This was the Most Necessary, Stupidest Idea I've Ever Had

 This "readthrough" is killing me.  AKA massive note taking session.  Just hit 46 pages.  Two months and counting of homework.  Finished FM5.  I don't think I've done this much background work since I started writing the series.  Mostly because I'm addicted to writing and dislike all the other aspects of this profession...

It's been so needed for so long, but...and like I don't write a lot in the summer because of how ungodly hot Fresno gets, but...schedule also got imploded by spinal procedures and the root canal so it made since to do it now when I couldn't write much anyway, but...and I have pet peeves that have developed about my writing in the last few years, pet peeves I keep seeing OVER and OVER in these old novels and I'm just...it's only two words Richard, two completely unneeded words but like 99.9% of your fan base has never noticed you do it over and over, so why do you care, huh?

Pfff...

Going insane.

But needed.

All of this will be so useful heading forward.  Checking info will be so quicker.  I have a file now that is just a list of every mancer and when they attended the Asylum and historical events as they happened and who must have played who in the Winter War and who must have been a student-advisor here and everything is just categorized, nothing getting lost through the cracks.

Also, as far as writing Seismic Semester, with the way the pain was so overwhelming at times, I just didn't look things up like I used to.  Pain really limits your ability to handle multiple tasks.  Writing was hard enough.  The idea of sitting at a laptop and searching through old chapters seemed impossible.  So...I made mistakes that I'll need to fix or explain before it's released.  Got that all figured out now because of this.  Nothing that should need huge rewrites, but an extra sentence or paragraph of explanation definitely.  I actually did pretty good considering how fuzzy I was on the painkillers and muscle relaxers.  The biggest one is that the Camping Test in Seismic Semester is only one night long.  Cuz I forgot it was multiple nights in FM2.  But there's is a simple reason to explain the change away.  So all good.

Well...I have Three Little Trips, FM6, Dread Fortress, Goes Home, and Dilemma left to get through.  Spending two weeks on FM6 alone might send me to a real asylum, so...wish me luck.

Release on Seismic Semester is looking like Feb/March btw.  We aren't making November without a super rushed edit process (one I don't know my spine can handle) and I don't release during the holidays.  Cover is getting done as we speak!  Feels real with a cover!  It's alive!!!

Ultra Class 2015 Reveal

Have I done this yet?  I feel like I haven't done this yet.

If you want to go in completely blind, obviously SPOILERS and stay away.

I could possibly change one or two names before release, only this feels pretty locked.  It will appear at the start of the novel just so you have reference since there are so many kids.  The day-long introduction to the class takes up multiple sessions in Seismic Semester and is one of the most complicated things I've ever written.

On the whole, and I know this sounds like sacrilege, I think 2015 is more complex and interesting than 2009, which was very top heavy with a lot of empty names (granted one's I've slowly filled in and can fill in more!).  Having almost finished the novel, I definitely have a couple favorites.  One of which I was very much not expecting when I started...

Maxwell Lamont - Hydromancer

Francisco “Paco” Garcia - Necromancer

Olivia Root - Necromancer

Nile Kane - Pyromancer

Sahara Kane - Pyromancer

Juliette Maes-Welf - Aeromancer

Dat Bao Nguyen - Electromancer

Adeline Hyde - Electromancer

Makoto Ikazuchi - Electromancer

Valko Nenov - Sciomancer

Leah Townsend  - Sciomancer

Gavin Gullick - Spectromancer

Roshanara “Ra Ra” Davani - Spectromancer

Summer Atwell - Cryomancer

Agnar Magnuson - Cryomancer

Ella Diaz - Floromancer

Jackson Shaw - Floromancer

Reginald “Reggie” Pike - Floromancer

Connor Coney - Faunamancer

Sigrid Erikson - Faunamancer

Kailani Kalani - Faunamancer

Alessandria Espinoza - Faunamancer

Douglas Moseley - Mentimancer

Cicero Yates  - Mentimancer

Divjot Malik - Corpusmancer

Gabriella Harper - Corpusmancer

Tatiana Itani - Corpusmancer

Chris “Fucks Pigs Chris” Miller - Corpusmancer

Chris “Never Seen a Darkie Chris” Olson - Corpusmancer

Chris “Cursing Chris” Lee - Corpusmancer

August - Return to the Grindstone

Only two appointments this month and no procedures (assuming they don't surprise me with the RFAs instantly instead of October like I expect).  Yay!

