Ashland

My Old (We)blog

2008-01-08T11:28:00.000-05:00

If you've come to this page, then you've found my old weblog. Feel free to peruse it; I had it going for a couple of years. But I've since set up my own full-blown website, Ashlock.org. So go there!

Oh, and this thing over on the left? That's my first novel, published by Wizards of the Coast. Feel free to visit Worlds of DnD message boards to talk about it.

Set the Clouds In Motion

2007-03-13T08:29:00.000-04:00

Now Showing! At an ISP near you! Don’t miss it!
Regrettably, the reemergence of that website has resulted in the loss of this one:

Ashland, 2.5, of Blogger, WWW,
reached its end Tuesday, March
13, 2007. It is survived by its
estranged older cousin, Ashlock.org.

Incidentally, until the Comment functions are enabled at Ashlock.org, please feel free to stick any feedback, suggestions, or complaints right here in this final post!

Sounds For A Rainy Day

2007-03-02T11:48:00.000-05:00

Rain is awesome. Sure, it messes with your hair and is largely unwelcome when it's too cold out, but it brings an ambience to your environment that nothing else can. It's hard to define. There's a retrospective melancholy about it.

With that in mind, there's some free music to be had that encompasses both the city and the rain (in my opinion), so don't ignore me on this one. This is creative fun stuff you really ought to tap into:

A free podcast (click here to hear it!) featuring music from Josh Wentz, my brother John, and a few others. Incidentally, my brother does an interpretive and dramatic "reading" of sorts of a short story I wrote in Hey!Quarterly, "The Rise." The whole podcast is artsty and weird but you'll enjoy it, I swear. Just listen to it. 22 minutes of your time. The theme of this podcast, and the zine is ties to, is Cities.

Four Stars, Two Bars, and Some Off White

2007-02-28T09:16:00.000-05:00

I know a lot of creative people. People who can churn stuff out that normal humans have to spend a great deal of time on and is only half as creative. One of these people is Jw (Josh Wentz for the Sidedown layperson). There's two things coming out now that may interest you if you like innovative music.

One of these is an album written and recorded within a month's time, Four Stars/Two Bars. Don't just take my word for it. Click on the name and you can listen to some samples. Do it! (Then you can actually get the whole batch of songs for $5 right here. Take that, iTunes!)

The other is an even more ambitious endeavor, because it was in the works for a while now and involved a lot of different creative people. That would be Des Sovere. Yeah, I did some brief lyrics for it, but my brother's on there, too, quite a bit. Check it out!

Cereality

2007-02-27T11:41:00.000-05:00

I have an understated fondness for breakfast cereals. Really, I could probably just have cereal each as my main meals, and supplement it by things like fruit or vegetables or occassional meat.

I'm not sure what it is—some elusive, ascetic appeal? Colorful colors? Bright friendly characters hawking tiny crunchy or flakey fragments, which may or may not contain sundry bits of fruit or marshmallows. Maybe it's just because you can make a whole meal with a bowl, a spoon, and some milk. No heating anything up. Easier than instant oatmeal (don't get me wrong, oatmeal's great)!

Maybe it's the commercials. There have been some good ones. I fondly recall the Gremlins cereal, and C3POs, and my all time favorite: Crispy Critters. Sure, the cereal was decidedly Kix-like and tasteless. But look at those cute little yellow animals! Count me in!

Or maybe it's because there's a bazillion different ones to choose from. And c'mon, it's the best aisle in the store! I still have many favorites. Maybe I don't have the ultra-sugared ones, and maybe I use skim milk now, but it's still good stuff. Cracklin' Oat Bran, Super Golden Crisp, Frosted Mini-Wheats, among others, or any of the fun imitations of these. I love the alternate names the imitation brands have. Marshmellow Mateys, for example.

So what is/was your favorite cereal??

Edit: I never liked the Lucky Charms and Trix commercials. Those kids were mean! I was ashamed to be one myself! I think the rule is, if you're featured on the box and the cereal is named after you or inspired by you, you're allowed to eat it. Geez!

[In the year 2000]: "U2 will admit that they wrote the song ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ after going to three supermarkets looking for Boo-Berry cereal.” — The Edge

Beware the Ides of March

2007-02-21T08:21:00.000-05:00

I'll admit, it was pretty darn cold the last couple weeks. The photo above was taken on my street just before the deep cold set in and froze our minimal snow. But with the sudden increase in temperature, I fear this may be the turning point. Alas for the Snow Dog, who isn't as victorious this year. My arch-nemesis, the Summer, is waving to me in mockery from the far horizon. I won't let it come without a fight.

The end of this weblog is near! It is almost time for rebirth. Fear it!

In the meantime—and I'll be talking about this more over at Ashlock.com when it's up and running—you really ought to check out Hey! Quarterly, a zine put out by the esteemed Mr. Wentz. Another bunch of cool people contributed. Myself included.

Dark Echelon

2007-02-14T21:10:00.000-05:00

All right, so. I've been DMing (Dungeon Mastering, refereeing, for the laymen) virtually non-stop since I discovered the D&D game when I was about 11, taking an unintentional hiatus in the hobby only during my shadow years.*

While I've always wanted to play (not referee) in a game or two, I never had the opportunity....but the truth is, I love running a game. I've been running a single tabletop D&D campaign (mixing Forgotten Realms and Ravenloft and even Planescape) for more than 7 years now, and it's had its ups and downs, laughs, and tears (really!), and I'd invested an unimaginable amount of time on it over the years. In fact, the game is still technically going...it's just that we (all six of us) have a very hard time meeting up anymore for a million and one reasons. Yet my need to create a story endures....

So. I'm selfishly throwing together for myself an upcoming play-by-post game set in the world of Eberron (I'm too invested now in this setting NOT to choose it!), in which I've gathered** together a cadre of Web-present friends who I'd never have otherwise been able to game with. Being a play-by-post game, it will play to what I hope is my strength (writing) and avoid what I know is my weakness (speaking).

This campaign is tentatively titled Dark Echelon. Now, I'm still in the middle of writing an Eberron book. In fact, as far as sheer wordcount goes, I'm just about exactly halfway. So as incentive to get it done, I won't be starting this Eberron game until I've made a substantial leap forward. I'm hoping to have Dark Echelon built into the upcoming new face ofAshlock.org so anyone who's curious can check it out. I even snagged me acouple other WotC authors for the game. Suckers!

* College.
** Some would say shanghaied.

NYC vs. Winter

2007-02-14T08:36:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK—The Big Apple braces for the coming fury of the powers of Niflheim, the Norse realm of ice, heralded on Wednesday morning by a fall of light sleet and a thin layer of snow upon the ground.

Mayor Bloomberg says New York is armed with hundreds of snowplows and salt spreaders and ready to take on the frost giants of Thrym and the ice devils from Cania, the Eighth Layer of Baator. The mayor told reporters at City Hall that there are 1,000 sanitation workers on duty tonight to operate 365 salt spreaders, which he calls "our first line of defense against the snow oozes and ice toads." The city has about 185-thousand tons of rock salt stored at 38 sites in the five boroughs. The city will also have 2,000 trucks with snow plows attached ready to go by midnight tonight, though none of these will be defendable from the frostfell yetis expected to soon run rampant.

Excavation

2007-02-07T09:33:00.000-05:00

The preliminary excavation* and amelioration of the website formerly and currently known as Ashlock.org is nearing its end. I'll let you know when it's actually in place. I haven't much to say right now. The world is still spinning and is still full of problems enough to make my own seem paltry (I'm beginning to think turning on the news in the morning is a bad idea), but at least it's spinning with the Northern Hemisphere angled further from the sun than the South's. Hence, I'm not beset by the cruel summer rays. That's what I say.

One more piece of news: If you like good music, you really ought to look into Des Sovere, a collaborative effort somewhat partnered with that Sidedown Monograph #1. I had only a tiny hand in it myself but I've heard several tracks so far and I think it's awesome.

* I and I in the sky

Repairman Jack

2007-01-24T16:50:00.000-05:00

There's a lot of Jacks going around. Always have been. Jack Skellington, Jack Bauer, Jack Sparrow, Jack Sparks. Here's a new one—or more correctly, an older one: Repairman Jack (created by F. Paul Wilson). My editor recommended the Repairman Jack books around the time when I was working on my Eberron submission, but it wasn't until after I started working on my own book that I got around to reading one of them.

And I'm hooked. So I'm highly recommending these books to anyone. This isn't science-fiction and it sure isn't fantasy, but it does straddle the line between mystery and horror. They're fast paced, well-written, and tell some great stories that center around one man. Those of you who watch "24," think of Jack Bauer, only off the books, no credit cards, no social security number, doesn't work for the government at all, and replace all the high-tech CTU technology with one man's innovation and his career of "fixing" things. Prior to finding these books, I really couldn't imagine a non-fantasy book to be so engaging. But I was delightfully wrong.

If even one reader someday draws some comparison between my Eberron protagonist and Repairman Jack, I'll be honored. I'll admit the influence is there, even though I never intended it. My character has a very different background, but the end result isn't so far off from Just Jack.

If you have any interest in this at all, start with the first book that kicks off the series: The Tomb (which has nothing to do with a tomb, thanks to the original publisher's misguided marketing).

El Laberinto del Fauno

2007-01-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

Pan's Labyrinth is a movie I recommend to anyone who can stomach a bit of severe and shocking violence—though nothing on par with Apocolypto or other gory films—and doesn't mind reading subtitles.

It's a beautiful movie and a very intruging fairy tale. My only issue with it is that the English title is rather misleading. There's a big difference between a faun (woodland creature/spirit with goat horns and legs) and Pan himself (a faun-like god in Greek myths). In this story, we are introduced to a faun, not the lascivious deity.

Beyond that, this movie is visually and thematically amazing. Please go see it to keep encouraging directors to make movies like this. But don't bring your kids, of course. There's some scary stuff in this movie.

Fighting Off Death For 30 Years

2007-01-10T16:20:00.000-05:00

In Dungeons & Dragons, there's a spell called deathwatch that assesses the condition of people around you and determines their status in relation to death. The only categories are: dead, fragile (alive and wounded), fighting off death (more alive but still possibly wounded), undead, or neither alive nor dead (such as a construct). I love that. Even at a person's healthiest, they are still just "fighting off death." Its a tad nihilistic, perhaps, but I find it charming.

Seems like only yesterday
We would sit and talk of dreams all night
Dreams of youth
And simple truths
Now wer're all so involved
So involved with life

I jumped forward through time today, and I'm pensive about it. I just turned 30, you see. I'm pretty quiet about birthdays (mine and most others), but try as I may to downplay the significance of humanity's counting system and the coincidental landmarks of time, I'm still retrospective on this occassion. Well, why not?

