On some occassions, you might find yourselves in a conversation where someone who is of a suitable size, weight and fitness, comments about how much she is eating. This more often than not happens at the lunch/dinner table. And of course, as all predictable storylines go, the next line which pops up of said girl's mouth would be:

"I'm so fat. I need to lose weight."

Now, depending on my relationship with said girl, I would either offer some consoling words OR roll my eyes and let the conversation slide without me. Why? Because if I did pitch in, half of the time I would get that annoyed, "what-do-you-know?" stare. Half of the women on the table would, for a few moments, simultaneously insist on how lucky I am being THIS thin.

If you count having an overactive metabolism a blessing from god, then we are in serious trouble here folks. On such occassions I usually shrug, revert back to the world inside my head and start plotting the stories I have to write. Hey, at least the people in my stories don't ask me, "does this dress make me look fat?"

Anyway, here's why we're in trouble.

We can't tell the difference between being health-conscious and being fat-conscious. We can't tell the difference between what's healthy for us, and what's detrimental for our bodies.

Whining about your weight because your primary concern is how such weight will lead to a whole catalogue of health problems is a far more justifiable way to act than worrying about weight because "that other girl is so much skinnier than me!"

Understanding the fact that our primary concern should be the status of our HEALTH is the first step to actually making weight-monitoring a permanent lifestyle. Understanding that working out, having a healthy habit IS a lifestyle and not something you do for just a couple of months, is another way of making it permanent. That's another topic altogether, so I'll touch more on that in another entry soon.

If you're starving and killing yourself even when you're already at an appropriate weight, chances are you'll NEVER be satisfied.

Those who are fat-conscious and are constantly checking the width of their thighs will most likely drive themselves crazy at the gym, reducing their weights to an anorexical status. It boils down to the point where even a "little" bit of meat on the bones is considered a plague to society. Those who spurn comfort food like ice-cream , and the punish themselves after that is just plain silly.

"Yes, one small cup of haagen daaz ice cream will turn you into a fat bear. Yup, that's the way the body works, ladies. Kudos!" In the words of a friend from another blog:

"does it make you feel attractive after not eating for 40 days, having bouts of anorexia and "going on a diet". cmon, don't bullshit yourself.

Thank you. Good night.

Currently listening to: Bach's Concerto for 3 Harpsichords.

First off, it’s tradition for me and Julie to do this each year – Our birthday wishlist. Don’t get us wrong. We don’t expect anything…This is purely for fun :D And it’s basically a reminder for me as to what I want and need to get as well, since I have such a bad…recollection of things.

Ra’kir: My, aren’t we full of it today XD

Me: Shush! Hey, you’re up early.

Ra’kir: *points to short story* You have to get back to that, missy.

Me: Okay, in a bit!

Anyway, wish list:
1.Janny Wurts’ Stormed Fortress
2.Patrick Rothfuss’ Wise Man’s Fear (not out yet. Coming soon though)
3.Any volume of L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future anthologies. (It’s so hard to find these books here!)
4.A simple dinner friends. That’ll be the icing on the cake.

That’s all I can think of. See? I’m a woman with simple needs XD Despite Julie’s and Jocelyn’s insistence that I require a new set of clothes, dresses, shoes, and all the paraphernalia that makes a woman a woman, I’m a happy camper as long as I get new material to read every month or so. That…would explain why the slab of wood that’s hanging over my head is overflowing with books….

Ra’kir: And junk…

Me: Growls.

I have a bad recollection of things. I mentioned that earlier, but this is getting serious.

The other day a junior of mine (junior in uni) stopped me at McDonalds to say hi. My normal reaction is normally to stare at these people blankly, trying desperately to recall who he/she is. This isn’t the first time this has happened. So far I’ve counted 3 such encounters in Media Prima…Juniors who apparently know so much about me….But I have no recollection of them. (I’m so sorry guys!)

You’ll have to forgive me. I…tend to wander through life meeting a LOT of people…and well, it’s hard to sort faces out in the spur of the moment….Harder still for me to dig through my memory bank to somehow recall how I was connected to these people. It sounds cruel, but trust me, it just slips my mind.
I blame the migraine medicines I had to take when I was younger. As a result of those wrongly-prescribed pills, I couldn’t even remember much of my high school years – to the frustration of Jules of course, because at times she’d say “hey, remember that one time in school…” then she’d stop herself, watch as my face break out into that silly, sheepish, I-don’t-know-what-you’re-talking-about grin, roll her eyes and say “cheh, nevermind la”

If you think that sounds bad, I can’t even remember half of my relatives. *sheepish grin*

On the short story: 3800 words so far. I might make it to 4000 today. *dances*

The competition looks extremely tough.

