A Most Unexpected 5th-Grade Graduation

My daughter graduated 5th grade this past Monday. It was one of the first times this year where a large body of people was allowed to get together. And yet, it was not your usual cap-and-gown affair. Instead, it was in the sports field next to the district office with the students entering from one side and the parents entering from the other. Attendance was limited to 4 per student, with each group being given a collection of chairs separate from the others by 6 ft. Students were placed in an orderly line, separated by classes, and staggered as they both entered the staging area as well as when they were getting ready to receive their diploma.

Once their name was called, the student came up on stage, accepted their diploma, took a picture with their teacher and then went off stage. Masks were required everywhere and only ever allowed off for the student when they took that single picture, while everyone else around them was still masked. There were some speeches given by students and a few guests, but for the most part it was very cut-and-dry. Certainly not what one would have expected for a moving-up ceremony.

That being said, it was still wonderful to have an actual ceremony instead of a cyber-conference or having it be cancelled altogether. That was unfortunately what happened for last year’s 5th graders who were completely blindsided by COVID. The students were impacted so much this year that being recognized for their dedication to their studies in spite of the unique circumstances deserves celebration.

And, of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without their amazing principal and incredible 5th grade teachers, who went above and beyond to make it as enjoyable as possible, including having a safe reception afterword at their school.

Congratulations, Alicia! May middle school be just as exciting, but far less dire.

Looking for Reviewers and Beta Readers

Breaking the fourth wall here a little bit and letting you know that I'm offering up five review copies for each of my fantasy novels. Clarity and FarSight are loaded with magic, adventure, and mystery! Leave a comment below and I will contact you via DM and send you a copy.

Also let me know if you’d like to become a beta reader. I have many more of the series on the horizon including Remedy coming out next year.

LitRPGs - The Better Alternative to Video Games

One of the reasons I was so serious with my previous blog post, besides the importance of it and the hope that there are those who will find the information beneficial, is to point out why I have instead become obsessed with LitRPGs. For those who don’t know, LitRPG is the literary genre where a person/people either becomes fully immersed in a world through virtual reality gear, or they get transported inside the world permanently. They then become stronger through battling and doing quests similar to a real role-playing game. I consider it a better escape given I can’t play video games, because I don’t have to be tied to a console to listen on Audible: I can do it while in the car, exercising or doing chores, and unlike many video games I used to play, I actually complete these.

As a fantasy writer, I am also impressed by how authors like Michael Chatfield, Jonathon Brooks, and Aleron Kong weave math into fantasy. I loved RPGs — it was my go-to genre for video games — and yet I’ve never known how one would go about calculating all of those statistics into the storyline.

Some might question how many different ways there are to gain a skill, kill a monster, or run a quest, but like thousands of other video games there are many different variations to go off of. There are good and bad writers of course, just like there are good and bad video games, but by in large there is enough variation among the litrpg gnre out there that the common threads don’t feel overdone. So for those who are interested, you should definitely check out the authors I’ve mentioned before and many others as well.

Hello, My Name is Ethan and I’m a Video Game Addict

I must confess that I am a video game addict. Like an alcoholic who might start with one drink and be unable to stop, I suffer from such an addiction when it comes to video games. I might be able to start with a simple half an hour with every intention of only playing for half an hour. But before I know it I’ve played for hours. Or worse yet, I sneak off to the bedroom or bathroom to play.

And when I’m with my kids I’m thinking about the time when I can next play my games. I’m short with them and my wife; I ignore my responsibilities; and worse yet, my behavior impacts my kids who see my obsession as permission to behave the same way.

Thankfully, I have the wherewithal to recognize my addiction and act against it. I love my family more than getting my next fix, but it is a slippery slope. That is why I have had to uninstall all the games on my phone and not even pick up my switch or grab a Wii remote. I simply cannot stop myself once I begin.

Those who don’t suffer from the same addiction can’t understand how powerless one can become from it. But it is real.

So, yes, my name is Ethan, and I am a video game addict. It has been two months since I last played a game.