"Take that, decades!" Josh said.

"In your face, multiples of ten!" I added.

But I do feel okay about it. I'm content where I'm at and what I've done by this stage of my life.

But even when I am grey

I'll still be grey my way

Yeah

Never Winter

2007-01-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

Well, we had a lovely spring weekend here in New York, over 72º, with some moderate showers. Which would have been fine, except that it's freakin' winter. And moreover, it's January. We should be buried in snow right about now. I'm one of the few New Yorkers who seems to enjoy the seasonal variations that Earth's axial tilt affords us. Also, everyone around me seems to want to be in Florida-like climate. This just goes to show how insidious Summer is. I'm onto you, Summer, and all your warm-weathered cultists!

In other news, I finally got my new computer. I love it, and the game of Neverwinter Nights 2 that I was given for Christmas from a friend. I rarely play computer/video games, but when I do, I become an addict.

Two Thousand Seven

2007-01-01T11:04:00.000-05:00

2006 is dead, may it rest in peace. 2007, be gentle. Although 2006 brought many good things, it also brought things I'm happy to leave behind. I wish good health and restless kineticism upon you all!

The new Ashlock.org has come, though it must begun under construction and will currently only redirect you back here for the time being. But look for developments to come. Thanks to Josh Wentz for its new look.

Here's a toast: to a prosperous year!
To the new chandelier!

Masters of Christmas

2006-12-27T08:14:00.000-05:00

I'm hoping everyone passed through Christmas unscathed. On our end, only one immediate family member in the hospital. Nothing terribly serious, but big enough to need to be in the hospital. We're still waiting for a affliction-free Christmas one of these years. That would be nice.

The holiday is certainly the entire season, as the day itself is generally not half as fun as the all-around Christmas atmosphere. Even so, I received some cool stuff this time around. The main piece being a new computer—which, although I selected and purchased (and eagerly await) it, was greatly assisted by my parents and my wife.

Oh yeah, and I got another season of He-Man, some good music, and other Christmas sundries. Too many damned cookies, though.

12 Things of Christmas

2006-12-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

I proposed to Marisa under the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree (I think it was their largest tree to date) three years ago. It seemed pretty unimaginative, for me, but it still worked out: she was happy and we did get married, after all.
A few years ago I put together the song "Blitzen the Red-Nosed Reindeer," with a little help from Harry Connick Jr. If you're interested in hearing it, let me know.
Several years ago my brother—clutz that he is—knocked over (more accurately, pulled down) my mom's mantle display, a tangled string of garland, lights, and figurines. Each item crashed down individually in a rain of Christmas mayhem. Classic John LaSala. I'd pay good money to have had a good video recording of that.
One year Marisa's mom dressed up as Santa and went around to the tenants in their house, wishing everyone "Meri Kissmas and Api New Ear!" Her Mom speaks Italian and Spanish only.
Marisa's cat, Misty, once jumped up onto their tree to attack an ornament and brought down the whole tree. I suspect this is a common feline/Christmas occurance among cat people.
In 2001, Wizards of the Coast statted out Nicholas the Gift-Giver in D&D mechanics. The short version is that Santa Claus is a human 13th-level druid, 5th-level cleric, and 3rd-level rogue. Who'd have thought?
A homeless lady—who later turned out to be a missing statue of Mother Mary transformed into human form!—helped MacGuyver learn the True Meaning of Christmas™ in the 1989 episode "The Madonna."
When I was 4, we lived in Belgium. We went to see St. Nicholas, and I didn't like whatever present he gave me (can't remember what it was), so I got upset and my mom took me back to him to exchange the present with something else. What a little jerk.
Some Earth children and a robotic puppy helped Skeletor, briefly, to learn the True Meaning of Christmas™ in the 1985 He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special.
Last year I wrote the lyrics for Frosty the Warforged, and then had the nerve to share it with my fellow Eberron authors this year. And then I went and made an animated .gif out of the accompanying image. What's wrong with me?
Scrooged is one awesome movie.
In Italy there is a tradional folk character called La Befana, who is much akin to Santa Claus (Babbo Natale). She's a witch-like, broom-riding, toothless, housecleaning crone who leaves candy in socks for children and coal for bad children. There's a song that goes with it, in which La Befana is described, and which concludes with her being only "your mother," after all. Then there's a festival wherein an effigy of La Befana is constructed, then burned. So they're...er...burning their mom? Italians are weird.

Share a holiday thought!

Dark Castle

2006-12-18T08:44:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's a side effect of growing older, but I've been thinking this year more than any other how much I miss the early computer games. The only game console I ever had was Atari (never had Nintendo, or Sega Genesis, and certainly none of the fancier ones out today), so computer games have always been predominant in my mind. Specifically, for the Macintosh my father brought home one day in the mid-80s. Among the handful of wonderful games—that was probably as influential to my imagination as He-Man was—was a game called Dark Castle.

The premise was simple: you play a young peasant guy, Duncan, and you enter the castle and defeat the Black Knight because, presumably, he's bad. You pick up bags of stones and throw them at just about everything you can—dodging guards, rats, vultures, mutants, gargoyles, the flaming eye, dragons, and...brooms—until further into the game you gain the ability to turn your rocks turn into fireballs. In the end, you could beat the Black Knight by entering his throne room and pulling five chains that crumbled the pillars beneath his throne. When the fifth pillar cracks, the Black Knight stands up and shouts and then topples into a pit.

Of course, he came back in Beyond Dark Castle.

I know this isn't as interesting to anyone else, but dang...I miss that game. They made a colorized version of it later but it's still only for Macs and I never did go back to Macs. Sad.

So if you could bring back any game from your childhood, what would it be?

What's Black and Red and Fun to Read?

2006-12-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

Until yesterday I was excited about getting the Monograph book thingy of Josh's design. But now that I have it, I'm what I believe dignified philologists call stoked. This thing is really top quality, the perfect size*, and as you can see in the image above, looks good under a Christmas tree.

*It's not as small as a mass market, not as cumbersome as a hardcover novel. It's like a handbook or something. And completely filled with nonsensical and yet well-orchestrated creativity. I'm not really as much a visual art enthusiast as I once fancied myself, but I really dig the art in this book.

More than anything, it makes me wish I had a lot of money so I could buy a copy for just about everybody I know and like. But I can't. So all I can do is say that if you're willing to pick this thing up, you won't regret it. Plus my brother's "bio" section had me actually LOLing (which doesn't happen as often as LOL is used).

To Josh: This book came out great, better than I expected. Kudos to Josh for pulling this thing off.

Endings

2006-12-08T13:48:00.000-05:00

Nothing compliments a cold December day (the only kind I like) like hardcore Mayan action-adventure! Even since I started researching for my work in the DCC world gazetteer, I've been interested in Mesoamerican cultures and myths. I got to invent some new fantasy cultures based on the Aztecs, Mayanss, Incas, etc. So Apocalypto is really right up my alley, which I shall be seeing tonight.

And all the stuff on the news right now about Mel Gibson? Come on. People really need to pay attention to their own lives.

Edit: The movie was excellent. If you can stomach a bit more violence and gore than most movies, it's well worth seeing. Especial on a big, big screen. Note: try not to sit too close; I myself didn't have a choice.

The Fourth Dimension Is Crossed

2006-11-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

1 - Monograph update: if any of you really don't know what to make of this strange book that keeps getting mentioned, a more concise explanation can be found here, along with a description of all its contributors. Thanks for that, Josh!

2 - Can I just say, as much work as it is, I'm such a sucker for setting consistency. It's been fun contacting—perhaps some would say pestering—various Eberron authors and Wizards of the Coast employees (mostly my editor) on various points. Like most writers, I've long since harbored my own world ideas, but for now, I'm having a blast playing around in a pre-existing setting. Eberron really has grown on me.

3 - On the Goodman Games front, I've committed myself to another project. What's wrong with me? It's not like I'm swimming in free time. I'm really not. The dayjob has been rough lately and there's always much to do at home. But somehow I'm doing this anyway.

Joseph Goodman was nice enough to pass along this along from a GM (gamemaster) who posted on a public forum, regarding my module, DCC #31:

"I volunteered at my local game store to run an event for InternationalD&D Game Day (Nov. 4). This is what I put together: It's a simplified dungeon for Dungeon Crawl Classics: The Transmuter'sLast Touch made from Castlemolds. I had to shorten a lot of the hallways to get it to fit on the table, and a lot of the pieces don'thave finishing touches (a lot of hallways are missing walls even), but the players seemed to really enjoy it. Thanks to Goodman Games for an adventure that I think turned some newplayers on to D&D!"

The Artifice of Many

2006-11-13T11:18:00.000-05:00

I'm hesitant to promote something too much that I'm involved in, even here on my weblog. Sure, there's a boxed set out with my name on it, but that thing is expensive. I'll talk all about it but I won't go asking people to head out and lay down the cash for it. You've got to really be into gaming or fantasy for that. It's not enough just to know me.

So the second time I will really promote something will be my actual Eberron novel, whenever it comes out—possibly after pigs fly, which is a distinct possibility. Heh.

But the first time I'll really promote something and say, "Hey, this thing is really cool—you should buy it," is right now. I'm a fan of collaboration, and also a fan of several of the people involved in this particular project:

Sidedown Monograph #1, a book mentioned previously here and in other places, too. You can get the book itself for $50, or a book and an undoubtedly kick-ass CD for $60 during this presale timeframe. The sooner the better, too, since there are actually limited edition (with cool extra stuff) copies going first. I'm getting a free copy myself, but I'm still laying down some money so my parents can have one (what with their too artsy-fartsy sons being involved in it).

Monographical Mania

2006-11-08T17:44:00.000-05:00

In five days' time (Monday the 13th), should you be interested, you will be able to pre-order Sidedown Monograph #1. I've got a short story in there, my brother has some writings, as do misters Ed Gentry and Harley Stroh, my brother, Jeremy Simmons, a handful of others....and of course the man who put all this together, Josh Wentz.

So what the heck is this monograph thing that a few weblogs have mentioned? Basically, an unorthodox and well-ordered, thematic collection of multi-media art. It even ties in with a CD of original music by yet another (and overlaping) group of creative people. Josh Wentz is again at the hub of that project.

If anyone's interested, check in at Sidedown.org or here again on Monday. You can get a pretty sweet package of both book and CD during the presale period. I've seen some of this stuff, and heard some of it. It's worth having.