Currently listening to: Mercadante. Flute Concerto in E Minor.

Not the polyphonic you might think....(nothing to do with ringtones)

In classical music terms, it means having two or more independent but harmonically related melodic parts sounding together.

Bach seems to have a knack for this. This, and fathering 20 children (I kid you not. Half of them died in infancy, but still...20??).

And no, I still can't play that Bach song. I am terribly intrigued by his compositions and the way he weaves three, four various melodies together without blasting the eardrums and can only admire his gift.

Feh, anyway. Snippet!

From TKAK:

The cadaver was pallid and swollen. His eyes, opened, stared at the ceiling in absolute horror. Whatever it was he had seen in his last moments must have been a terrifying sight. Suspicion brewed within Kegan, a dark poison which chilled his blood with uncertainty.

“So.” Kegan cleared his throat. “What happened to him?”

“No one knows.” The physician pulled the sheet which covered the man aside. The corpse’s body was clean, with neither a scratch nor bruise to shed light on the cause of his death. Curiosity pulled Kegan’s brows together as the physician added, “There were no witnesses around when his majesty was assaulted.”

Like a well-seasoned actor, Kegan let the slightest expression of shock cross his face. “Not even guards?”

“Not even guards!” the physician huffed. “Can you believe that, sir? It’s a shame you have been reassigned to protect the kingdom’s army. Why, back when you were the house Captain the palace’s security had been impeccable. One would have to be a ghost to step twenty paces away from the king without you knowing. This new Captain of the Household is as green as a sapling.”

***

In case you're wondering how busy I am....(yes, I have people telling me owh come on, you can't be THAT busy).

I'm not even going to touch the stuff I'm doing at work. The list would be far too long, and well, basically, feh...You know me...The whole "writer" thing has rooted itself so deeply into my psyche that nothing short of a brain surgery would take it out.

On stories:

1) To Kill A King.
~ Involves an extensive research on carriages, aqueducts, baroque architecture, and what chemicals people use in mortuaries back in the 1600s. If anyone has a clue, please please please drop me a note.
~ 2000 words down...16,000 words to go!
~ I MIGHT miss the September deadline, but that's okay. There's always December, or the following march.
~ I'm driving my brothers (especially red and afi) crazy with all the ideas i've been tossing around but refuse to organize. Sorry!

2) Path of Avarice.
~ Seriously, if my friends and brothers haven't been helping me out, I'd still be lost right now. Learned so many things with the first book that I could spot mistakes better now.
~ POA...definitely one of my fav works. It's taking a long time to complete but it'll get there. 7,000 words down...110,000 to go.
~ Davek (the protagonist), is a jackass, but I love him anyway. He has such a strong voice. Building the world has been a challenge, but the foundations are there, so I'm on the right track.

3) Exile's Gambit.
~ Who knew writing query letters could be so time-consuming? I'm scouring the internet for agents to represent me. No luck yet so far, but then again it's cool :) Learned so much from writing this book, the lessons are priceless. I'm doing so much better with Path of Avarice because of Exile's Gambit.

Gymming.
~ Three/Four times a week. An hour and a half for each session. Weights, cardio...stretching...It's a hell-of-a-challenge, but it's so worthwhile.
~ I slacked off for two weeks and lost my rhythm...AND my weight. Whoever said it's EASY to gain weight doesn't have an endless void in her stomach.

Right, I'm having a headache *laughs*...more entries soon.

That's the working title for my second book. No, it's not a book 2 from the Helsarian Chronicles series, it's Book 1 of a new series.

Avarice....It has a nice "ring" to it. XD

Snippets will be posted soon. I've started the prologue. Going to take a while to get the proper writing rhythm and write as much as I used to. Yeesh. Take just two weeks off writing, and this is what happens.

Currently listening to: Aryeh Frankfurter
Looking forward to read: Patrick Rothfuss's "The Name of The Wind".

Now unless I have my schedules mixed up, this weekend is probably going to be one of those laid back, spend-the-whole-day plotting-on-new-stories weekends.

Today's shtuff:

1) Send the car for routine service. Been there, done that. Luckily the mechanic did not make any snarky comments about how terrible women are with their cars. I take good care of mine, thank you very much.