Important Links

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/28/727585904/is-gaming-disorder-an-illness-the-who-says-yes-adding-it-to-its-list-of-diseases
https://gamequitters.com/video-game-addiction/
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/video-game-addiction#1
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/video-game-addiction/

#1 Rule for Newsletters: Verify Your Reply-To

Here’s another important life lesson for the writer/self-publisher. If you have a newsletter of any kind, make sure your reply-to email is accurate. Thanks for my mother for pointing out she couldn’t reply to my newsletter email. It turned out I was using an invalid email address.

That also brings up the point that if you ever wonder why your subscribers are not engaging with you through your email newsletter, it could simply be because there’s a typo somewhere preventing email communication. I certainly made that mistake.

Anyway, it’s fixed now, so all you curious fans wondering why I never responded, that is why and I wholeheartedly apologize.

Thanks.

The Frustrations of Google Blog Comments

An interesting discovery I had while posting comments on my virtual book tour was that when I tried to select “Google Account”, it would authenticate successfully but never go anywhere after that. And it seemed like most people were using the Google Account feature only for their blog comments. The only time it worked was when I was using Chrome. I understand the convenience for those who use Chrome often, but for people like me who use Safari or Firefox, it can be really annoying. It might even make people reluctant to leave comments, it certainly almost did for me. In any event, I have switched to using Chrome solely in the case where I need to post comments. For everything else it’s Firefox or Safari.

Brief Apology

For those who happened to read the previous somewhat vindictive version of the post on the virtual tour, I whole-heartedly apologize for my pettiness. It was unfair of me to blame people for their comments, especially given they did take the time to leave one. They didn’t have to. And honestly the cover IS great. My team did an incredible job, both with it and all the other covers and images on this site. You should really check them out. (Forgive the Marahspand map though, that is all me :} )

The truth is I am proud of that cover, and so I shouldn’t be angry for people letting me know. Regardless of the intent, a positive comment is a positive comment. And if it happens to lead to more positive conversation or interest in my other writings, then even better!

So keep up the compliments on the cover, and if you have time, pick up a copy of the novel as well. I promise you won’t regret it!

Thanks.

P.S. For a taste of what the novel has to offer, check out its prologue here.

P.P.S. For those who are coming new to these blog posts and wondering “WTF?” trust that I was in a rotten place before and have since come out of it. These things happen for writers; we are only human after all, regardless of what our characters may have you believe.

The Virtual Tour

When I first began writing I envisioned publishing my book and going on signing tours around the country. Granted this was nearly 12 years ago, when such a thing was a common occurrence. But as technology has evolved, so has the concept of publicity, and subsequently book tours. Thus my first tour is virtual.

It is a strange experience as I go from blogger site to blogger site to leave comments and replies to people’s posts as oppose to thanking them in person. Once more, the comments are mostly about how nice the cover looks. I doubt many, if any, will even bother to pick up a copy (be it physical or electronic).

My question, is how many of those people will actually read the book? Chances are few if any. Some of the bloggers have tried to help by including excerpts, but again, there is a ton out there and people have a limited amount of time, so I honestly don’t blame them.

My editor actually told me that it’ll be not until the 3rd or 4th book in a particular series that people will actually start paying attention to me.

In the meantime, I will continue to to travel the blog sites thanking those who took the time to leave a comment. Because honestly they didn’t have to. I wish there could be more engagement in some of the comments, but again people have a limited amount of time.

You have to start somewhere, and “nice cover” is a good place, especially considering what an incredible job my team did in designing it. For some, it’ll translate into “nice book”, and “where can I find more like it?” And that’s how you build an audience.

For those interested in following the tour.

Judging Books by their Covers

Perhaps it’s an outside-looking-in kind of thing but I just always assumed book covers accurately depicted events that occur inside the books. And so those were my expectations going into cover design.

The truth is that people themselves have expectations of what a book might be simply by looking at the cover. And it is by this judgement that they decide whether it’s worth the read. So it is far more important that the cover draws in readers than to describe a particular scene. After all, the goal of the cover is to get them interested in reading the story. The writing inside is what will keep them engaged.

My editor and illustrator have been incredibly patient and understanding as I struggle to let go of those preconceived expectations. And for that I am grateful.

