Leto Armitage: Blog

I've been sick again but better again. Work on chapter 51 is catching some momentum. One scene I wrote and rewrote and rewrote until I was happy with it and now I am. Now, to just keep writing.

One of the things I have always admired about some writers is their ability to write regardless of the circumstances in their lives. To be frank, I have a lot of respect for the craft of writing in addition to artistic merits. I think a writer should at any circumstance immediately drop into creating. Do as I say, not as I do folks. My output has been about as thin as a politician's excuses for why they were in the hotel room with the 15 year old hooker. I hate the phrase "creative energy." The lack of it is a lame ass excuse for not getting your shit done. So, why don't I have my shit done? A lack of creative energy. Sigh.

In more detail, my excuse is that for the last two weeks I have been in a cycle of respiratory ailments. I finally went to urgent care the other night. Despite my wife's (and if I am honest my) concern about Covid-19 it turned out to simply be a combination of both a head cold and walking pneumonia. I was told to rest. I looked up this word - 'rest' and find it an odd thing. How are you supposed to relax if you're getting things done? You just lay there and don't think about things? How the fuck does that work? I didn't actually ask these questions because of another issue.

Have I mentioned I can't talk? The doctor described my throat as looking like raw hamburger. I don't know how that normally compares to a human throat but I'm going with "not good." So my middle daughter, my mini-me, assigned herself to sit with me today and make sure I actually rested. As a result she got to see Caddyshack, Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly HIlls Cop II and The Breakfast Club. I'm happy to say that they have aged decently though I was unable to explain some references due to using a text to speech capability on my phone to communicate.

The next chapter of the Pool Girl is in progress. It is coming together slowly but is happening. I've tried to avoid new characters but by necessity a few will be in this chapter. One might be recurring. One thing that has held it up, aside from a lack of creative energy, is that Melissa has sternly informed me that what I intended to write for her is not what she would do. When I asked her what she would do she told me I had to work it out for myself. I did this in my head of course. I'm not a psycho, I don't speak to fictional characters out loud.

So, it is coming and while I don't want to use lame excuses nor do I want to pump something out that doesn't represent the story correctly. Thank you for your patience.

Just a quick note - chapter 50 is draft complete. I will spend some time tomorrow revising it and send it off for proofing and with just a little luck it will be out on Tuesday or Wednesday. I can't say why without spoiling chapter 50 but 51 is going to be a lot of fun. Lavi is very excited. Lord help us all.

I apologize to everyone who I haven't responded to in messages, I am setting time aside tomorrow on Saturday to do that. I do have chapter 49 out for proofing though and am starting notes for 50 tonight. :)

I am also considering doing a very short vignette style piece for the fourth of July since it is Lavi's birthday. :)

So, I had resisted breaking up chapter 47 but ended up doing it anyway. Not only was it getting longer and longer but I realized that I felt like I was rushing. This is not due to readers, everyone has been very cool about waiting until it is ready but I felt like I needed to get it out. So, I took a good breaking point and added a little to make it a decent chapter 47, it definitely is moving some plot points along.

It is now in proofing hands.

So, I will diligently return to what is chapter 48 now. I want to take my time with some of the developments in it and really make sure characters come across as genuine.