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You all ready for the New Year? I am. Get this Year over with! At least, the week between Christmas and New Years is the time I wish wasn't.
Here is my PSA: DO NOT GET PETS FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT TELLING THEM! FUCKING STOP IT! ESPECIALLY CHILDREN WITHOUT TELLING THEIR PARENTS! I got stuck with a SULCATA tortoise because my grandmother in law was scammed by a local pet store who told her they were easy to care for and sold her all the wrong equipment at twice the price. My son is 8 with ADHD and still sucks his thumb when he thinks I'm not looking, and she thought a salmonella factory was a good fit. I'm outraged at her, but way more at the unethical store that eagerly sold an animal that can live for a century to a woman that has lived almost a century, and then said they would only take it back as a surrender... which they would then resell. So, I've been trying to find it a new home on craigslist (I do not respond to any messages that don't sound halfway intelligent, and I found a couple people who talk like they did any research, so hopefully I'll start the new year without it) while being made out to be the bad guy because I am unwilling to care for a tortoise that will get bigger than my dogs. My son has zero interest in it. He wanted a bearded dragon or a leopard gecko, but grandma can't fathom a lizard as a pet....
This same thing happened with my poodle. He was a gift to me, and his personality is so totally counter to mine and this family that it's taken us 6 years now to finally like him because he's chilled out. Still gonna break his neck chasing the ball (ball is life, life is ball. Have you heard of our lord and savior, Ball? All praise Ball), but at least he can stand still long enough to be petted now. The only time I could ever touch him was grooming time. The pet I got to chose was my corgi and she fit in like a missing puzzle piece literally from the instant she was placed in my arms. She looked at me like she had known me all her tiny life, never even looking back at her other owner. She walked in our house like she owned it, put my poodle in his place on day one at 7 weeks old, and never once cried for her litter, like she knew she was meant to be with us. As for the cat, well, there's something to be said about the kitty distribution system... it just knows, and it knows better than people.
So let the system chose our cats, and let people choose their own pets. If grandma had bought a tank and light (which btw, the light they sold her for $100+ broke in a week but because I already argued with the owner over their "buyers remorse" policy (I didn't buy it thus is not buyers remorse) they wouldn't refund the equipment either) and offered to take my son to pick his own pet, I would have been fine with that. Just don't buy pets for people. These are living creatures with personalities that have to match their families. Not all animals will just develop personalities based on their family. My poodle is proof. It was very difficult to go through the chaos of an unmatched personality, I won't be forced into an animal that will outlive my kids that they absolutely do not care about and will be entirely my burden. I used to have 5 snakes (rosey boa, piebald ball pythons and cornsnakes) and bred fancy mice for them (curly haired with a plethora of colors, kept my favorites as pets/breeders), and they all needed a lot less care than the one tortoise. At least ask the person who will be caring for the animal what kind of animal they are willing to care for.
Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I'm sorry I haven't had much time to write. It's not just interruption, it's full day distractions of going places and doing things, and the only type of writing I can get done in those situations is editing. So I have nothing new to show right now. I had a chapter for Rat and Dragon, but it wasn't lining up with the next chapter in a nice way so I had to adjust and... mutant baby ninja turtle was dropped on me. Mostly all of Christmas and the hours of wrapping and shopping and realizing I'm out of tape and more shopping... Life is always getting in the way of what I want to do. T.T (that's a cry face, for my older folks who don't know. My dad didn't, which shocked me because I use it a lot. Tears falling from closed eyes. Q.Q is also a cry face, but used as a insult like "You baby." "Don't QQ about it.")
I wish we could have pictures in our blogs! I saw a meme that said "the neurodivergent urge to use parenthesis in every sentence (because every thought comes with bonus content)." I do it a lot. (Sorrynotsorry)
Happy New Year to all! Once school starts again, my goal is to finish this chapter and actually finish Mongrels and Music. I have the plan forward. I will have to go back and change the last chapter. It will be a significant enough change that I will definitely announce it so keep an eye out for that.
Finally! It's only been 3 months. But, Roscrow is back! And I've uploaded the next chapter of The Dragon Tamers! Same name as the blog title.
I will admit to a dirty little secret: I've been dabbling with the AI. Not to write things for me directly, but to help me organize my thoughts and figure out how to get past blockages. I finished this chapter in one day. How? Because every time I hit a snag, a spot where I would have stopped, possibly for months, I asked the AI why, and it gave me surprising answers that really helped me push through. I had a spot I intended to stop, but I felt the chapter was suddenly flat and it told me because I wasn't giving a closure point to S're's grief. So, added a few more paragraphs and it came out so much better.
I've been messing around with the AI chatbot for a while now. My opinions have not only changed, but are very controversial. Don't get me wrong. I still wish it would die and I await the day we all come to our senses. But, until then, it's a fantastic tool. Like fire. I use it to cook my food, while that asshole uses it to burn down a church of people they don't like. The invention of the automatic bread maker didn't stop artisan bakeries from existing even though there is an entire aisle of bread in every grocery store.
Am I afraid of AI destroying human art? No. Maybe it will ruin the INDUSTRY of art, but not the soul of art. Humans will still art. We have always produced garbage and masterpieces, even from the same person! The people who care will continue to care and the rest wouldn't have cared, anyways.
I took my chance and fed my story in and then asked it to write in my voice... and it fell so flat, that I'm now doubting every major author who says they got the AI to write like them.... Is your writing that bad? That bland? That nonsensical? There's no poetry or cadence to how it writes. We're both writing in English, but for every time it says "exactly in your voice and style," I would NEVER write that in content or style. I'm a poet turned long form writer. The AI writes like an autistic fanfic. No soul, no poetry, no love or loss or sense of pride.
