The Patent Dragon's Zone of Soul Retraction

Yesterday, I posted the latest offering via TO BE CONTINUED, and damn did it feel GOOD. It was quite literally "back to the old days", writing directly into the New Entry window - "winging it", you could say - and even though it was a short introductory piece for an important character for the future, without spell checking facilities or anything like that, I came away from the whole thing feeling really pleased, and even refreshed.

This is how it used to be; that's how you got a couple of hundred story posts a year, not forty or so. The posts were shorter, yes, but oh gods, they flowed like wine around a hobo fire...! (please excuse my attempt at a Seasick Steve-ism ;) )

Change of Plan: Think I'll post the current story when it's done - maybe twelve chapters, long format - then complete the Season as "The Pandemonicum Symphony", in more manageable chunks, as and when the inspiration hits, ideally in "Writing Hour". Yeah, that'll suit me fine. It may take twice as many chapters, but they'll take a whole lot less time to produce. A more streamlined operation overall.

That doesn't mean I'll be discard my entire operation as it currently is - the netbook is just too damn useful, and if I can write half a "new format" chapter at lunchtime then that can only help push things forward. If there's no inspiration on tap at the time, I can still do some work on Mission 101: Task 46...

46 - Continue and complete "The Archive Project"

- I pretty much have everything I need on there.

Move News... I am seriously, seriously thinking of a major change of plan, switching the two available rooms around - if I'm at last going to be able to divide up bedroom and workspace (you really don't want to see it as it is now, oh my brothers), it makes sense to maximise the space where it's really needed, and the current "office" has plenty of room for a bed, wardrobes, all that's necessary, whilst the current "bedroom" is more square, allowing more floor-space, and it has double the number of power-points. That space under the slope of the roof is just perfect for a computer station...

Only real negative: the current "bedroom" has a central heating radiator. - the current "office" does not. Nothing a big floofy bedspread-type thing and a portable heater can't fix. I can see it now - computer under the slope-ceiling, two-seater sofa/chaise in the corner by the window, long-boxes and "costume" wardrobe at the other end, walls replete with art, shelves and hangables... guess I should start pricing furniture, and sourcing small shelves and long wall-hooks - kinda coat-hook things. It'll all make perfect sense when it's all in place, believe me...

This whole moving thing stopped being interesting, and started being FUN. I need to embrace change, and that's just what this is letting me do.

Sweeeet.

May as well take this opportunity to sneak in a quick post - doubt I'll get much of a chance later...

Yesterday was at least semi-constructive, as an unanticipated plot thread has arisen from ongoing development of MoN-204 "Mane-of-Night And The Hunter's Game", and whilst it's not a major thing, it gives me a new storyline to pursue, so that's not a bad thing. Oh, and one of the new characters from my last story-post has been worked into the story under development - as will another, mentioned in passing, and he'll be a key feature of the new thread...

The lack of story production is a real annoyance. Regular writing gets done in my lunch breaks, but there could be so much more - it could be time to revitalise The Archive Project, and continue converting pre-Darkhawk Diaries stories to a web-ready format - remember

46 - Continue and complete "The Archive Project"

- there's no fresh writing needing to be done, and I'm quite satisfied with how Wordpress has worked out at To Be Continued. With the right template, I could be on to a winner, but completing the whle thing before the end of my Mission 101 may not be achieveable. If there was an easy way of removing all the line breaks in the original text, that would be a big - no, make that BIG - help. Time for some research, I think...

Tonight's Entertainment... Okay, there are now just hours to go until I fulfill a long-standing ambition, and keep a promise to myself to see Kiss in their truly natural environment - make-up, big stage show, the works. It was a promise that seemed impossible to fulfill in the no-makeup "Lick It Up" Era - and I did see them twice during that time - but the dates for "Sonic Boom Over Europe" were announced around the time my great-aunt died, and it felt like destiny was knocking on my door. Kiss have been having their gigs available on the night in digital format, and it appears this is the case on this tour, so I may be coming home with the actual show ready to enjoy all over again - oh, and I may just grab a piece of the experience in a different format, too. Stay tuned for more on that - and a possible early-morning Monday post!