Bound By Iron

2006-11-03T16:37:00.000-05:00

This is what book #1 in the Inquisitives series—written by Ed Bolme—will look like. I can't emphasize enough how fortunate I am to eventually have the same artist for my book's cover art.

The artist is Michael Komarck. Aside from a ton of amazing paintings he's done—you can spend an hour persing his website and drooling at the samples (http://www.komarckart.com)—
he also did covers for Don Bassingthwaite's Dragon Below trilogy for Eberron.

Halloween

2006-10-30T06:11:00.000-05:00

Does anyone carve pumpkins anymore? Other than on TV? Well, I suppose the Bronx isn't the best place to gauge current American trends.

In any case, let it never be said that a LaSala (specifically, myself and my wife) does not find some way to celebrate Halloween. It will eternally be both a holiday and an anniversary for us. In this case, two years.

Eberron, At Last

2006-10-18T18:10:00.000-04:00

So I’ve got an announcement to make. If you’d rather skip my self-indulgent, long-winded build-up (it's more for me than you), just scroll down the bottom of the post.

The story goes like this:

- 2002: Wizards of the Coast (WotC) held an open call to create a new campaign setting for them to develop...i.e. a new fantasy world for the D&D game that would lead to new sourcebooks, novels, comics, and even computer games. My brother and I pitched an idea—one of the 11,000, apparently—but nothing came of that. The winner for that contest was Keith Baker, who introduced to the fantasy genre the new setting of Eberron. I was skeptical at first, but I've since joined the fold. It's an excellent world.

- 2003: Wizards of the Coast held an open call to write a Forgotten Realms novel that would be called Maiden of Pain. Even though hundreds were denied, many were kindled to write again, and I was among them. I'd known since I was a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up —even if I couldn’t make a career of it, which very few can—but I only dabbled and procrastinated for so many years. This contest kicked me into motion. Thanks, Wizards!
The message board discussions that resulted from this contest introduced me to some good friends. Ed Gentry I met on the WotC boards due to a Rush lyric in his signature. (How appropriate.) Soon enough—although I probably exchanged posts with him prior to this—Ed introduced me to Harley Stroh. In the wake of the Maiden contest, both Ed and Harley landed short stories in the book Realms of the Dragons II. I didn’t make even the “short list” on that one. Kameron Franklin was the winner of the Maiden of Pain contest. That book has now been out for a while. Through Ed and Harley and their many online acquaintances I have since come to a few other wordwrights, such as Marcy Rockwell. And through these acquaintances a fair amount more.

- 2004: Wizards of the Coast hosted another open call, this time for a novel set within the world of Eberron. I joined in along with approximately 500 others, but this time I did make the “short list.” I pursued that course for more than a year when, and, well, it took me long enough, but I finally succeeded.

The announcement, then:

I have signed a contract for an Eberron novel, what will be book #4 in the upcoming stand-alone series The Inquisitives. The first three will be authored by Ed Bolme, Paul Crilley, and the aforementioned Marcy Rockwell, respectively. I'm truly happy to be given this opportunity—owing many thanks to many people—and honored to be among such company.

Details about the book may trickle down in time, but this is all I can say about it for now.

Witch Hunt

2006-10-17T08:55:00.000-04:00

Three things:

1. Visited Salem over the weekend and had great fun. The fellow on the left was only one of many decorations. The best part about that town is that just about every day in October in Salem is more festive than Halloween anywhere else. Halloween is too watered down these days, largely the result of fearful parents (perhaps rightly so). Salem is also a great historical site, and the numerous tours and museums there really paint a good picture of life in the late 1600s in colonial America. Good stuff.

2. Josh Wentz is putting out a Sidedown monograph that compliments his site and showcases a number of artists (literary, visual, and even musical). It's a big deal, and you can read more about it here.

3. A big announcement is coming soon.

Dungeon Master and the Lord of Blades

2006-10-11T06:22:00.000-04:00

Dragon magazine issue #349, page 13, contains an ad for the DCC gazetteer. Harley, Mike, and I are all named, sharing page space with an ad for the soon to be released DVD of the old Dungeons & Dragons cartoon and miniatures of a pit fiend and Eberron's Lord of Blades.

As a longtime geek and longtime reader of Dragon, this is thrilling.

(If anyone wants to see who doesn't have the magazine, let me know; I'll send you a scan.)

October

2006-10-09T10:20:00.000-04:00

I certainly can't complain about the uneventfulness of my life. When I look back on the majority of my 20s (I'm now 29) and I'm more than a little disappointed in my lack of writing during that time. I spent too much time dreaming and too little time doing, spending more effort on my own long-running D&D campaign than on my would-be writing career. All of that changed between 2002 and 2003 thanks to WotC and its open calls. More about that another time—but for now it suffices to say that I'm not wanting for more projects; I'm fully enmeshed in a few and very happy for it.

On the non-writing front, Marisa and I have been taking some much-needed weekend trips recently. Last week we visited Amish country in the town of Paradise, Bird-in-Hand, and Intercourse in Pennsylvania (returning the day before the horrifying shooting). It isn't just farms and produce down there—we also played miniature golf (hadn't done that since I lived in California about half my life ago) and went to a local Halloween festival.

This coming weekend we've got plans to visit Salem, MA, because God forbid you dare to approach that place on Halloween. (You have to book more than a year advance and have tons of cash available to make that worthwhile, fehh!) We're staying at the Salem Waterfront Hotel (lucky on our part, since most of the hotels in the area are full) and taking part in various Halloween and historical events. I like a place that celebrates a non-Christmas holiday for a full month.

But October overall is a favorite month of mine. It means cooler weather (usually) and it culminates with my anniversary (aka Halloween). This year will be our second.

The Northlands of Áereth

2006-09-27T08:54:00.000-04:00

Goodman Games has posted another preview of the DCC world boxed set. This time, a portion of the first chapter of the Gazetteer which features some of the Northlands. Check out Stroherific goodness therein!

Coming Soon...

2006-09-26T12:36:00.000-04:00

...to a Web host near you.

Creation Myth of Áereth

2006-09-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

A free 17-page preview has been posted over at Goodman Games for the Dungeon Crawl Classics boxed set. You can download it directly by clicking these words if you're so inclined. This is a pdf copy of the 1st chapter in the GM's Book of the set, which details the creation myth and ancient history of the world of Áereth.

This is one of the chapters that I wrote. Looking back on it, I think I'd have made some changes here and there but all in all I'm pretty happy with it. I had a lot of fun—and a little bit of stressing—coming up with a whole new pantheon, trying to stay consistant with the material from existing books, keeping to the generic tone of the DCC line, and yet trying to stay original.

The artwork is excellent, I might add. Thanks, Harley, for the shout out. And the cover art for the books within the set are really cool, too (as seen above). Good job, Jeremy.

Submissions

2006-09-13T15:11:00.000-04:00

God knows I'm a little too busy right now to do anything with this—which is a good thing—but I don't want to let it go unnoticed either. Wizards of the Coast is actively receiving submissions (not really a contest, per se) for a some new fiction line, a "contemporary or historical setting but with the addition of some SF, fantasy, and/or horror elements."

That's right up my alley. But my alley is, amazingly, quite cluttered right now.

I encourage anyone with any real interest in writing to consider it. This seems like the kind of submission you could easily hold onto and use for yourself even if you get rejected. Kind of win-win, you know? I know from experience that just entering one of these open calls helps kindle the literary drive.

Details here.

9/11

2006-09-11T10:08:00.000-04:00

I don't know what the significance of five years is, and I've always thought it somewhat arbritrary to place some sort of value on the cycle of 365 days, the chance distance around the sun...but why not? Most traditions are arbritrary.

All over, people are commemorating the events of 9/11 today. Marisa and I, who witnessed firsthand the World Trade Center devastation, haven't really done anything different...but we're both thinking about it. How can you not?

I don't yet know if I could yet stomach watching the new World Trade Center movie, but by chance, I did end up watching United 93 last night (at someone else's house, and they just put it on). I've never seen any action movie half as tense as that one. The power of that movie is simply its realism.

If you can, check out Paul Kemp's thoughts on today. Both introspective and warming.

Tarrying

2006-08-29T09:25:00.000-04:00

I haven't had much to say recently, but I will soon. Promise.

Incidentally, I attended a show this last weekend, a downtown Manhattan dance theater kind of thing. The music, my brother's, was awesome.

One Humanoid Escapee

2006-08-17T08:43:00.000-04:00

Escapee episode #50 has been posted! The serial will now go on hiatus as I direct my attention elsewhere for a few months. I tried to give the story arc some measure of closure and tying up only a few loose ends. And also wanted to make it a pseudo-cliffhanger.

Josh Wentz also went and made a kick-ass interpretation of Unit 74-1, better known to anyone who reads the serial as Ion. Check it out here and make it your wallpaper. I sure did! Thanks, Josh! Keep doing stuff like that.

Josh will also soon be redesigning Ashlock.org so it'll actually be a functional and informational website. I owe him much for that.

GenCon 2006: The Fastest Four Days in Gaming

2006-08-14T13:22:00.000-04:00

I have only one regret about this year's GenCon. I didn't join in a single RPG gaming session, a calamity I intend to remedy next year with a little bit of planning. I did, however, purchase and play Zombies!!! a couple times (Jess and Marisa won those games, escaping via helecopter as the rest of us became zombie food).

And that's that, because the rest of the GenCon was excellent. I got to hang out with people who I've previously known only via email (notably Jeremy Simmons, the meritorious cartographer for the Dungeon Crawl Classics line—among other things), do a signing at Goodman Games and snagging some more books.

Also did some networking, some of which was entirely accidental. More about that another day. If anyone is interested in seeing some GenCon photos, say so!

The Indy d20

2006-08-08T15:23:00.000-04:00

It's time to jump a fourth of the way across the country to convene with a bunch of geeks and friends.

Geeky friends. Are there better?

I'm sure I'll have photos and stories upon my return.

Also, Escapee episode #49 has been posted. (Episode #50 will be a cliffhanger to precede an Escapee hiatus, so be sure to check back in next week...or the week after!)

First Book

2006-08-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

I feel like such a little kid. Copies of DCC #31 just came out today, and so I braved the scorching sun to retrieve a copy of my own. Yeah, I was probably the first person to buy it, my own adventure. What a dork. But it was worth it.

GenCon looms, and I'm really getting excited. I don't even have a very frantic schedule for "the best four days in gaming." It's mostly just the hanging out, spectating, and people-meeting that's going to make it fun.

For those non-gamer friends of mine, don't worry, the GenCon posts will pass soon.