Probably the hottest month in all of recorded human history.  Boo!

Back at working on the series, specifically the readthrough.  Halfway through FM4.  Just hit 100 on my numbered notes for that book alone.  Almost 20 pages all told.  I'm definitely paying for my past self's laziness on not already doing this.  The Great Asylum School Year file grows and grows as I insert every odd, random, casually mentioned student across the whole of the series.  Ideas for the upcoming books are flying in.  Ideas for callbacks as we wrap up the school story as well.

Like...in FM4 during the recruiting trip I mentioned a 14yo girl named Marybelle who was good at making prized jams and assumed to be an Ultra Floromancer.  It's a one off reference without any real impact on the story but...that means she's Class 2013.  Thus, 2015's competition in the Winter War.  So remembering these things are very important.

Just...busy.  12 hours each, the last couple days.  Super glad I've done this.  Though having Seismic Semester sit at 10k words from being first draft complete is an itch in need of a scratch, I will say.

We'll get there, we'll get there!

July/August Seismic Semester Tease

I caught sight of Max returning from the showers already, towel thrown over his shoulders and flippered hands scrapping his knees on account of his freakishly long wingspan.  “Hey, if Tat chases Juliette then you have my permission to tackle her and hold her down until she comes to her senses.”

Max did not blanch.  Max blushed.  Guessing he had more than a few dreams that started exactly like that.  “I’m…I’m not sure I can…she’s…a whole lot of woman…”

“Well, that whole lot of woman ain’t ever gonna let you kiss her, much less do anything else with her, until you prove you’re her match, so think of this as practice.  Just…you’ve seen what she can do to a soccer ball, so make sure you cross your legs.”

“Don’t say things like that out loud!”

“The ball thing or the kissing thing?”

“All of it!”

Taking at least a week off, maybe two.  Very beat up from all the dentist and medical procedures.  Also, it has been so stupidly hot in Fresno for so many days in a row that I can barely think at the moment.

Now Introducing: Hell Fortnight

Second MBB tomorrow.  First one was miserable.  3 hours of relief into incredible pain all night.  I'm usually anywhere from a 4 to a 6, post MBB I was at least an 8.  This is, of course, with tramadol in me, so you can imagine how bad it would have been without the painkillers.  Also, I'm pretty sure I'm incredibly harsh on my pain grading scale since to me a 9 is like...physically can't get out of bed, and some of other patients I listen to at the surgery center throw them 9 and 10s around like candy.

Some of it is probably my own fault, since the minute I had that relief I was using my hand in ways I haven't been able to, flickering my fingers about and stretching the ligaments.  Another weird side effect is I regaining feeling my my left big toe, which I haven't felt in...3 years.  So, it's definitely the right spot this time around.  Super weird since they're working on my neck, not my lower back, where the actual nerves responsible for the lower extremities are located.

Nerves are weird

Went into the dentist once for crown prep.  I guess there's quite a bit of work to be done since it's so close to the gum line, so I have to go back next Thursday, extending Hell Week into Hell Fortnight.

One bright spot:  readthrough and notetaking continues despite recovering.  Finished FM3 and the Short Book, just about to start FM4.  I have ten pages of notes now.  Good stuff.  Just little details I'd forgotten or lines I can do callbacks on or ideas for future novels I've had while reading.  Getting into the LONG novels now, so doubt my progress will be as swift.  But on the other hand the writing is better, so I'm not dying of cringe like I did with FM1...

Probably going to go directly into editing Seismic Semester after I finish this.  Then when I get to the end I'll write the last 10k and...do it all over again.  Then again.  Then release.  Then flipping back between the Vicky novel and War to End All Wars.  I don't know how much more high school bullshit I can take without taking breaks...

FM3 was really important to reread for War to End All Wars since it has all the Winter Ball and Winter War info in it.  Similar to FM2 being important for Seismic Semester since it has all the Camping Test info.  Though the Camping Test in Seismic Semester is quite different since it's under new management...

And with that cruel tease, I fuck off!!!