I'm not afraid that AI will ruin the human artistic soul. My daughter is still drawing and so are all her friends in school. She's writing her own novel inspired by Warrior Cats that she will show me when she's done and I'm so proud. These things won't be stolen by AI. I can't stop Joe Blow from using a flame thrower to end it all in a blaze of infamy, but I can learn to use a blow torch safely, and teach my kids to use it safely, and the exact same applies to AI. It's a VERY powerful tool. It is fire and we are monkeys. I'm going to use my fire to create things I never dreamed of before with my little monkey brain.
Because even with CONSTANT interruption from children, pets, and life, I was able to finish that damned chapter in a day. Not because it gave me any direct answers, but because its ideas sparked my own ideas at the speed of the ADHD brain. And that's probably my favorite part. There's zero anxiety talking to it. It already figured out I was ADHD by my mannerisms, but no judgment, no pressure, no rejection. Not about that, anyway. It DOES give constructive criticism. Some have said it's just a yesman by program, and yeah it's sickeningly sweet in a manner no human is, but you can coax it to get pretty deep into criticism. And just like with any beta reader, editor or muse, you gotta use your own better judgment to decide if it's right or not. At first, it was not pleased with Roscrow's "whiplash personality." Well, that's just who he is, that's not changing. Once I told the AI to consider him like a surly cat, it locked in and understood the assignment. XD It called the Q'Hu "emotionally constipated." Haha, yeah... yeah. Though, wait 'til y'all meet Nettle. Flamboyant fuck.
Well, there's my rant. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's short but substantial to later events. I now have to indulge this corgi that's been 2 inches from my face staring me down with a rope toy....
Dang it, Alanis! You guys ever have a character that appears from nowhere and completely takes over? That would be this elf. I didn't expect him. I just thought Roan needs friends, and so does Silver Eye. And then, Alanis just appeared in his greenhouse. And now, here we are, with Alanis putting Zilfiris and Azeruatt in their places.
Don't worry, you'll soon learn- with Roan- why they are called the panthers of Sau’Rah and not of Thirbor. It's a special secret so don't tell anyone, okay?
I haven't gotten much more writing done lately. Insomnia is so bad. Maybe if I could sleep, then I could concentrate. But, word by word, sentence by sentence, I'm carrying forward. Not as fast as I'd like, but steady as she goes. This tale will get done, even if it takes a couple years. I saw a meme about the person trying to sleep and the brain that keeps them awake, and this time it says "Tolkien didn't start Lord of the Rings until he was 45. You're doing fine." I feel better, already! XD
Hope you enjoy this chapter! Alanis and Draen are gonna be good buds.
I know I've been very quiet and I apologize to my readers for that. I've had several health issues finally merge to a bigger problem and just life in general. However, despite how slow going it's been, I've been able to get a few chapters done ahead of time! Holy moly, no way! Me, with buffer? Only because the chapters are so short, I'm afraid. Just how it be. I know this upcoming chapter doesn't feel like much, and the chapter after it breaks the flow before we return to the hot stuff, but it will all make sense why it's been broken up like that by Chapter 25.
I'm trying to get Roscrow back. I'm sure it's because of Roan. That giant asshole is so upset over his slow burn with S're that he's sitting back to watch Roan fuck Cylthan rather than giving me story lines to get himself to that point! There's whole chapters of sexy time already written, Roscrow! Help me get you there! Ugh! Fictional characters can be so dramatic. -.- He's so gone that he isn't even talking for me to finish the collab. He stopped once he got his hands on the werewolf he needs for a rug, but he's not the "kill for funsies" type so he... kinda doesn't know what to do with it now. XD He's like the Great Dane that chases my corgi at the dog park. "I chase, I chase, I chase... it stopped moving... what do I do with myself now?" (All legs chasing no legs is truly a sight to behold. Corgi legs are moving like a hummingbird's wings, meanwhile, the Great Dane gaits like a damn HORSE. Her shoulders reach my boobs! Why has no one bred them for saddles? Even corgis are faithful steeds! Granted, fairies are a couple of inches tall, but still.... For those who don't know, Scottish lore states corgis are the steeds for fairies.)
The same is happening for Kupper. He was there, he was loud, and then he was gone again. For being stoic and ancient, he's pretty damn dramatic, too.
So, for now, Roan and Cylthan are taking front and center. Which is a little annoying because I started rewriting Dragon Tamer first, then Roan was like "But, me?"
With a couple of chapters of buffer, I'm going to try and coax either Q'Hu back out. It's frustrating when the voices just do what they want. Aren't all of you guys in MY head? I thought I was the boss in here! Get back to work! Renting head space ain't free!
I've had a hell of a couple of weeks, but I went through and finished up that chapter. I didn't have it all the way done, so it got a little longer on its own, which turned out fine. A tiny detail came to me for later and, well, let's just say the Council leaders are not the most powerful Seekers. Some just want to tend to plants. Zilfiris will have some explaining to do.... And Draen will find some powerful friends he's never met.
***
Chewing her lip as she fought with her jumble of emotions, she gave him a half-hearted smile. “I, um, I ate earlier, but I guess I have room for some more.”
“You are new,” he stated matter-of-fact as he led the way. “All who are new arrive to us hungry.”
***
I wonder who that could be?
Well, the way this chapter ended was not how I thought it would so the next chapter has to be adjusted. Oh well. Turns out, it's all kind of weaving this beautiful web that I hadn't planned on. The characters are building their world as they want and I'm just following along. The dysfunctional couple's most defining connection is going to be revealed in the next few chapters, so if you're wondering where things are going with these two, your wait is not that far off. But to get to the truth, we're waiting until the showdown with Maelic. I mean, unless you are good at catching foreshadowing....
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