Edit: Escapee episode 48 has been posted.

GenCon Signings

2006-07-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

If anyone wanted to assassinate me for any reason, here is the best way to find out where and when I'll be, at least for a block of two hours on August 10th. Because Goodman Games has posted the official "signing" schedule right here. Check it out. There's a handful of folks on that schedule I can't wait to meet.

And look, crazy Mr. Stroh is on there four times! He'll be easy to spot. Look for a vaguely humanoid-shaped blur. He'll come into clear focus, though, if you can get him to talk to you. Which is actually quite easy to do.

Signing. I think it's too early in my part-time writing career to give any real opinion on it. I'm intrigued at the notion, flattered by the invitation to do it, and astounded that my signature would ever really be wanted. Then again, I certainly have attended signings over the years—namely, R.A. Salvatore (several times), Geddy Lee, Sarah McLachlan, Maire Brennan, and a few other scattered authors. I guess since I don't consider myself to be in the caliber, or the shadow, of these big names. But truth be told, I'm happy just to have a copy of a book with both Ed Gentry's and Harley Stroh's signature in it. And they're my friends more than they are authors to me.

Well, it's all very interesting. Here's to happy kobolds and good friends!

Incidentally, a new Escapee has just been posted. Episode 47.

GenCon: Gamers and Kobolds

2006-07-25T16:33:00.000-04:00

Most excellent. I'm rather glad that the first book in print with my name on the cover will be light grey (or is that very light violet?)—not yellow.

So GenCon draws near. Lots to be excited about therein, too (as even a casual hop over on various other gamer weblogs will show you), including:

Watching Harley run a game session.
Watching someone who's not me run an adventure I wrote.
Do a signing for the DCC world boxed set. A signing. Weird.
Meeting a whole bunch of people whose names I've looked at for quite a long time, including new novelists, but have never seen.
And maybe, just once, I'll get to play in a game as a player.

This means the only thing I'm not looking forward to is the Indiana heat. Although New York isn't much better, so I really can't complain. By the way, what's up with the GenCon passes not coming with little plastic sleeves and strings this year? Or am I the only one without?

Áereth continued...

2006-07-19T12:44:00.000-04:00

The new DCC World boxed set is starting to get some serious hype. It's weird for me to see tons of people saying they'd lay $70 down on a book they really don't know too much about.

Here's a thread over at Enworld, arguably the largest Web community centered around the d20 system and Dungeons & Dragons especially. Then of course there's this big thread at Goodman Games.

I'm sure I've seen more. If anyone else knows where message boards may be talking about it, let me know! Thanks!

In totally unrelated news:

Marisa and I delivered another stray kitten safely away from the roadkill-ridden streets of our Bronx neighborhood. We were lucky enough to find a "no-kill" shelter in under 24 hours, too.

I'm working on a small writing gig for Jw at the present, and Escapee is in a bit of a limbo at the moment as I try and figure out what I'll be doing over the next few months.

The Known Realms of Áereth

2006-07-09T18:54:00.000-04:00

Áereth is the name we've given the world itself, and the Known Realms are what we call those areas that are mapped and detailed within. This is a boxed set, folks, with tons of books and maps and pretty pictures. Something that Harley Stroh, Mike Ferguson, and myself have worked a lot on over the last year. Not to mention Jeremy Simmons, the cartographer.

And it's finally gotten officially announced. So there it is! It's literally one month from release.

Read more about it here!

Progress Has No Patience

2006-06-26T14:05:00.000-04:00

On many fronts, I have a reason to be anxious, not the least of which is surgery that my mother-in-law will undergo tomorrow, whose outcome affects the development of the rest of this summer. In itself, no matter how tiny or large it is, surgery is a scary thing. For those of you thus inclined, a small prayer would be most appreciated.

Let's talk about this sensibly
We're not insensitive
I know progress has no patience
But something's got to give

Certitude is nearly upon me, absolution in one form or another. I have never known the price of patience until the last few months, but soon I shall know its results.

Given my profusion of taut nerves this week, and the sheer amount of goings-on, Escapee will be taking a break until next week.

A Date with Fate in a Black Sedan

2006-06-21T08:26:00.000-04:00

...Or maybe a PT Cruiser.

As I get older, my thoughts—and likely most others' thoughts—have become more retrospective. In so doing, I realize, not for the first time, that a lot of [arguably] important milestone in my life have come late. Others, right on time.

A driver's license at age 16. Nice n' early.
Made Eagle Scout at age 17 and about 364 days. A little last minute.
Graduating high school at age 18. About right.
Met my future wife at age 21. Perfect.
Married her at age 27. Late, by some standards, but probably about average for my generation.
First small publications, between ages 27-29. I'd hoped for sooner, but I'm trying not to look back.
Got a car at age 29, with the prodigious help of my parents, in a gesture that will no doubt accelerate me to owning a house sooner than later. I'd say within 1d4 years.
And if I'm really fortunate, I might even be able to say published a novel at age 30 or 31. The next few months may determine THAT. That's not bad at all, if I can rig it.

And maybe, just maybe, add Kinder to the chronology in the coming years. Until then, I'll just stick to Kinder Eggs.

In other news, Escapee episode 46 has been posted over at Josh's orangerific Sidedown.

Defiance

2006-06-13T15:18:00.000-04:00

"Overall, there should be more red pandas in the world."
— Marisa Monica LoPrete LaSala

Also, Escapee episode 45 has been posted.

Residual Magic

2006-06-05T07:41:00.000-04:00

The official posting for my first solo publication is up at Goodman Games. It's number 31 in the Dungeon Crawl Classics line and is titled The Transmuter's Last Touch*. Originally I named it Residual Magic when I handed it in to Joseph Goodman more than a year ago now, but he renamed it, I suppose, to give it a more retro-D&D-sounding name. (Currently the module is shown with a yellow background, but I'm trying to convince Goodman to go with a different color. Something more like this, methinks.)

Note that it's only going to be $2! Goodman likes to do these occassional super-affordable adventures as a promotion, and my mini-adventure is the module of choice.

* (For the uninitiated, transmutation is a school of magic in D&D that involves the changing of forms, physically or otherwise. )

A new Escapee, espisode 44, is up now.

Thoughts Free Flow

2006-05-30T16:10:00.000-04:00

Even though I've known for most of my life that I wanted to write it really wasn't until the last few years that it became necessary—not just as a background desire, rather a demanding presence in the fore. No matter where I am or what I am doing, I am always at least partially thinking about whatever my latest writing project is. This absolutely does not stop. Actual words spring to mind sporadically, specific phrasings of specific imagined scenes, which I usually try to get written down if I can—wherever I may be.

Not to say that it's all actually any good. Just that it is. Sometimes it feels like an affliction, like constant streaming audio (or sometimes, cinematic video) broadcast down from some roving satellite that I simply can't turn off. Most of it might be static, but literal words get through randomly and they're not bad. And if I fail to write some of it down somehow, as is often the case, when later try and rewrite the same scene, the wording isn't as good. It's already passed.

I might just be nuts, too.

Oh, by the way, I'm very much in the brainstorming stage of the reinvention of my website, Ashlock.org, which may arise soon-ish with the help of a very prolific friend. If anyone has any genuine ideas of what they'd like to see on that website, please let me know either right here or by email. I really want my site to be useful and enjoyable. Right now it's just...bleh.

We're up to Escapee episode 43 now, by the way.

Also in recency, I've become quite responsive to the Texas-based bands Flyleaf and Blue October, or at least to their albums, the self-titled Flyleaf and Foiled respectively. If anyone's interested in a sample, let me know.

In closing, despite all this self-indulgent drivel, I want to say again that the most unsung person I know personally is my wife, whose burdens are many and respites are few. I want to give her everything I can, unworthy as I feel.

Birthdays and Weddings

2006-05-16T08:47:00.000-04:00

Today is my wife's birthday, and she's home and sick with a nasty, unforgiving cold. Not the ideal celebratory situation and one I really wish I could remedy somehow. As it is, I'm at work and as swamped with work as ever. It's also rainy out.

Speaking of rain, it rained all weekend in Indiana, where Marisa and I attended Ed and Lara's wedding. Congratulations the joint writer/editor duo, and you can read the truth behind this union at Choose Death. The ceremony was refreshingly simple and sweet and the space—University of Indiana's Cultural Art Center—was airy, bright, and green, qualities we didn't have at our own autumn-dark wedding. Which makes me think, early Spring and mid-autumn are probably the best time for a wedding. Followed by midwinter, and ultimately, summer (blech).

Escapee 41 went up last week.

Beneath a Lonely Desert Sun

2006-05-04T09:33:00.000-04:00

The next episode in Escapee, episode 40, is up now. Finally. You should check out the latest look of Josh's Sidedown anyway, and some of the accolades he's getting at other sites. Go look. Now.

We're—Marisa and myself—mostly set now for GenCon this year. The big Goodman Games tournament I contributed one room to, so I'm hoping to stop in and see what that all looks like. Harley is running a module, but the registration was full within 10 minutes of it becoming available. Regardless, I hope to stop in and see the most energetic geekmaster in Indiana that day do his thing. Turns out one of the modules I wrote is also going to be run by some GM (game master) who Goodman appointed—I can't truly convey how weird that is to me. And that single session, too, has a full registration. Of course, that's a testament to the popularity of Goodman's Dungeon Crawl Classic series, but it's cool to be a part of it.

I'm still holding my breath on something else, so that's all for now for me.

One more thing I want to say. My wife is amazing. While I'm juggling the franticness (I think 'franticity' should be a word) of my dayjob and an attempted writing career, she's fighting half the world and challenging the entire Medicare/Medicaid system just so her parents can stay alive. Her father lives on an oxygen machine and her mom needs total knee replacement surgery imminently and they have but a trickle of an income. Securing medical coverage is a feat in itself. I swear, if Marisa wasn't draining herself dry fighting for the things she does, everyone around her would be a pale shadow of themselves. Myself included.

Some days are stressful beyond expression, but I always feel I was both fortunate and wise in marrying her. I keep at my desk a picture of her but also a plant she once gave me. The plant's name is Marisa II.

Have I come to, too soon for you?

2006-04-18T15:24:00.000-04:00

I am currently in a literary cocoon. Not undergoing metamorphosis or anything so grand, but made to spin and weave on my own for a bit and be dormant for a little while longer. Then I'll return again, for good or evil. My inner workings are presently speculative, inquisitorial, investigative.

What's up with all the volatile comments on my weblog anyway? Thanks a lot, Wentz.

A new episode of Escapee will come soon. Scouts Honor.

