone hit. I might actually finish this thing. I figure I’ve got about three months or so left in Father Lightning, and then, maybe…
Just maybe…
I’ll actually let someone read it.
I’ll celebrate that fact with a nice Perla, and then probably a Kit Kat. Or Aero. Or whatever.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 1850 words, novel: Father Lighting
Read: The Stand, Stephen King (goin' great, boss)
Comics: Dynamo 5 21, Invincible 61-63
Music: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, Dead KennedysThe beautiful country, but not a second alone. Stealing pages as one steals breath in the ocean, with nothing to keep afloat.
Vacations from my vacation.
Peace from the loveliness.
Breath, from the deep.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 1060 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Stand, Stephen King (why I chose this on a week I knew I would struggle to read even one page a day, I don't know)
Comics: Noble Causes 39, Brit v2 12, Invincible 59, Dynamo 5 0
Music: Freaky Styley, Red Hot Chili PeppersAs always, it’s a lot of time not doing the things I would like, but it’s still travel, and movement, and not shitty.
Would that I could find a few more moments for reading, and writing.
And silence.
Silence.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 2218 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Stand, Stephen King (here we go)
Comics: Invincible 57-58, The Astounding Wolf-Man 11, Dynamo 5 19
Music: Freaks, PulpNot the seriousness of the situation, but the sensation of being pulled down, to my knees, to the floor, to sink in and let my mind bleed out my ears into insensate despair.
I am fighting.
I am not yet losing, but it’s real fuckin’ close.
The kindness thing I can do for myself today is breathe. Continue to breathe.
I’m not sure what the trigger is – probably the monstrous headache I suffered through all day yesterday, and the copious amounts of Advil required to stave off the smallest part of it, plus all the stress of getting everything ready to go away for a week, which should be joyful and peaceful, but is often too busy and people-filled to be so.
Would that I could live in the woods, and release books for free.
Or hide them away, to be discovered after I’m gone, and released to posthumous brilliance.
To the floor, it be, then.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 2383 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Faded Sun: Shon'jir, C.J. Cherryh (perhaps it's just the knowledge of my inferiority)
Comics: Noble Causes 37, Brit v2 9, Invincible 55, Dynamo 5 18
Music: Freaked Out And Small, The Presidents Of The United States Of America (but hopefully, not this last one)A milestone passed. I hadn’t really thought about it until I saw the tally. Over a million words since January 1st, 2024. A little over two and a half years, averaging about a thousand words a day or so currently.
Not bad. Too bad my original estimate was three thousand words a day, which would put me closer to three million, but hey, life, am I right?
Not bad at all.
Target: 1600 words
Written: 819 words, novel: Father Lightning
Read: The Grey Seas Under, Farley Mowat
Comics: Invincible 40-41, Noble Causes 29, Dynamo 5 3
Music: The Fragile (Left), Nine Inch Nails