So Many Things To Do, So Little Time (For Writing)

The hardest part about being an author — other than the inspiration, the cost, the editing, the publishing, and the marketing — is finding the time to write. Unless you are able to make a living at it (oh you lucky 1%-ers), chances are you are busy working a full-time job/jobs, dealing with family, friends, and other sorts of no-writing activities. With today’s technology and mountain of distractions, being able to find a quiet moment to sit and compose a few simple sentences is nearly impossible.

(Heck, I just spent the past 30 seconds composing this paragraph while also wondering about the latest releases on Netflix)

The fact of the matter is that for anyone who wants to be serious about any activity — be it sports, cooking, art, etc. — one must find dedicated time to practice it. And in the case of writing, should preferably be done in an area that is distraction-free. Unfortunately, even if one can find this Shangri-La, there will invariably be other things that compete for your attention.

I know some people who therefore only write late at night or early in the morning when the family is asleep or otherwise distracted, but I personally love my beauty rest and can’t see myself getting up that earlier or going to bed that late when I need to be at work at the butt-crack of dawn. So instead I try to use my lunch hour to sneak in a few quick words or ideas. It’s not ideal, but it is a way to continually exercise my creativity with the hopes that once I do find that large block of free time, I will be able to take full advantage of it.

This will do for now. And with that, I’m off to bed.

The Nonsensical Fantasy Writer: A Precursor to Success

If there is one thing that defines all fantasy writers is the fact that sooner or later you will come up with a nonsensical word. Be it a person, place, or a thing, you will create a word that does not exist in any known language. And if you’re truly gifted, you might even create an entirely new language to go along with that nonsense word.

I’m certainly no J.R.R. Tolkien, so my nonsensical words don’t encompass an entire new vocabulary, but I still have to create them. And when I say have to I mean it seems to be the expectation of all fantasy readers that their authors will create words that shouldn’t exist just as they are creating worlds that don’t exist.

When I started writing, that was the most difficult thing I had to tackle and often times something that stopped me mid-sentence. I felt beholden to centuries of English teachers to write using “real” words and felt skittish about venturing off that proper road. But, as they say, “some rules are made to broken.” And once I started, it became easier and easier to the point where I could create nonsensical words whenever I needed to.

Case and point:

• Blarflaven

• Tildletow

• Hootenanny

Okay that last one is an actual thing (look it up).

These days, I feel a certain level of release to be able to create words that shouldn’t exist; it solidifies the point that I am creating a world, it is mine to shape and define, and I shouldn’t have to be beholden to anyone’s logic.

That being said, one still has to ground the nonsensical in the logical. That is also one of the disadvantages of writing fiction and fantasy in particular: the world may be imagined but it still must abide by certain laws or guidelines, otherwise readers will have a hard time accepting it.

So feel free to be as nonsensical or fantastical as you wish, but keep it sensible.

Traveling with the family

One of the greatest tests of parenting young children isn’t the first time you have to change a diaper or reprimand a disobedient child, or getting a picky eater to eat their vegetables, or even ensuring they get to bed at a reasonable hour, it’s making sure the family doesn’t self-destruct on family trips. I’m not taking about a trip to the grocery store or an journey in the car to the beach or mountains, I’m referring to an extended stay at a remote location where the usual distractions are absent.

Its a true privilege to be able to experience the different cultures of the world, and I definitely recommend allowing your children to see how others go about their daily lives. But unless you have the convenience of family at your destination, you usually have to fill your time with engaging activities to keep your children satisfied and you sane.

It could be different with younger versus older children or the pre-internet/phone/iPad generation versus post but I am constantly struggling with my children to find interesting in the surround culture for more than a few minutes that I makes me wonder whether it’s worth it all.

But then there are those moments where they try eating a food they wouldn’t get anywhere else and enjoy it, or stand from the top of one of the worlds tallest buildings and look out at the city below and you understand it is the collection of experiences that makes it worthwhile. It shapes their perspective of the world and allows them to recognize there is much more going on than in the little part called home. And hopefully they’ll appreciate what you’ve shown them and want to expand their own horizons.