2) Buy protein shake. Contrary to popular belief, it is far more difficult to actually GAIN weight for peeps of mah body type than to LOSE weight. The struggle is no less frustrating, and yesh, we skinnies whine about wanting to add some meat on our stick-thin body as much as chubby people want to lose theirs. I hate not being able to find any pants that fit without having to use the belt. Must...increase...weight!!

3) Meeting a friend later for dinner. So much to catch up on :)

4) New Novel! As promised, here's a little insight on what I (with the help of my brothers) have come up with. I'll post the prologue when it's done.

- No details! I haven't fleshed out the scenes I want yet, but the story will be set somewhere between the 1600 - 1800s (wide gap there, I know. I need more time for research to pinpoint the EXACT era). But there is going to be less magic, more tech stuff. Steam engines, clockworks, gunpowder, etc).

- If I plan this story correctly, it will be interrelated with the previous series I wrote. So no matter which one sells first, they WILL fit perfectly together. Speaking of which, I'm starting to receive comments from my beta readers for EG and they have been tremendously helpful, spotting out all the tiny little things I've missed. Thanks guys :)

More entries soon. Have a wonderful weekend!

Last week I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't start thinking of a new book/series for at least a week after I finished my last novel. It was a tremendously long, arduous endeavour after all, taking nearly ten years to plan, research, write, tweak, and finally submit. Even after all that jazz it hasn't reached its final destination yet, requiring more tweaking, more editing, more research. If that isn't passion, then I am absoltutely ignorant about what passion is.

At this moment, I am taking a break from EG. (This hiatus isn't going to last,I assure you. Once my beta readers return their comments, I'll be burying my nose back into the story.) Until then, there's a new story, or at least fragments of it, brewing at the back of my mind.

Regardless of all my efforts to stay away from plotting, I find myself doing so more subconsciously than I realize. It takes very little for me to start visualizing the scenes I want, albeit being a uncertain about what the ACTUAL story is. Letting the muse take its own course seems like a wise idea, for now.

Ah yes, the brain plays tricks on you.

Train it to do one specific skill for an extensive amount of time and that skill will come as naturally as breathing itself. (A matter open for debate here. I still require a great deal of practice with writing. Having trained your brain to do something specific does not necessarily give you the license to be sloppy. See how I contradict myself? )

The whole process of how this works requires an in-depth explanation that I, unfortunately lack both the facts and the patience to write. So, if the matter does stir your interest, I say, google away. It explains why master musicians play their instruments effortlessly, coordinating their finger-hand-feet movements to what they see on the score sheet. It explains how gymnasts time their body perfectly to execute flawless somersaults and leaps - All of which are matters my mentor had been patiently explaining to me for the past...what, seven years? And one I could not comprehend entirely until NOW.

*hears a glass box shattering*

Well, Janny, that one took a while! Sorry :p

Yes, it does take 5 years to train your brain to do something. I went through that 5 years, and I am STILL discovering new things, new ways to write properly.

Having said that, does it not make you wonder if it is possible for one to "train" a particular talent for yourself?

Off to bed now. More entries soon, if the new story doesn't get to me first.

Good night, everyone :)

ps:- This is NOT the original issue I intended to blab about. Diversion. I has it.

This week's Good News Bad News:

Good news:

After a few weeks of searching, I finally found the ant colony that has been hiding in my room.

Bad news:

They built their damn nest in between the pages of my favourite novels. Took me half a morning to clean the mess.

Currently listening to : Vivaldi's Four Seasons (spring)

The book is OFF my hands and out of my head, for now. If only there are words to describe the sentiment that is flowing through my mind right now.

Relief. Freedom. Anticipation.

Now for the next book *rubs hands together in glee*

Okay, back to what I've been doing for the past three weeks.

1) Going to the gym. Yes. Gym. I've been going to Contours Express to basically gain weight. (Yes, you read right. Gain weight. Go read up on this on the net if you don't believe the effectiveness of gymming for those who seek to GAIN weight)...and tone my body. My stamina's increased, my appetite has doubled, so much so that it's starting to scare the heck of my family and friends, and I feel great! More details of this gym at http://www.contoursexpress.com.sg/

I highly recommended it for young women who are just thinking about starting a healthy routine. The place is specifically made for women (no men allowed), and they have 2 wonderful, spirited trainers who are very involved in making certain their members reach their goal. Plus they're really nice people. So for those of you who want a free 2 day pass, lemme know. I have the coupons. (women only, mind you!)

