SpookMeister: Blog

Hi Folks.

I'm still alive and kicking. Just lost the drive for writing for a while. Recently, I've started picking at the story again, but I probably won't be cranking out content at the pace I had before.

Hope you are all doing well.

-SM

In a prior blog post, I mentioned the story's current state when someone asked about a completion percentage. At the time, I worked my way forward and let the story take me where it would. I had a good plan for the near term, a rough plan for the not so near term, not much of a plan at all for the distant future, and some interesting thoughts about how I would finish up. That might have come through in the content I was making. I'm honestly not sure if it was a good or a bad thing. Regardless, its how we got here.

Instead of writing for the last few days specifically (and for a week or so in general), I've been firming up the overall story arc. I've been focusing on the story's long-term plans, and I'm now delighted with its direction overall. I also know exactly how I'm going to get there while still having plenty of room to enjoy the journey if you will.

I'll be getting back to making progress on content over the weekend. This is a good thing. However, there always seems to be a little bad to go with the good, and here's mine. I'm certain that I'm going to have to stop posting for a while. There will be at least a few weeks, but certainly, less than a month, where I'm going to drop off the radar completely sometime soon.

I'll throw up another post when I get there, to give you guys a heads up. For those of you who have been kind enough to drop a few words of encouragement, I thank you.

For those of you with less encouraging things to say, I have to thank you too. My skin needed some thickening anyway.

For all of you who had problems with even the idea that a story might include a homeless person, I have to admit that you people make me wonder about society in general. But to each their own. I'll continue to write my story my way, and you are welcome to enjoy it, or you can always go ahead and write your own story.

I wish you all nothing but good health and all the happiness you can handle.
-SM

I know some of you have been wondering if there was ever going to be any of the sex I had flagged in the beginning. Well it is coming, in fact it is probably going to be available later today.

I would really appreciate some feedback on the new chapter when it lands, especially as it relates to the steamy stuff. So if you have an opinion about it, please share it with me.

That will be Chapter 17 BTW.

Thanks.

-SM

I got an interesting question from a reader that others might want to know as well. Hence, this blog post.

I'll paraphrase it here:

I like to wait until a story is complete, or nearly so before getting involved with it. Do you have an approximate percentage of completion?

I sympathize with the question, as I often feel the same way. There are actually a few stories on this site that I am currently monitoring and waiting for a similar signal before I dig into them.

This was my response (Chapter 12 had just been posted):

The honest answer is I have no idea. This is my first writing project beyond essays I wrote more than 30 years ago in school, and I am certain I'm being overly ambitious on it. I plan to keep plugging at it until I am happy with the end result.

I'm probably 30% done with this timeline. I have a good outline of what I want to do with it.

I have something like a rough plan for a second one. I think it will go over well on this site.

I'm sure there will be a third but have almost nothing planned there yet. Just hints of ideas so far.

I also have a solid ending in mind. It should tie it all up nicely.

There is no way I could guess how long it will take. Check with me again this time next year.

Though potential feedback would be missed, I won't begrudge anyone who decides this is something best saved for later. It's a work in progress. Things might change, and you may want to keep that in mind if you are a current reader.

I wish good health and happiness to you all. (Even the Trolls)
-SM

P.S. Okay, the Trolls can suffer a little first.

Submitted Edits include:

-Chapter 1 got a huge overhaul
-Chapter 2 is entirely new
-Chapter 3 is actually the old chapter 2 and 3 combined with minor edits
-Chapter 11 is all new
-Chapter 12 is coming along nicely

The rest of the story got some variable amounts of TLC for consistency and clarification. There have also been huge improvements for any of you Grammar and Punctuation Nazi's out there. You can thank Grammarly for that, it's an awesome tool. If you aren't familiar with it you should check it out.

I think the whole thing is worth a re-read, but I may be biased about that. At a minimum I would recommend reading chapters 1 and 2, it includes some minor modern googling and a good deal of experimentation working with his powers by gambling in Vegas.

If you're not into re-reading, that's cool too. Chapter 11 continues where we left off after 10, and you don't need the other info if you don't want a new revision in your head.

If you like the changes I'd love to hear about it.

If you don't like them, fuck off (no, really I want to hear that too).

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it.

-SM