Taking Stock

First things first: my youngest son's latest surgery was incredibly successful. It went so much better this time, and his recovery was immensely easier. He's a tough little two-year-old. Hopefully we'll find out in January if it worked completely this time. My little stormtrooper has been through a lot.

While writing my latest WIP, set in Antarctica mind you, I just noticed how strong an aroma our Christmas tree is still emitting. We've had it for a little over two weeks now, and it is still going strong. Don't get me wrong, I love the smell, but usually it has either gone or weakened to the point of becoming unnoticeable. I think this is a good omen for the coming year, what with all the bad juju in 2011. We've always gotten real trees (I can't say live because technically they're severed and dead plants which can absorb water) and we'll continue to, even if I have to volunteer my boys into putting if up for me when I'm too old.

My prediction for 2012: everything will be jolly good with nothing going wrong. If only it were that simple. Seriously though, I can only look up and pray for better fortunes. It does not do to dwell in gloom, despite the mounting adversity. Wait, that sounds like a general synopsis for many books. Well, I guess if the shoe fits...

I'll be praying for every one of you as well!

Another Nearly Gone

I don't know about the rest of you, but this year streaked by for me. It's been a fairly productive year mired with many speed bump, but I've spent a lot of time on my two bigger WIPs as well as some much shorter ideas. While I'm still working toward completion on my projects, I've noticed the satisfaction of accomplishing much more in writing than I did in the many years leading to now. And yes, the full measure of satisfaction will be met when I'm published, but it's kind of like growing: once you're matured to a certain point in life you realize the knowledge and enlightenment you've earned. But the fundamental fact remains that none of us is truly done growing. What I'm trying to say is that in an infinite universe there are an infinite amount of lessons to be learned. I've learned some more, for my part. How about the rest of you?

Progress and Memories

Work on the novella turned novel has been progressing much faster than I'd anticipated! Plus, I think I'm close to naming it. I've several possibilities, and I have some more kicking to test the 'durability'. Try before you buy, right?

Watching my sons interact with one another has also aided in my great leap of progress. It reminded me of growing up and how I miraculously coped with my one older brother. Now, my boys aren't there yet, but I literally hated this brother. We fought constantly, particularly since it was easy to kick my ass. That is, until I had discovered the miracle of outrunning him. It pissed him off to no end, but I outran him like a gazelle evades a lion. Survival of the fittest in all. After years of running I faced him finally, to my defeat. But something happened that day, he began to respect me because I stood up to him, although he still liked to torture me, brotherly love you know. Now, we're closer than ever, and my boys remind me of us. They can get along and coexist quite harmoniously, whilst duking it out like mortal enemies. The fighting, the torture, those were the days. Anyway, they inspired me to change the relationship between several characters in my latest WIP. I've been writing a lot differently lately which is out of my normal comfort zone, but it feels so right the way it just spills onto the page. So, as long as they clash, I believe my writing will be growing to incorporate new and different styles that I never felt I would before. How about you?

The Return

I'm back, again, and this time I hope for much longer. Better news for my son has me jumping for joy (figuratively, of course) though I am still wary and cautious to not get my hopes up too high. We have a very strong feeling that his recovery could be a lot sooner than we'd originally feared, which is awesome! We still have some waiting to endure though as the coming tests cannot be rushed. Poop! But my tough little stormtrooper has endured his  condition much better than I, as I have the neurotic  problem of worrying a lot. That coupled with my own condition has not helped, and quite honestly, almost killed me.

For the past two months I've suffered from increasingly severe abdominal pains that doctors were unable to explain for weeks. Two ER visits with no answers, being unable to stand and sit upright, and a wife with a whip (figurative, of course) prompted me to consult a GI who got the ball rolling. Well, after a scheduled Iodine CT scan went horribly awry in which I had a rather terrific allergic reaction to the iodine resulting in hives the consistency of toad skin, shortness of breath, vomiting, the runs, and a high fever. I actually argued with my wife about going to work, and my boss won: I had to call off. This perfect storm of symptoms drove my wife and her proverbial whip (slowly manifesting into cruel physical form) to haul my ass back to the ER in which everything fell into place. This new doctor and surgeon were guffawed that previous docs couldn't see my lovely marble-sized gallstone had inflamed and infected my gallbladder to the point that it had to come out NOW, or else... Needless to say the surgery went well, I'm slowly on the mend, though sore as hell, now my full attention is refocused on my youngest son. This is the first I've been able to sit upright for extended periods of time and actually write, which has been MADDENING!

I wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive and will be frequenting your pages as well as my own  as originally intended. So please remember me and come back, because I'm still here! God bless you all!

When It Rains, It Pours

Weeks of doctors' appointments have brought us even closer to a final answer on what's causing my son's condition. Last week a close family member suffered a stroke, and now she's on the long road to recovery. And now I'm waiting for my own appointment to find out what's going on with me. When it rains, it pours. Luckily, I have an amazing wife and children to keep me focused.

Now to business; I have a rather sneaky suspicion that the novella is turning into a novel. Darn! Just kidding, that's great, because now I have much more to play with! Isn't imagination fun? I had hoped to pen a novella, but it's cresting to a greater vastness that is, the novel. No worries, I have many more ideas in the works. It will be some time until I begin weaving those tapestries, as I'm having an incredible amount of fun with this morphing novella. It's a type of fiction I never really thought I'd write, but it's fun as hell.

Of Substance and Originality

While we are still awaiting the results of my son's biopsy and MRI, I have been slowly easing back into the groove of writing. I've been gearing back up to the point of full capacity. Work on the novella is progressing well while the novel is being carefully maintained. I am also formulating several other ideas into story lines that I think are real winners, particularly because they're things I've noticed my wife has taken an interest in. Stay tuned for more info!

Another thing that's been on my mind lately is the apprehension of genres that are being used on a constant basis. While I love science-fiction, fantasy, political thriller, horror, poetry, even the abstract, I've noticed that a lot of them have been played again and again. I love new and creative ideas, but lately there haven't been many. There have been remakes, re-imaginings, and expansion on existing genres. A lot of them aren't executed well. Let's take the latest vampire craze; I do enjoy a good horror story, or even suspense/mystery with vampires, the idea has been beaten into the ground with oodles of films done as either empty gore-fests, or teeny-bopper flicks that fill up space. Anymore, they don't have the good substance that makes for an incredible story. They're either mindless monsters or love-crazed youngins. What happened to the Dracula story, or even the eerie story of I Am Legend, including its various film adaptations? The concept of the vampire, for the most part has been turned from a gothic/horror tale into a soap opera genre.

I've been working on a fantasy story for over a decade, mainly because I'm trying to wait for a 'dry spell'. By that I mean when I did finish it years ago, the Lord of the Rings films were coming out. I felt like my originality would be questioned. So I spent the past decade reworking the original concept to ease away from sounding too similar to the Tolkien works and various period pieces being dished out every year.

Enough of my venting. What do you all think?

Good News

My youngest son's surgery went well, though it'll be another week until we get the rest of the results back. OO-RAH! It was rough, waiting without word for hours, but the time finally came when it was all over with. But the most difficult part was watching him being put under general anesthesia. He took it like a trooper. Before he succumbed he kept saying "Daddy, Daddy". That was the hardest thing I ever had to endure as a parent. I felt like I was abandoning him when I had to leave the operating room. Fortunately it all went well. The procedure was a success, and he awoke normally, aside from the soreness and moodiness from the anesthesia. The doctors and nurses were all very impressed with his recovery, especially for being only two. Now is the time to relax and regain some much lost sleep! Keep on keepin' on!