2) Reading. 3...4...wait...yeah 4 books. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (thanks reem!) Julie Czerneda's Species Imperative, David Eddings' Tamuli series and Sheepfarmer's Daughter. Haven't managed to finish any of the books yet.

3) Catching up with old buddies. :) Jules especially. Too bad I had to rush back early, as usual. Sigh.

4) Writing. Oh gosh, it's been crazy. Lost some sleep trying to tweak the book, so now that it's done, I find myself itching to get to the next book. It won't have anything to do with the current Helsarian series, but it'll definitely be fantasy. That's all I know for now hehe.

5) Work. Meetings, proposals, write-ups. Um...I think the picture says it all.

Current chapter: 19. Eight to go.

I have this deep sinking feeling in my stomach that my beta readers won't like what I'm sending them.

It's hard to keep up your spirits after seeing rejection slips all month.

Hey folks,

Dropping in to say hello, and wish you all a nice weekend. I "will" be scarce, for at least two weeks maybe.

This month's projects, arranged according to importance:

1) The book. Final edit before it goes off to the beta readers. Unavoidable. This one takes precedence above everything else I'm doing right now. MAJOR tweaking required.

2) Research on Middle Eastern television. Work stuff. Unavoidable too.

3) Catching up with best buddies (you know who you are, wink wink) Well it's not really work or anything, but, blech.

Bye! There'll be snippets soon!

Currently listening to: Cantiga, Country Dances.

Working on Chapter 8. Looking at the way things are moving, I might even finish editing chapter 10 by the end of this weekend. Suddenly, the deadline's not looking ALL that bad *grins*

Here's another snippet. Comments are definitely welcomed :D

****

“You said the king was alone throughout the night?”
The seneschal dabbed the corners of his eyes with his embroidered sleeve, nodded. “His Majesty’s first command when the fire broke out was to be left alone. None of his servants or guards was given leave to see him…not for any reason. Not even his son could enter his room.”
“And no one heard if he screamed? Not even when he dragged the chair down with him?”
“No one could have. You were in the city to witness the fire. You know how much attention it had drawn.” When the commander scoffed and turned his attention towards the balcony, the seneschal pursued him, indignant. “Duncan’s was an illness that kills in silence. We have suffered a heartbreaking loss, but one that has been expected long before you came to our city.”
“Khaaran curse you for all for blind fools.” The man gave a harsh laugh. “A murderer could cut your king’s throat twice and you’d still think he died sleeping.”
That remark tore the seneschal’s polished manners to ribbons. Delicate hands which never felt the exertions of physical labour clenched in a fit of annoyance. “There was no sign of a break-in you harebrained brute!”
The man swiped his hand towards the balcony entrance. “There are other means of getting inside.”
“What, climb all the way up from down there?” The seneschal chuckled, but the mirth quickly turned to sheer incredulity. “You’re not serious?”
The Commander turned and marched to the balcony, with naught but another scornful chuckle as his answer.

From chapter 1 (redrafted)

Gharod crouched beside the cool damp wall of the empty house to trace his hand over the gleaming rune carved on the bottom, snow-crusted stone. The warm prickle of magic sent a rush of energy through his flesh, and the eerie green radiance that the First Captain spotted through the spyglass began to spread like a stain.

“This is it. The last rune. You have a sharp eye, First Captain,” Gharod said. A subtle tremor reverberated through the wall, told him it was primed for burning. Trust the Fox to make destruction simple...

Thalis tossed him a piece of flint. “Light it, now. We don’t have all night.”
Gharod’s fingers froze when he heard the scrape of booted feet upon the cobbled street. Thalis whirled around, motioned his subordinate to remain still.

“What are you two doing down there?” cracked a nervous voice. Two soldiers garbed in the Watch’s tabard appeared at the mouth of the alley, their swordsman’s poise complimented by the menacing black steel held in their hands.

The flash of glee that swelled behind Thalis’ eyes could have rivalled a thief’s in the king’s treasury. At his fullest height, the brute’s Erith’Rim heritage lent him the size and frame of a bear. He measured the Cendarians with the casual deliberation of a hungry predator, an act which caused the two soldiers to exchange wary, unsettled glances with one another.

“Gentlemen, how good of you to join us.” Thalis took one step away from the house, one hand still raised towards Gharod to keep him in the shadows. “The wolf of the north greets you.”

“Wolf of the north?” The first guard straightened and nudged his fellow Watch in the ribs. “See, I told you they were Erith’Rim knights.” He sheathed his weapon, and the faintest shade of relief eased the taut lines on his face. “Beggin’ your pardon, sir knights, but it’s not safe out here. No one in this city apart from the king’s guards is s’posed to know you’re in Cendaria.”

