Reluctant_Sir: Blog

I have been wanting to stick my toe into the Super Hero genre for a while, but never found the right, existing, universe to join. I even wrote my own universe into existence but, for one reason or another, never really felt comfortable forging ahead. It was missing that special... something.

There are many stories out there in existing universes (Fanfic) like the DC or MCU, but I am not a fan fiction.. um... fan?

There are a lot of stories in unique, created universes, but very few are open universes that allow other authors to join. The couple that I especially liked, Shaddoth and Mushroom, hadn't even considered the issue until asked, and both were very gracious and invited me to contribute.

So, shortly, my first foray into the genre will be posted. Not an epic novel, just an idea I had when reading Mushroom's BOHICA. I wanted a Chameleon-class Paladin of my own!

I am working on a story for Shaddoth's universe as well, but that is going to be a while. I am feeling upbeat and his universe is definitely darker.

While those are fun, and I can see playing in their sandboxes again, it all covers up my original intent for this blog.

My own superhero universe is going to be launched as well. Not that theirs were lacking in any way, but I had worked on the backstory and was more comfortable playing with no rules but my own. I am selfish that way.

It is nothing ground-breaking, I wouldn't think, and uses the usual hand-wavium BS to explain how "It came from outer space!"

Though I tried to stay reality-adjacent with the science, don't expect miracles from someone who never graduated high school. Google is my bestest friend.

It will be an open universe that anyone can contribute to and will have very few rules. I want it open and loose so people feel comfortable letting their freak flags fly in both style and content.

I want to point out here, and I will reiterate in the first story, that I am stealing Mushroom's Control idea for super hero support. Okay, not stealing, exactly, because I totally told him ahead of time I was doing it.

And I didn't so much steal it, as adopt it. I changed it and shaped it and refocused it and made it a big corporate entity with a government charter that is... um... nevermind. Wait and see.

Still, I loved the idea of an organization that helped out Paladins, that supported them and paid them to patrol; that protected them as they protected their cities. I let Mushroom know I wanted to use it and he had no issues with it, thankfully!

Any other similarities are unintentional and probably because I was writing the Paladin story, as well as a couple of my Hero stories, at the same time.

Anyway, things is happ'n'n and I wanted to give ya'll a heads-up.

I am a relaxed agnostic... don't know and don't care, but I still enjoy the season. I made it an enjoyable time in spite of those who would have it be otherwise, and you could too.

Holidays are what you decide they are, after all, and that's not something they can regulate, or legislate, away unless you give them the power over your thoughts!

Tonight I will lift a favored beverage and wish the universe grant you and yours a safe and happy holiday.

I saw aroslav talk about participating in his blog, and he was knocking it out of the park.

I got curious and looked online to find it is 50k for the month and I have had months I didn't (or couldn't) do 5K!

Still, completely coincidentally, I would have met the word count with no problem, this month.

At the beginning of the month, I had a hankering to write a super hero story. I had written the outline for the world creation event, you know, what gives heroes their power, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to use it. I only had about ten thousand words written of the actual storyline, so if I junked it, or saved it, no big loss.

Started a thread in the forum asking about open super hero universes and found some I like, was invited to others. I most certainly want to play in their sandboxes, but the story I had in mind wouldn't fit. So, back to my story.

Today I hit 78K words on this story, plus a side trip to put down about 30K in a story idea that popped up, so I have been very productive this month whether I intended to or not!

Notice that nowhere above did I even intimate that what I have written this month is any good. Just want to make that clear ;)

I guess this has been a long-winded way of saying I am alive, well, and... was bored.

For those who have written in asking for me to continue this or that story, I have to say No, or, at least, not yet.

I am not ready to go back to already completed stories yet, I have a hundred and ten partially finished stories that I need to either finish or junk for good, first.

Let me close with these three requests, to be taken in whatever order you choose:

*Stay Safe
*Wear Your Masks
*Don't Be A Cunt

A reader wanted to know if I had survived thus far and, despite how I feel some mornings, the answer is yes.

Good News/Bad News: No breaks in work for me. I didn't get pushed out temporarily or permanently by this Covid mess, so that is both good (I like to eat and live inside) and bad, (I could use a couple of months to just... you know, exist.)

I didn't so much get declared essential as be recognized as someone who was already mostly safe in my working environment since I work from a home office. See how that works?

"Oh, you are already isolating? Excellent! We need to you pick up the slack for those who have to leave the office."

I literally have not left my home since March 14th. Thankfully, I live where deliveries are common anyway, so I am taking advantage of those services.

Anyway. Haven't written much worth talking about. Jotted down some ideas, scripting out a new story I want to write, trying to find inspiration to finish the 3 or 4 I have that just need endings.

No promises, no schedules, sorry.

There was a blip in the last chapter, some duplicated lines I forgot to take out, totally my screwup and it is part written AFTER the editors did their thing so I can't even pretend.

Anyway, I am uploading a fresh copy of the entire story, with all the edits the readers have found to date, so hopefully those that were waiting for the story to be complete will get the newest version!

Thank you, as always, for your support and your patience and your edits and... Just, thanks.