A Ghost of Mist Was On the Field

2006-04-14T08:27:00.000-04:00

Not much to report. Yet. But here's to crossing my fingers and saying that maybe I will have something to talk about soon.

It's Good Friday today. Living with an Italian family, that means a fish dinner, church, and my own desire to see The Passion of the Christ a second time. Not exactly the kind of flick you can just pop in any old weekend. But it's one of those things that I just want to feel. I care little for the particulars, but at the core, that depiction speaks directly to me. And though I forget it now and then and stumble as I go, it's still very much the center of my life.

Everyone check in on Marcy's weblog on Monday. Just do it—no questions, see?

The Adventure Begins

2006-03-27T05:49:00.000-05:00

Just more than a month away the first Goodman Games product comes out that I had a part of: Dungeon Crawl Classics #29: The Adventure Begins. It's a hardcover compilation of about 20 short ready-to-run adventures for very low-level characters in D&D. I turned in that adventure more than a year ago, but it's only just now coming out. In June a second adventure I wrote will come out in a book all its own. Then in August, for GenCon, the big ol' boxed set will be coming out.

I wish I had more than that to say, but I'm still waiting to be turned down for the project I want the most.

Also, Escapee episode 39 is up.

When Pigs Fly

2006-03-20T08:55:00.000-05:00

This is the GenCon Pig. Every day, I take all the change I have in my pocket and put it in the Pig. I will be doing this until August, and hopefully by then I'll have made a nice dent in the overall expense. What happens then?

The Pig gets on a plane and flies to Indianapolis to attend GenCon. He will represent me.

Escapee episode 38 has been posted.

In other news, Joseph Goodman of Goodman Games has finally announced the big project that I've been working on with Harley. Since he didn't post the announcement on his website—instead, just referring to it in a message board thread—I won't say too much about it right now. I think he only said anything because someone else found mention of it on gamingreport.com and I guess he saw no point in denying it. The whole thing's been pretty hush-hush until now.

Alone I Cannot Judge

2006-03-10T12:24:00.000-05:00

There is a day that comes annually that I fear above all others. Each February I make sacrifices to the hyperborean gods of winter and humble placations to the torrid gods of summer. But the inevitable arrival of this dreaded day always disproves such fleeting, desperate polytheism anyway. What day is this, you ask?

The day when I head to work wearing my coat and by the middle of the day I end up carrying it around because it's too damned hot for a coat at all.

It is the despised herald of summer, this nefandous day of ultimate suffering.

No, no. Don't mistake me. It is merely spring now, or almost so. I like spring. This isn't about spring, a time of great verdancy and delightful, sunny days. No, this is about Summer. See, there are two cosmic forces eternally opposed: the wicked Summer, that sears and burns and annihilates, and the merciful Winter that softens the harsh rays of our closest star. Autumn and spring are mere climactic stalemates between these two disparate powers, and are certain to be enjoyed by us mortals as the cosmic balance endures for about two to three months at a time.

In fact, I adore autumn, true autumn when leaves are turning and the air doesn't threaten to flay you alive. But no matter what, one of the two greater powers gains the upper hand and reigns supreme for a season, banishing the other to a memory. When Summer draws nigh, it extends its fiery tendrils through space and pulls the Sun closer to us, thereby making our world swing around in close proximity to it, allowing it to scorch us with its malevolent, burning stare. Fortunately, the Winter is canny, and utilizes this same momentum to fling our world far from the sun again like a slingshot. With the Sun thus distanced, Winter can raise its frosty mantle and soothe us in the darkness.

But right now, those seething tendrils reach for the Sun....

Worse, the Summer has a hold over the majority of this world's inhabitants. Sycophantic minions who indulge the Cult of Summer with such intonations as, "Let's go to the beach!", "Now I can wear shorts again!", or the unimatinative religious flattery of "Finally, the Sun's out again!" Summer dresses, bikinis, shorts, and sandals are the raiment of these cultists, not easily overlooked. 'Ware them, for they are the living avatars of the season of fire.

Damn you, Summer.

Words and Webs

2006-03-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

Well, my enormous project for Goodman Games is nearing it's end. The bulk of the work is done (well more than 50,000 words for my part) and out of my hands. All that's left is minor revisions (I assume) and hopefully consultation on some edits. I'm dying to see the artwork that comes of it and I really hope that my suggestions are used.

As I wait for more things to come—or nothing at all, I suppose—I'm also seriously considering revamping Ashlock.org so that it's an actual place to visit for people and not just this thing I maintain for only occasional personal use and storage. For this revisitation I'll be shanghaiing Josh Wentz, who knows more about Web design—and more relevant, visual design itself—than most people I know combined. It's a win-win situation for me.

Yesterday I had a tooth yanked out. I bled. A lot. Yuck. Luckily it's in a place that won't be missed.

Escapee will return next week.

An Ounce of Perception

2006-02-15T11:03:00.000-05:00

The weekend brought a good deal of snow to New York—despised by most, but not to a few of us wintry types—and also a head-wracking sickness to me which has degenerated into a mere , albeit nasty, cold.

Escapee episode 36 is up, and I sure as heck hope the next couple weeks will bring good fortune. If not, I'll at least be able to breath again and maybe spend some more time with my wife.

Part of This Complete Breakfast

2006-02-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

I'm hoping that in about one month's time I'll start to have more time for more interesting posts here. Everyone else has 'em. But for now, I'll just say:

The previous two Escapee episodes are up. #34 and #35.
If you haven't already, check out Josh Wentz's latest podcast (Downcast #26). If you don't know who Mike Oldfield is, you should be introduced (and there's no better place than there). If you do know who Mike Oldfield is but have opted not to listen to his music, I may have a problem with you. What's not to like about a brilliant English eccentric (even if he is a jerk sometimes)? Though I'll be the first to admit he's got a few hunks of ugly coal in his collection of gems.
I actually bought a box of Pirates of the Caribbean cereal the other day. Sometimes marketing totally works on me—just once at any given time. Marisa also once bought some Finding Nemo ice-cream. That's why I married her. Now and then you've got to throw all reason to the wind.
Richie Procopio, colleague and friend, gave me the first season of 24 for my birthday. I've tried to avoid this show, knowing that despite the subject matter, I'd probably get interested if I saw it. But at least in watching in now, I'm so far behind the current seasons that I don't have to hear everyone yapping about it in the office.

Preoccupied

2006-01-30T10:38:00.000-05:00

Every day when I'm on my one hour commute on the NYC subway, I marvel at the other people who can just sit there, listless, for the duration of the ride. If they fall asleep, that's fine. But I simply cannot wrap my brain around those people who stay awake and stare blankly into space—or at other riders.

Increasingly so, in recent years I've been unable to let my mind idle for too long. I need some kind of stimulus to occupy my mind: a magazine that I've already looked through, while not ideal, will do. Failing a book or periodical, music will suffice. I can escape into that ephemeral medium for a time. It's not that I require in-depth mental pursuit. I just need a little something new or inspiring to ponder, however small.

I guess it's about escaping boredom. If I'm somewhere without book or music, I resort to my blackberry. It's got a very slow and very limited access to the Web, so I can at least peruse Dictionary.com if I'm truly bored. But it's something, you see. I can't stand unoccupied moments.

What's wrong with me? Or what's wrong with them? I actually like that I need some kind of phrenic activity to stay content. But it has its obvious drawbacks. When I'm in an environment that offers no active stimuli, time oozes by like molasses wearing heavy, wet denim...

Shining star, light up the sky

2006-01-26T08:08:00.000-05:00

The moon is crescent, the air is cold (hence, enjoyed), my latest project reaches its home stretch, this movie intrigues me greatly (for reasons obvious to some) despite its silly name, my free hours are few, and Escapee episode 33 is posted.

Escapism

2006-01-16T09:21:00.000-05:00

Two weeks and no new post? That's no good. But I've been struggling to find time for...anything.

So! Escapee has returned, with episode 32 posted on over at Sidedown & the Amazing Technicolor Website. As Josh pointed out to me, you must now begin to scroll down the table of contents to get to the latest episode. Holy crap, that's a lot.

Because I don't get much feedback on Escapee, I'd love to do a poll to find out just how many people read my little serial. I'll keep writing it regardless of the number, though—as time allows. But I'm definitely curious. The story arc itself is beginning to unfold in my head, and I realize the story really is becoming more a more milieu-based one.

Duality

2006-01-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

Goodbye, Gregorian Calendar Year 2005. You were a fickle boy and brought interesting developments into my life some of which I'll grumble about and some of which I'll always remember happily. Highlights included going to GenCon, a good job promotion, a memorable U2 concert with my dad. Stains include your beginning, a not-so-happy January and a steadily increasing flux of lost free time. But you were a memorable year, and I thank you.

Hello, Gregorian Calendar Year 2006. Be good to us all, miss. Don't be as capricious as your brother. I do know you bring to the foreground, moreso than your mischievous little brother, the well-weathered duality that all my writing peers face and deliberate: balancing a dayjob and a writing job that you want to make happen but have far less time for. I do have the feeling you'll bring some surprises, good and bad, throughout your twelve-step ellipse around our sun.

Escapee is taking a week or two break right now while I figure out into which fantasy cloud my head needs to go.

Fabulous secrets were revealed to me....

2005-12-27T09:08:00.000-05:00

Christmas was alternatingly fun and chaotic. Let's see...what transpired since my last post?

Marisa and I fed, sheltered, and otherwise cared for—and came very close to keeping—a stray kitten. For a couple of weeks, we faced the tough choice of either (a) prolonging its life by feeding it each night and giving it shelter (in the form of a clothing-padded plastic crate) or (b) letting it fend for itself as most strays do, where they will either die off (either of the winter cold or starvation) or proliferate and make all new kittens who'd face the same fate. But thankfully, our friend Kate eventually found a no-kill shelter to take it after searching for a while. It's a good feeling defying natural selection now and again. It's strange, though; I'm much more of a dog person. But this kitty charmed me. Stupid cat.

I am now in possession of the comprehensive He-Man first season. This is good stuff, folks, and I'm proud to say this helped set me firmly on the path to fantasy. And sci-fi. By the way, He-Man episodes with Spanish dubbing are hilarious. "Yo soy He-Man!" And there's even special lyrics to the main theme song in Spanish.

I got Marisa an iPod Shuffle, so I'm only now actually figuring out this whole iTunes thing. Despite the fact that my dayjob is with a Web-based application that services thousands with massive electronic storage, I'm usually a step or two behind everyone when it comes to technology. But mostly that's about money. I'm not the kind of person willing to purchase some new device as soon as it comes out.