“Oh I hardly think Duncan would mind having a couple of blokes gallivanting in his city. We thought to spend the night admiring Cendaria’s wonderful sites and be awed by the majesty of its renowned buildings.” Thalis eyed the second soldier as the man sheathed his blade, then eased his own posture. Stifling a laugh, Gharod positioned the flint in front of the rune and whispered the cantrip the Fox had taught him for the spell.

“Are you blind?” said the second soldier, his eyes wide. “The entire eastern district is burning to the ground and all you can think about is sightseeing?”
“Sir, I’m afraid we can’t let you stay,” the first guard said, a little more civil. “It’d be best if you come with u – What is your friend doin’?”
Thalis answered with a laugh that would have made a demon cringe. “What does it look like he’s doing?”

Eagerly waiting for that cue, Gharod struck the flint. Fire spread over the stone as though the house had been doused with oil, banishing the alley’s darkness. Cries of dismay became threaded with outraged curses. Gharod retreated from the fire as quickly as his ill-fitting garment allowed him to and spun to face the guards.

“No...stop! Stay back!” he heard one of them yell through the crackle of flames.

Thalis’ assault was a blur of movement, his speed belied by his size. The first soldier fell with a startled yelp before either of them could draw their blades. In the next instant Thalis seized the second Watch’s throat and lifted the poor man several inches off the ground.

“Courtesy of Erith’Rim, and our beloved ruler, King Vincent Wolfhart,” the First Captain said while firelight licked his hardened, merciless face. “May this fire bring your city the warmth it deserves.”

Currently listening to: Djilia Phralengo, Waterways - belomancy

Here is one of those moments when underestimating a chapter turns to bite one in the rear.

Chapter 5.

Thinking that it would be a breeze, I dove into it with much gusto, hoping to move on quickly to the next chapter.

Five days have gone by, and I have yet to fill the loopholes...

Insert swearwords and rantings in the blanks below:

_____________ story! Would've been a lot _____________ easier if it was ten chapters shorter, wouldn't it?

Snippets are a little impossible at the moment. I am still tweaking, hacking the words to turn the story into something more presentable.

And beta readers (especially Cat and CC), You're going to have to wait a few weeks longer. I do apologize for my slowness, but it seems rushing the story does little but make me churn useless, gibberish chunks of words that will be deleted the next time I sweep through the story anyway.

Here's raising a glass to a long, sleepless weekend. I hope you'll have better luck than I ;)

I know, contact lenses are no big deal (not to those of you used to it). But to newbies like me, that tiny, harmless looking vision-aid is akin to an instrument of torture.

It took me fifteen minutes to get the contact lenses in my eyes - to the consternation of my colleagues (cc, akak and rina). Thank goodness they were patient enough with me to cheer me on while I tried to get the lenses in without poking my eyeballs. (Julie is probably laughing now :p) The salesgirl was extremely helpful as well. It's been a great many months since I have been fortunate enough to be aided by a patient salesperson. Salutations to Better Vision for hiring employees that are nothing short of charming, helpful and pleasant.

The end result. My eyes are so clear right now, I keep forgetting I'm short-sighted.

Whether or not I am truly prepared for contact lenses lies in the speed with which i remove them from my eyes tonight, and the time it takes for me to put it on tomorrow morning.

Writerly stuff:

Ideas are pouring in, yay! I'm taking this whole week and next off just to tie up the loose ends. There is still much to be done :)

Currently listening to: Jolly Rogues, Raggle Taggle Gypsy

It's been a really slow week, but the first scene for chapter three is finally re-written. Yayness!

The second portion of the story will be harder to write, since the p.o.v has shifted completely to Varen's.

And this, to answer the questions of those who ASKED.

No, I'm not going to be the "next" JK Rowling.

I don't intend to be. JK Rowling's masterpiece in the Harry Potter series transcended the genre to a whole new level (just as Tolkien's did) - the silver screen adaptation was a wonderful breakthrough, allowing viewers and readers alike to experience a world like no other - a world that would have been spurned and spat upon one generation ago.

But that's Rowling. And That's Tolkien.

And sure as heck, I'm neither of these two. Why would I want to BE these two, when I can create my own identity. My own brand?

I intend to be Ika Vanderkoeck. Period.

