And boy do I need it!
So...probably won't be much new writing for the rest of the month. I've printed everything I have so far for MAXIMUS MASQUERADE and WAR TO END ALL WARS to get some editing done while I'm stuck in bed. Also been busy the last month doing research on MOST OBVIOUS TRAP, lot of books and documentaries on East and Southeast Asian history and mythology. Currently working my way through "A History of Japan" by Mason and Caiger for a very technical dry read and "Tokyo Vice" by Adelstein for a slight more sketchy source of inspiration (anyone that can dispute his story is dead and its kinda sus, but hey, great story! looking forward to checking out the HBO show when I finish). Have a massive list/pile to get through. If anyone has any recs for that area of the world, by all means throw me a comment below.
Obviously I've got a better understanding of it than probably the vast majority of Americans (fuck you, RR, I LIVE on TikTok, I'm WAY more "knowledge" than YOU about the TRUTH!!!) and did some work, especially on the mythology side, when creating the Vampire Divines and their backstory, but I'm always interested to learn more and fill in my (still massive) gaps. Got a recent fan mail from a Bulgarian pointing out they study English starting in the 4th grade, so...my bad on Valko's linguistic troubles. Although...if the whole of Bulgaria has to take a hit just so I can make that wonderful "you sound like bitch in heat" joke...comedy = first, right?
Point is, I try, I fail, I purposely ignore the truth at times too. Also Valko is a huge butcher job of a name. Not the worst I've accidentally done, granted, since calling a Filipina girl Malaya is a bit on the point, but then we have people called America now, so...why not? Also, Raj Malik means King King. And there was that whole accidentally naming an EXTREMLY MINOR character after a Manson Family member...yeah...did that...changed it super quick! She was actually named for my aunt (Leslie) and Von Houten means "forest" or something like that, not looking it up. Which I think means it's all my grandmother's fault and I'm blameless.
I actually think naming Urban Fantasy characters is kind of a surprisingly difficult part of the genre, since there are only so many names in the real world, many of them very, very boring. You only get so many Rick Browns, man! Unlike my high school, which had an easy dozen Jennifers. And the amount of German names I've looked through to figure out all the Welfs! Meanwhile, I can name an elf Pougpaellieth and no one bats an eye, right? So much easier! Lucky epic fantasy writers!
Talk to you all in August, hopefully I'll be able to sit up for longer than half an hour by then. Also currently playing Metaphor Re Fanzsomething, which is fantasy Persona and fun, but is also fantasy Persona, so...gameplay feels quaint in a post Clair Obscura world. Watching the Bear Season 4...will refrain from making any comments on its quality to not repeat my effusive praise of Season 3 before it went absolutely nowhere. Daredevil Born Again after that. Reading? New Penric and Des novella just released, yay!
Stay cool! (Fresno is only in the low 90s this week! woot!)