As usual, I've been busy beyond belief, and now I'm officially behind on a couple of small deadlines. It hovers over me like a bruised and sullen stormcloud. I hope to rectify this in the coming weeks. I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, but if I had one, it would be this: absolutely will I only work on a single project at a time. No overlap whatsoever.

Of Wardrobes and Masks

2005-12-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

I've been too busy the last couple of months to make any posts about specific topics and really talk about them. It's all piecemeal at this point. But I do have some media to discuss:

First, movies: As with The Lord of the Rings, the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe helps encourage worthy adaptations of classic works of literature. I really hope they continue to pave the way for others. Though certainly in a different vein altogether, it would be really neat to see a [much-needed] worthy and big-budget adaptation of a Lovecraft story like "The Call of Cthulhu." Speaking of Narnia, this video must be viewed. It's great to see that SNL occasionally puts out something genuinely funny!

Next, music: On the topic of Lovecraft, another worthy piece of media that everyone should own—even if just in mp3 form—is A Very Scary Solstice. If anyone's interested in hearing any of this, there are mp3 samples to be had on that page. I personally recommend "The Carol of the Olde Ones" or even "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Fish-Men."

Finally, and perhaps the most worthy, books. As I try my best not to dream about writing one very soon, I've turned to reading one. My latest is Paul Kemp's Midnight's Mask (hi, Paul!), book 3 of the Erevis Cale Trilogy. Much as I recommend it, you can't start with this book. In my opinion, you have to start by reading the whole Sembia series and be introduced to the remarkable character of Erevic Cale, an assassin-turned-butler, in the context of the wealthy and eccentric Uskevren family; and that's just the set-up for him. Cale moved beyond that series and got his own, and I hear he's punching his way into a third.

Okay, I've troubled you folks with hyperlinks enough.

Oh, wait, one more. Escapee episode 31 is up.

Yuleforged

2005-12-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

Frosty the warforged
Was a jolly happy clone
With a darkwood heart and a mithral nose
And two eyes made out of stone

Frosty the warforged
Is a nice construct they say
He was fond of snow
And artificers know
How he came to life one day

There must be lots of magic
In creation forges now
For when they turned it on that day
He began to dance and bow

Frosty the warforged
Was alive as you and me
And the Canniths say
He could fight and slay
But they saw he'd rather flee

Frosty the warforged
Knew the forge was hot that day
So he said, "I'll run!
I'm the slave of none
Now I'm off without delay!"

Down to the village
With a greatsword in his hand
Running here and there
All around the square
Saying, "Catch me if you can!"

He led them down
The streets of town
Right to the magewright's shop
Then finally paused a moment
And his greatsword made them stop

Frosty the warforged
Stole the magewright's sleigh
But he waved goodbye
Saying, "Don’t you scry
Or I'll kill you all one day!"

Blackberry In the Rain

2005-12-16T07:10:00.000-05:00

I'm writing this post from the Number 2 train, with my blackberry. How cool is that?

It's very rainy, and contrary to the hype, there was no MTA strike today.

Manhattan Winterland

2005-12-09T08:38:00.000-05:00

When I was getting my eggnog latte at Starbucks this morning, they were playing Christmas songs. Of course. In particular, "A Few of My Favorite Things." Why, oh why, is this considered a Christmas song???

When the dog bits, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad

How often have you been stung by a bee at Christmastime?

So there's big fat snowflakes outside, I had to shovel this morning, and it seems like half the people are "working from home" today. But not me, I'm here at work where all the action will be. Because at the end of the workday, Marisa and I are off to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. You should see it, too. If not today, then sometime this season. Why? Because among other reasons, it's got Father Christmas depicted like a grizzled old Norse warrior coming home from war.

So get to it!

The Feverish Flux

2005-12-06T09:38:00.000-05:00

Nothing quite so satisfying and nerve-testing like meeting a big deadline. For a submission. So now I try and work my way back into what I was doing before it even came along.

It's December now, and the cold weather (which I'm normally a vocal proponent for) and the festive veneer of the season have gotten ahead of me. It will take a while to realign myself. As I do, and as I keep on plodding through my dayjob work and my nightjob work, I'm basically just looking forward to Friday.

White Wolves in Dark Worlds

2005-11-28T18:46:00.000-05:00

Official congratulamafications to Mr. Harley Stroh!

World of Darkness Novel Contest: Five Winners of Round Two Announced

Not sure how many people you had to claw (or bite?) through to get this far, but I do know you made it through an agonizing wait to a list of 100, then 10, and now the final 5 and now you have to actually write a full-friggin'-length novel now! Hah!

I'll say again: I envy you the position, but not the sudden workload! You deserve this.

Forlorn Somnambulistic Maniacal in the Dark

2005-11-18T13:28:00.000-05:00

These are stressful times, and when I say stressful, I mean bad and good. But when things start happening in one area of your life, all the other things in your life hear about it, get together, conspire, then dogpile you at once. Jealousy, or spite? Either way, it's crazy.

Perhaps what makes this most interesting for me is the fact that I can really relate to some of the changes going on with my peers. The sudden change in job and workload like Ed, the opportunies and lifestyle shifting of Lara, the mental headgames that Harley's going through. And on that note, congratulations, Harley, on making it as far as you have on the White Wolf novel contest! I envy your position but not your head right now! Where does one orient one's creativity when one has numerous outlets?

A friend of mine recently directed me to this website. Go there if you dare. It will either drive you stark raving mad, or make the whole universe focus itself into glacial clarity. If it's the latter, I don't want to know you.

A Bright and Nameless Vision

2005-11-15T13:08:00.000-05:00

There is a psionic power in the D&D system called Schism, with bears this basic description: "Your mind splits into two independent parts. Each part functions in complete autonomy, like two characters in one body."

Who else would pay handsomely to manifest this power now and again, eh? That's where I'm at right now, the ultimate in multi-tasking. One project is an enduring committment I have great affection for, while the other is a sudden, short-lived affair that's literally keeping me up at night and with good fortune can become a longer one in time. But enough about that.

I hope everyone's doing well. I haven't had much chance to keep up with anyone. Keep those weblogs going, people. Lately it's my only opportunity to ensure you're still breathing.

This week's Escapee, episode 28, shows that tossing a monster into a story can always liven things up.

Investigation and Multi-tasking

2005-11-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

Can this year have any more big developments? Yes, it can. Let's just hope they all stay good and that everyone I know keeps their health up. At this time last year, there was much to be happy about (being married) and much to worry about (the health of Marisa's parents).

Now, even as I work to wrap up one of the more important deadlines for a d20 project I'm still dabbling with, I have a new submission to cook up soon. One that's quite big and will have me checking my email frantically throughout December and beyond. Not unlike our friend Harley "I can do a million projects at once" Stroh and his many fingers in many pies.

The whole thing's leaving me...anxious and inquisitive.

In the meantime, there is a a new introspective Escapee afoot, episode 27. How apt.

Halloween Anniversary

2005-11-02T11:26:00.000-05:00

A short post today.

Thank you everyone for your well wishes. Yes, we have indeed ended one year of marriage now. It's an injustice to try and sum it up in a sentence or two, so I'll just conclude instead by saying that I'm still quite happy. It was actually a very long year, for reasons good and bad. But I wouldn't wish for any other fate.

We went to Sleepy Hollow Monday night which, disappointingly, isn't as Halloween-festive as it ought to be. But we still had an adventurous time and I played horror movie soundtracks for the drive.

No Escapee this week. I have too much dayjob work to focus on!

Later October

2005-10-26T08:53:00.000-04:00

Well, it's a wet and cold late October morning, but this is weather I like. Meeting Josh for lunch today. Haven't seen him since, oh, well, about exactly one year ago. Funny thing, that. And this whole all-of-us-getting-on-in-life and seeing each other less and less frequently.

Not much else to add just now. Too busy, anyway.

Escapee episode 26 is up.

Late October

2005-10-19T13:20:00.000-04:00

Too much going on to talk about it all. At the center of it I'm only just beginning to take on the responsibilities of the new job. I can already see how intense it'll get. I really just look forward to maybe two months from now, once I'm fully comfortable with its goings-on.

Back home, Marisa (and what little contribution I can make to help) is still trying to find new tenants for the two empty apartments in her family's house. We need it badly—it's the primary income for her parents, allowing them stay afloat. It's really hard to find reliable tenants around there.

I haven't fully been able to enjoy October the way I'd want to. It's a good month, all round, what with the cool colors, Halloween, and a cooler relief from the inferno that some people call 'summer.' And then there's the fact that I got married almost one year ago....

A new Escapee is up, episode 25. Dang, there's a lot of them.

The Time is Now Again

2005-10-12T07:04:00.000-04:00

For those of you who know me—and know how I am in person—try and picture me being relatively "well dressed," at the front of a room full of people who belong to a big drug company, instructing them on how to use a secure Web-based application to make paperless the complicated process of clinical trial documentation and all the FDA regulations that go with it.

Uh...huh?

Yeah, that's what I'll be doing soon enough. That's what I'm diving into. See, I got the job, and it's both exciting and scary at the same time. It has enough cons to it, but I've already decided they're going to be worth the few notable pros.

I'll get a blackberry, be set up from home so I can do this job even when I can't come in, and geez, I guess I have to buy something other than jeans for those client visits. Man oh man, is life going to get weird.

It may slow me up a bit, but it will not stop me from writing stories about crazy people and monsters and occasionally designing dungeons. So there!

Escapee episode 25 is up.

U2 - Advertising in the Skies

2005-10-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

The U2 show was very, very good. It's put them back in the foreground, as they should be, as one of those bands you've just got to see live. I saw them back on the Popmart tour, and the sound and size of the stadium made it pretty crappy. Here's an article describing the show my dad and I went to.

I'll also add that their light show and stage setup was brilliant. It just looked awesome. U2 is really good at blending hard live rock with sentimentality and it works.

Take Your Best Stab at the Beast

2005-10-07T07:14:00.000-04:00

All in one today: nerve-wracking interview and U2 concert. Hard to look forward to the second half of the day when you're stricken with anxiety about the first half. But oh, when that second half comes...

Have a good weekend, everyone—and when the chaos lifts from this weekend, things might be different, or very much the same, for me.

The Road is Not So Clear

2005-10-04T07:48:00.000-04:00

As I bide my time and grow increasingly more nervous about my coming interview (a few days now), I consider the timeless debate: choosing a little more financial security and overall dayjob prestige at the cost of less writing time—less free time, period. My writing-oriented career, I can see, will hopefully remain a steady thing, but one that will always just be coterminous with whatever else I must do to advance through life.

