State of the Author, December 2022 · 8:55pm Dec 19th, 2022
You and me both, Joker.
2022 is drawing to its close. A couple days ago was the 5-year anniversary of moving into my apartment, a date that means a lot to me and is a natural time for reflection. I find myself looking back at what I’ve done, and wondering what to say about it.
Unfortunately things have been a bit difficult here lately, which makes it hard to focus on the positives. Winter has only just started but it’s already kicking my ass: I had a bad flu earlier this month and I still haven’t completely recovered from it. And well, it turns out having a high fever and zero energy makes it very easy to be depressed about the state of your life, and hard to think otherwise. Coming at a time when I wanted to look back at my year and focus on what I accomplished, the natural conclusion was “I just wish it was more, y’know?”
So let me just make this blog to announce to the site and the world: I’m still here. I’m still at it. I’m still working on both The Crown of Night and The Seven Trials of Clover the Clever. And I’ve made progress on both stories since I finished The Wizard and the Griffon King this fall.
For The Seven Trials, the progress is straight-forward. Last year I finished the first draft of the final chapters, and this year I started editing the second draft from the top. Most recently I did chapters 5 and 6, and I’m about to start chapter 7. I have an enormous pile of notes and I’m just going to keep going to the end.
As for CoN…
Let me return to that flu. When I was in the depths of it, I was… really far down. Like, “this is as sick as I can remember being” down. Like, “maybe I should just post everything I have written in case I die before it’s finished properly” down.
I did consider it. The entire first draft of The Seven Trials, and what I have of CoN.
That was probably not realistic. I don’t think I was actually that sick. But you get my point.
So here’s one of the things I wrote after I finished Griffon King: The Crown of Night, Plan B. An ending for the story. A single chapter that covers the entire remaining events of the story in one go. Told by Celestia as a one-mare show from the present point to the end, bringing all the pieces and tying them together to complete the great tragedy.
There’s no denying it’s a compromised version, and that it’s not as good as telling the story in full. But my prereaders tell me it works well for what it is, that it brings it all together and is even epic.
I thought about posting it, or offering to show it to anyone who wants to see it. I’m undecided, which is why it’s buried in this post. But at least it exists, and I know that no matter what happens The Crown of Night won’t be unfinished forever. I’ve got that.
In other news, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a masterpiece that I strongly urge everyone to watch. It made me cry, and I don’t cry at movies often.
I hope you’re all doing well. And I wish you all the best in the holiday season, and the years to come.
Yes, it is frustrating when you get to this point in the year and remember all the things that you were planning to do at this time last year... Oh well... maybe next year. It's just a few days until the solstice, then the days start getting longer and energy levels will go up. Physics.
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Unfortunately, as I've been forced to re-learn for many years, the midwinter solstice isn't the midpoint of winter but only the beginning. The weather will only get worse until we've made it through february
Well, I'm going to do my best to keep going. The Seven Trials chapter 7 is huge and epic and glorious, and I hope to make it even more so.
5704222
The sun will triumph. Gooding forward to huge epic glorious things ahead.
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I just read through the establishing scene of the Third Trial of Clover the Clever. It is mysterious and emotional and good, and I think I made it just a little bit better.
5704222
Aye, this is why I placed Hearth's Warming at the end of February, when stored food is looking shockingly low, the winter winds are howling, slipping on icy streets has lost its charm and winter fashion is growing old.
Keep your hoofsies warm and take time off work to play.