I guess the fault of creating such an easy categorization IS partly mine, since when people ask what kind of stuff do I write, I simplify the explanation by saying "It's fantasy...Have you seen harry potter? That's fantasy."

Compared to saying a story set in early-renaissance period, which features the repercussions of having a parasitic talent...yada yada...see? Long-winded. One should simply learn to say "wait until the book comes out" . But no. My mind tends to be a lot slower than the words that blurt out of my mouth. Hmm.

Happy New Year everyone!

Time flies. I've said this at least a dozen times in this blog, but it's true. If you're wondering why I tend to run around like a headless chicken, it's because of time running short. I aspire to be a published, successful full-time writer who works from home by the time I'm 25 (hah! here's wishin :p). So, yes, the challenge of achieving that is tough. Here's hoping that 2008 will prove to be filled with great surprises (as 2007 had been, for yours truly).

Here's a recap of 2007.

Studies:
I graduated, yay! Three years of brain-masticating, all-work-and-no-fun routine ended on a good note. I am contented with the fruits of my labour.

Work:
Was hired as a business executive, bwee. The best part about this job is the people i get to meet (especially you lovable, crazy 7! you know who you are XD)

Life in General:
1) Got myself a car. Foxy! I did scratch the poor baby within the first month though.

2) Rekindled old friendships, especially with Julie. I'm really happy with our relationship now. We see so little of each other, but I do feel that our bond strenghtened greatly this past year.

3) Picked up guitar again (a downside to this, I haven't actually bought the guitar I wanted yet *laughs* Had to borrow akak's for a while).

4) Had 3 different kinds of haircuts. The first one was horrible - turned my hair into a freakish, curly mess. The second hairstyle was no better. Chopped all my curls off, but it was still quite bad. Latest haircut - much better! I finally decided to go to a proper hairstylist and have my hair styled. Will upload a photo soon.

On writing:
Last year had been wonderful for writing!

1) Received honourable mention from Julie Czerneda for a sci-fi anthology called Polaris: A celebration of Polar Science. Didn't win the competition, but that was my first short story attempt and my first sci-fi adventure. I didn't know how far we've progressed in polar technology until I did my research for that story. Very interesting concept, and it was great for Julie to set up that competition for newbies.

2) Won Ages of Wonder! Another anthology edited by Julie Czerneda and Rob St. Martin by DAW books. I went crazy when the results came out. Can't wait to have the book in my hands! Thank you so much, Julie and Rob!

~ Special thanks to Janny for being so patient with me and for being a mentor/friend when the guidance was sorely needed. I'm seriously surprised she hasn't killed me yet ;)

3) Finished Exile's Gambit. My first fantasy novel. After 7 years. Submitted a partial to a few agents, and still waiting for their reply. Here's praying and hoping that 2008 will start out great, with a YES from these agents :)

Another post coming up soon. Till then, happy new year!

Quick note...
My stepdad will be fine. He had his elbows fixed yesterday, so he'll be discharged on sunday. Thank god. Thank you, peeps, for all your kind get-well-soon regards :)

Don't watch AVP 2 if you're not into straightforward, predictable plotlines that involve making every human character useless, helpless and prone to being eaten by freaky-lookin aliens and (or) used as an incubation tank for alien eggs. Eww.

No word from the agent yet. I'm past being worried, I think (yes, I'm lying through my teeth). I'm psyching myself into thinking it's the holidays, so that's why it's taking so long. They usually take 4-6 weeks anyway.

Progress on book 2: Not much going on yet. I'm gathering information and research materials for the story and its setting. I never realized how interesting the renaissance era actually is.

More entries next week. Have a wonderful weekend :)

So we've been doing scheduling for about a week now, and after watching the masters at work, I have a totally new respect for the profession. Who knew the workflow in the media industry could be SO huge! There'll be details on all the machinations involved in scheduling soon, once I can get the time to actually sit down and figure things out.

As for writing...It has been slow. It has taken seven years, but I'm finally in the last chapter! Yay!

I'm writing a difficult scene right now - One that requires muchos research and careful planning. I have no idea how the pros could do it in such a short time!  

Started re-learning how to play the guitar again - fingers are screaming in protest, but the pain's well worth it. 

A former roommate of mine, Kelly is now a practical trainee in this company. Kudos, kelly! And in case you're wondering, because I've had people ask me and her this question, she got the job herself, on her own merits, without any help or intervention on my part. So stop asking her! Or me.    

Gahh, back to the book. More updates soon! (I hope)  

First post. Let's see if this works XD