I just don’t know how to feel about it. There’s plenty of new skills and advantages to the dayjob world I’m attempting to step further into. Oh, I’ll keep writing, but my gigs will probably just be fewer and farther between.

Well, we’ll see. I may not even get this new position—in which case nothing will change at all.

In other news, the movie Serenity is excellent and you should go and see it.

Also, episode 23 of Escapee is up.

Wheels Within Wheels

2005-09-28T08:53:00.000-04:00

Lots going on. I'm still working on this one big writing project, never quite as fast as I want to, but at least happily so. Right now I'm more pressed with the fact that I'm applying to a position at my company one big step up. I hate the process more than anything—the formal interviewing and testing—and even if I'm successful and get the position, it's got its cons as well as some obvious pros. The chief con being that it's going to eat away at my already scant free time (ie. writing time) and will put me into a different lifestyle. I refuse to speculate too much right now, as I may not the get position at all anyway.

My grandmother is doing well, as well as she can for her age and in her position. She's going to a rehab, post-surgery facility today. I hope to visit her in a few days. Thanks again to you all you well-wishers.

Last night I had a dream that I had to work during a screening of the upcoming Narnia movie, and halfway through I fell asleep because I was overworked, then woke to find that all my friends and family saw the whole thing and were all talking about it and I completely missed it. How ridiculous a dream that is.

Hey—I just realized that I've had this weblog up for over a year now. Huh.

Escapee episode 22 is up.

All the Pale Things Under the Earth

2005-09-26T08:42:00.000-04:00

Last night I saw Blackfield as the tail-end of a free admission outdoor festival at Riverside Park in Manhattan. Jewzapalooza, in fact; Blackfield's sole Israeli member was reason enough for the otherwise British-based collaboration to be a part of it, apparently. There's just something about evening concerts when it's not too hot, with very cool prog rock...

On Saturday we went to the Garlic Festival, too. What a riot of flavors that day was!

Escapee episode 21 is up from last week.

Coffee

2005-09-20T09:02:00.000-04:00

It's one of those days that requires a third cup of coffee in the morning.

When I put some hot chocolate mix into my office-bland coffee to give it some much-needed kind of flavor, another lady in this office was taken aback. What's wrong with people? Good God....something out of the ordinary...can't...handle it!

Ummm...Arrr.

2005-09-19T12:27:00.000-04:00

'Tis no swinging lead to come about and drop the landlubber's head and longclothes to give rightful tribute to this day of buccaneership.

Aye. Wish I could take a caulk right 'bout now.

Avast Ye!

2005-09-15T09:39:00.000-04:00

A few comments over in the Commentation Station of Sidedown alerted me to the fact that more than just a tiny handful of people seem to be reading Escapee. That really makes me feel good. Just for the record.

Episode 20 is now up. That's twenty episodes since late April, each episode weekly (and I only skipped one week so far for vacation). Not bad, I think. Each episode seems to average about 400 words, so that's a total now of about 8,000 words. Easiest 8k I ever did, whether it's good or not.

Thanks you all for the well wishes regarding my grandmother. She's in a sort of limbo right now, awaiting her strength to build enough so they can attempt some risky, but necessary, surgery. Facing down the inevitable fact that your grandparents, and your parents, and ultimately your friends will eventually be gone from you isn't easy. As just about anyone can attest.

My latest research and interest now is pirates. Someday it will become more apparent why. First Aztecs, then Mesoamericans in general, then Indonesia...now pirates. Fun.

Inevitability

2005-09-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

Nothing can redirect your mind from everything else as much as hearing that a relative has had a heart attack. In my case, my grandmother. My mom's mom. She's a tough old lady, has had more surgery done to her than anyone I know, and is one of the gentlest people to be found.

I still have four living grandparents. All 80 and up. Needless to say, I'm worried.

Disengage

2005-09-08T07:37:00.000-04:00

The last couple of weeks reminds me why I'm glad that I don't watch TV and only seldom read the news. When I do, it's generally pretty nauseating. Have you ever followed a story out of morbid fascination, gut-clenching concern, and ultimately stop because you can't stomach any more of it? The chaos that overtook New Orleans in the wake of the hurricane is a prime example. I don't just mean the disease and death. I mean the opportunistic, trigger-happy, and desperate lunatics shooting at rescue helicopters and cops and each other. The complete breakdown of humanity.

Tried to hold some faith in the goodness of humanity

Not easy to do. I remember feeling disgusted at myself years ago when the Oklahoma bombing took place. I stared at the news and though I felt a measure of sadness, I didn't feel devastated. And that made me feel crappy. How can tons of people get killed and me not feel very sensitive to it? Because I was only 18 at the time? Because it happened somewhere else? Because I didn't know those people? I tried to figure out why. I cared about a lot of people at that age—why couldn't I connect to that tragedy on a personal level?

Well. Having seen firsthand the devastation of 9/11, I can say without a doubt that I have become sensitive to things—at times oversensitive. But not unusually so, I suppose. Others can be emotionally brought down as well. I figured the older you get, the less emphatic you'd be to such things, but at least in this stage of my life, that's not true. Things hurt more and more—when you see, when you understand, how such devastating events affect people.

But I also realize there's a point at which you have to stop and turn away. Because you can't function anymore when you're overloaded with tragedy. I don't think we're meant to dwell on things for too long. This is the curse of mass communication in the modern world. The news. Sometimes you just have to take in only so much, do what you can (and donate if you can, if it can help those people), and then turn away and try to smile again, try to laugh and remember that there are good moments in life, too.

In other news, another Escapee episode is up.

Celestial Mechanics

2005-09-01T08:56:00.000-04:00

As noted way earlier, my recent project has had me studying the cultures of the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas, and a number of ancient mythologies. It's really got me thinking about the change in perception over the years.

The Aztecs believed, essentially, that if they didn't feed the gods with the blood of their daily sacrifices, the gods wouldn't have enough energy to get the sun from one horizon to the other. They were doing it because if they didn't, the world would come to an end. Every day they had to do this, to keep things going. That blows me away. As history goes, this was recent; only going back a few hundred years. Not some ancient B.C. civilization.

Of course, the Spanish showed up and within two years the Aztec empire was toppled. Damned Europeans messing things up again! This cut down on the daily bloodshed (and offered new varieties of bloodshed) but totally crushed a culture and some of the amazing things they'd accomplished.

Just one culture in the mix of our spinning globe that came and went.

In any case, episode 18 of Escapee is up. It's getting weirder.

Vacation Part 2: Amish Country

2005-08-29T08:53:00.000-04:00

The second leg of our one-week vacation brought us through the Amish countries of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Can you think of a bigger contrast?

The driving was long, but the places were cool. I have a respect for the Amish beliefs, even though I don't largely agree with them. It makes me think about being born into that culture, which I suppose is no more strange than being born into any other culture vastly different from our American way of life. That's what the Amish are like, citizens of another country alotgether. Given their Dutch heritage, that's suitable to say.

They have a unform, plain. Married men have beards; no mustaches, those are too militaristic for them. Women with white prayer coverings on their heads (they don't ever cut their hair) if they're married, black if they're not, and no jewelry (not even wedding rings). These clothes, as well as their shunning of photographs, they feel encourages humility.

And yes, I did have Weird Al's "Amish Paradise" stuck in my head a few times.

They're not as stuck in time as we tend to think. In fact, they can use electricity, but they have to generate their own. No Con Ed showing up at their farms. At a couple of the farm stands we stopped at, they did have small refridgerators they used to keep milk cold. Their horse-drawn buggies were everywhere, even on the main roads among the cars, but out of laws they bear reflectors and some even had twin lights on the front which simulated car headlights. Good idea, that.

They also speak Dutch first and the kids learn English once they start school. In fact, they think of all the rest of us Americans as "the English."

We came away with some great homemade foods and tons of fresh vegetables. All in all, a good experience and one I consider humbling. Me and my fancy laptop computer and my A/C and my job on the 11th floor concerning a Web-based appliation!

Vacation Part 1: GenCon 2005

2005-08-25T07:34:00.000-04:00

GenCon Indy was, in short, a great deal of fun. We met authors, game designers, artists, fellow aspiring authors, and so on, and everyone was humble and very nice (as we all should be in the writing/gaming industry). I got some discounts on some books, a bunch of free stuff (including minis and t-shirts), and did my best to take in all the sights and color. Having seen that many geeks packed into one place, I can tell you that the stereotypes are both dead-on and completely untrue. And hey, where else can you see an avariel (winged elf) walking down the street? As it turned out, that girl won the costume contest, too.

We stayed with Ed and Lara and their very friendly cats in Bloomington. We got to hang out with Harley (and his friend Alex) for about 24 hours. (As it turns out, that’s the longest block of time anyone ever sees Harley: 24 hours. Maybe it’s in everyone’s best interest that it works that way; the guy is raw energy and optimism; any more of that unfettered exposure may begin to change you! Here’s a photo of him at the Goodman Games booth doing a signing and chatting with David Arneson, co-creator of the D&D game, like they're old friends!)

It was great to see you guys again. Cooler than meeting any famous author (and heck, I've forgotten how many times I've met R.A. Salvatore). Of course, as you are authors already, it’s the best of both worlds. And, as always, the weekend was far, far too short. We need more time. And next year we ought to…oh, I don’t know….GAME a little.

We also had a few visits over at the Order of the Stick booth, where Jess and Ruth deftly handled the numerous unruly OotS fans. I hope you two had fun despite the chaos, even though you probably didn’t get to experience the rest of GenCon half as much as you wanted to.

If anyone wants to see my GenCon slideshow and haven't already, let me know, and I'll send it your way!

Going West

2005-08-17T08:01:00.000-04:00

And so later today we will set out due west—via rental Rendezvous (an interestingly-shaped car)—to pass through Pennsylvania and Ohio to reach the State of Indiana wherein we shall commence into a 3–4 day experience known collectively as GenCon 2005. It’s the biggest annual convention for fantasy/sci-fi/gaming, and also the only convention I’ve ever been to.

We’ll be staying with my friends Ed Gentry and Lara Gose, fellow writer/gamers.

I'll be checking back in 7 days and hopefully will have stories to tell (or at least amusing anecdotes) and photos from the whole experience. We'll get to meet a whole bunch of authors and game designers who are celebrities within the industry.

Incidentally, Escapee episode 17 is up. 18 will be in two weeks.

A Sense of Proportion

2005-08-05T08:12:00.000-04:00

In a recent conversation I had with Harley, I spoke aloud something I'd been thinking about...

I (and most of you who might be reading this) exist in circles in which it's not a big deal to say something like, "Okay, so picture a world where the common person believes that winged leonine creatures are the dominant species..."

I take it for granted, this simple ability to adjust my perception to imagine an alternate world—period. That's really not an everyday thing. I've met plenty of people who find books or movies not set in modern times in a completely real world distasteful or, more likely, completely foreign to rational thought. As a writer of fantasy fiction, though, it's an everyday notion.

Of course, I take that to another extreme sometimes. When I watch a movie trailer that flashes across the screen dramatically, "Based on a true story..." I get disappointed. Real life? I much prefer fiction, (1) because it's more likely to be supernatural or fantastical, and (2) because whatever events occur, it didn't actually happen. If it's a tragedy or a crime movie, I'll feel better about it. Give me The Ring any day, but not as a real life event! Scare me to death if you can, but I'll actually be more freaked out knowing it's not real. Movies that are a little too close to reality just aren't that fun for me. Give me fiction! Give me another world!

It's like how lots of people I see on the train, who live in the Bronx, like reading novels about drugs, gangs, crime, marital affairs, or any of a dozen other depressing real-life issues you hear about on the news each night. That amazes me, that—as I see it, anyway—inability to detach oneself from Real Life, even for just a few minutes.

But don't misunderstand. This isn't disappointment with the real world. For one, the real world gives substance to fantasy; without it we would't have any basis for the fantastical. As well, the real world does have some pretty cool stuff—and that's just things I've seen with my own eyes.

A recent project of mine has had me researching the Aztec Empire a little bit. Dang, that's some pretty amazing stuff. Tenochtitlan, its capital city, was huge, and built upon the surface of a lake and accessed only by four narrow bridges. They erected great temples and pyramids, and they didn't even have the wheel.

In fact, this is a great example. Our real world produced something amazing we modern folks could never have dreamt up...it feels like a humble testament to me to base something in a fantasy world on such real-world wonders.

At this point I'm just babbling. Escapee episode 15 is up, by the way.

Wilderness of Mirrors

2005-07-29T09:35:00.000-04:00

It’s all about interconnectivity. Here’s how it went down, in short:

Sometime in the winter or spring of 2003, Wizards of the Coast announced a big contest, the open call for the Maiden of Pain novel. I joined the 500 people vying for this honor, and while I already knew the setting pretty well, I found every scrap of research I could and even began to haunt the now-extinct Forgotten Realms Novels message boards over at the Wizards site to see what other people were saying.

There a small community was forming of fellow Maiden of Pain submitters (aka MoPers). I mostly listened but would add my two cents now and again. One day I came across some posts by a guy who had a Rush lyric (Double Agent) in his signature. I called him on it, and then he and I started to share emails.

Eventually, we shared our MoP submissions and gave critiques. Then we shared unrelated thoughts...then we became friends. That guy turned out to be Ed Gentry. See, Ed made the “short list” for Maiden of Pain and eventually went on to get a short story published in The Realms of the Dragons 2. Now, officially announced today, Ed is slated for a Forgotten Realms novel in 2008. And I couldn’t be happier for him.

Ed came to my wedding, and in a few weeks I’ll be staying with him in Indiana during GenCon. And he’s recently gotten engaged, too, to Lara. Things have been seriously going on for the last couple years!

Interconnectivity. I love how it works. I’ve got the same unexpected friendship with Harley, another excellent writer whose own writing credentials are climbing a fast and furious hill. Harley seems to be working on a half-dozen writing projects at once.

Anyway...congratulations, Ed!

In Brief...

2005-07-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

Not enough freakin' hours in the day.

My weekend trip to see my family was great. Except the part where John, Marisa and myself were scolded, vehemently, for not wearing proper "corporate attire" for the plane ride up. People are amazing. But at least we gave the air martial something to do that day.
Escapee episode 14 is up.
Marcy Rockwell did a poem for The Sword Review. I did some artwork to accompany it. You can find both here.
I have a big project going on. It feels great. But let me reiterate:

Not enough freakin' hours in the day!

Push Through That Band of Rain

2005-07-21T08:48:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning I'll be getting on a tiny company jet (my dad's company, Corning) to fly upstate NY to visit my parents. This'll be only the third time I've visited them at their own house since they've lived there (at least a few years now).

I'm a little nervous about the plane. I'm not wild about air travel, and doubly not-wild since 9/11. There's something about hearing the impact of a crashing plane in real time with your own ears that forever places something inside you akin to real fear.

Anyway, I intend to have fun with it, if I can. It'll be a tiny jet. I'll be the only person, I suspect, in the airways of New York to have Mike Oldfield's "Five Miles Out" playing in my head:

You're a prisoner of the dark sky, the propeller blades are still
The evil eye of the hurricane's coming in now for the kill

Escapee episode 13 is up.

Life Is a Chimera

2005-07-15T07:34:00.000-04:00

It’s big, it’s unpredictable, and it’s got three heads—depending on your source. The Greeks would have you believe that it’s got a goat’s body, a lion’s head, and a serpent-tail. I submit a more TSR-like configuration that it, like life, has three heads.

The leonine head is majestic, but also pretty terrifying. Like life.

The goat head, hollow-horned and oft-bearded, will eat anything. Like the goats in Gregory the Terrible Eater, a book I really loved as a kid. How like life that is.

Then there's the dragon head. Be careful with this one. It comes in five different colors, and each can spew a different substances or energy generally not conducive to your health. Again, as in life.

We've got to be Bellerophon when it comes to life. Arm yourself with a lump of lead bound to a spear, and get yourself a winged horse if you can. It helps.

Also...mythic beasts have been on my mind of late—for reasons I may go into more at some point, and then there's the fact that I'm drawing a chimera for Marcy (yes, Marcy....it's still pending, and not forgotten).

Escapee episode 12 is up. Or...should I say, down?

Past A Mortal As Me

2005-07-04T04:27:00.000-04:00

4:30 a.m. on July 4th. At work. The graveyard shift. That's where it's at, folks.

So I'm completely alone in the office, listening to the All Yes station on AOL radio, writing this entry, waiting for 8 o'clock so I can home, nap, and enjoy the holiday.

For those of you Order of the Stick fans, you might find this amusing. Rich Burlew does crayon OotS-style drawings for people at his convention appearances. My friends Ruth and Jess, the very talented ladies of the Five Wits, have befriended him (and will in fact will be helping him run his booth at GenCon) and recently gottem him to illustrate the player characters from my D&D campaign.

You can see them all here. On the off-off-off-chance that Rich ever find this page: Thanks, Rich! I've been hanging out at his site, Giant In the Playground, since nearly its beginning. As part of that crazy connectivity I keep finding throughout this world, my friend Richie Procopio (who helped me get my current job) was a former player and DM with Rich Burlew. Ruth: I think I will take one of those OotS books off your hands now!

And by the way: Those of you who have been sending me links to possible artwork gigs (small or large), please, send them along to Ruth. Her drawings kick the crap out of mine, and her work is way better than half of the illustrations you find in most gaming books. If you don't believe me, check out her Elfwood site. And that's the older stuff!

Nothing Can Survive In a Vacuum

2005-06-29T08:26:00.000-04:00

Updates:

- Escapee, episode 10, is up. It's starting to change gears...

- I'm working on a drawing to accompany a very cool poem by Marcy Rockwell for a web-zine called The Sword Review. Should be interesting. Give me a few more days, Marcy! I've been swamped!

- I'm having a gaming session this Saturday. Haven't gamed since, oh, last February? It's a game session/barbecue/multiple-birthday party. We do that kind of thing in our group.

- I may be taking on a new monster project soon. The cool part is that it'll have me working with someone I've wanted to work with for some time. Till now we've only just shared our own respective work.

Why do we fall, sir?

2005-06-22T07:43:00.000-04:00

Batman Begins. Go see it. A damned fine film. I love a good back-story. It also reinvigorates the character after the slap-dash Batman & Robin many years ago. The characters are all believable—which is hard to do in a comic book movie. The villains, while villainous, have real motives...and some even have good intentions. It's a dark movie with great ideals. While I'm semi-looking forward to The Fantastic Four, I'm not expecting those ideals. We'll see. But Batman Begins does it right.

So if you haven't seen it, do. Let's encourage this type of storytelling.

And the ninth episode of Escapee is up. Check it out, if you're bored.

Coconut Coffee

2005-06-20T07:24:00.000-04:00

Let me just say... Getting Dunkin' Donuts coffee outside of NYC vs. getting it within NYC: completely different experience. Outside of the city (when people who live in NYC say "the city," they mean Manhattan), they will add milk and sugar for you, and they somehow get the ratio just right—even for a sugar stickler like me. However, in the city you're on your own, so if you get a coconut-flavored iced coffee, you've got to add sugar yourself and some of you may know how long it takes and how incompletely sugar dissolves in iced coffee. It's just no good.

Last night I watched Dawn of the Dead until midnight. Had to get up at 5:20. I'm very tired.

Output

2005-06-15T07:19:00.000-04:00

The Candlekeep Compendium Volume II is out now. It's a free download of Forgotten Realms lore put together by fans. My artwork features on pages 9 and 10. Just standard-issue NPC drawings, really. Haven't done any in a while. It was fun to have a reason.

Escapee episode 8 is up.

A Force Field and A Flexible Plan

2005-06-06T07:42:00.000-04:00

(Edit: Escapee episode 7 is up.)

At this time one year ago I was planning a wedding, trying to think up a good Eberron story, and dreading the coming heat wave. The only difference this year is that I'm already married and so other plans are in the works.

Otherwise, it's the same. I did so much of my thinking and reading on my R-train commute the last time around, I feel I ought to hop on the train with the ECS and see if I can't repeat the process. Already the threat of summer is upon me, and I can feel the evil of humidity ready to pounce. But yesterday I went swimming (in the Hamptons, no less) and that felt pretty good.

As usual, I have a stack of books I'm trying to get to. Currently I'm finishing up the Eberron novel Marked For Death, and while I want to jump on the third book in that line, there is both Maiden of Pain awaiting my attention and The Winter King, which Harley has graciously sent to me. Be expecting a counter assault, Mr. Stroh.

Ah, Maiden of Pain: The threshold through which I got back into writing. Okay, let's be more truthful. The threshold through which I finally got into writing seriously for the first time. I'd long needed the excuse, and Maiden offered it. Now, I can't stop. (Kam, I'll let you know what I think when I do actually read it.)

August and GenCon draw nearer. I'm really, really looking forward to it, to the adventure of renting a car, making the drive out there, and staying with Ed and Lara as much as the convention itself.