To Kumon or Not to Kumon or "when public education is not enough"

I am writing this as I sit at Kumon waiting for my kids to finish their homework.  This isn't regular school homework; no, school is officially out today. And this isn't summer school homework either; my kids aren't at that age where summer school is necessary.  

And yet, I am here at a place which for all intents and purposes is like school, what with reading and math lessons followed by nightly homework.  Expect unlike summer school, this is a paid engagement; and the actual price depends on which Kumon you go to.

The reason I am subjecting both my kids and my wallet to this (according to them) abuse is the belief that they will excel further in school.  Although thanks to common core, what is taught here is not the same there and vica versa.  

Worse still, Kumon excels the student forward through complex stacking memorizing, whereby what is learned last time is added to incremently in future lessons.  It's similar to regular school but at an accelerated pace.  That wouldn't be bad if the school didn't then overwrite everything learned with their own lessons.

Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my time and money but the progress I see from my children makes it worthwhile.  So that means I'll have to increase my diligence to make sure all their hard work in Kumon isn't wasted.  Which also means I have homework too.

Given this, I might ask myself what advantage does school offer?  That's pretty easy given the friendships and other life lessons learned.  Plus, my kids' school has science lab, art, and computer science (although many other schools don't).  But they are still limited in what a teacher can teach in a period and what an entire class of easily distracted children can learn. They still do teach and my children's district is one of the best in SoCal, so it wouldn't be terrible if we didn't do it. But we want the best for our kids and that includes giving them every opportunity to excel (regardless of the cost). And until I see differently, that will include reading and math lessons at a premium.

The Truth About Getting Old-ish (or "You're not 18 anymore")

I discovered a brutal truth last Saturday: I'm getting old. Now I'm not talking about unable-to-look-over-the-steering-wheel old, or AARP-old.  I'm talking about not in my twenties-close-to-my-forties old.  And far too old to do what I ended up trying (and failing miserably) to do. Let me enlighten you...

This particular Saturday, my daughter and son were invited to her classmate's birthday party at this trampoline park/over-priced-playground. I had been to a few before but always sat them out, not because I was afraid but simply because I felt a little foolish jumping on a trampoline like a kid (apologies to mine and everyone else's inner child).  But after much cajoling, my son finally got me to join him. 

I kicked off my shoes, put on my sticky socks (they prevent sliding, and moving across regular floors apparently) and headed over to main bouncing area with various zones of activities.  The first zone we went to was a platform that you swing off of with a rope to drop safely into a foam pit below.  A bit startling, but not terrible. My son then took me to the adjacent room with floor and walls covered in trampolines (an immediately intimidating sight).

My fearless son proceeds to bounce off the floor to the middle of the room, giggling all the way and also calling for me to join him. I reluctantly do, unsuspectedly launching onto the nearest trampoline, and then immediately careening straight towards one of the trampolines on the wall.  To which I bounce off and blast the other way, hopping across the various trampoline pads and nearly knocking over a few children as I try to stop my momentum.  It took another bounce off a trampoline wall and a slight slide before I succeeded.

My super-ego is now telling me this is far too dangerous, but my id joyfully tells me to try again.  My super-ego is winning until I notice a couple of younger-ish kids doing tricks between the floor and wall trampolines.  My id says it looks both fun and easy, and I can do it too (as if my initial near-death experience hadn't proven the fallacy in that logic).

So, I make my way to a secluded area of the room, set myself up and jump towards the trampoline on the wall with both feet (dumb!).  I rebound far too quickly backwards, attempt to stop my fall with my arm, and jerk my head painfully. I am startled, somewhat sore, but not hurt (wait for it...). 

Fast-forward to after the cake and singing.  I noticed earlier that there was this area called the "Ninja Room", set up a lot like those American Ninja obstacle courses, which times how long it takes you to complete it.  My kids requested being able to go in (at $3 a pop) and I told them after the festivities.  It is now after the festivities and they are eager to enter.  I figure why not, and pay the front desk.  They get this special wrist bands and are allowed to enter. 

We head over there, the kids climb the (ominous) steps to the starting/ending platform, and they go for it (after a few mishaps with entering through the exit and not the start).  They are having a blast and it looks like fun.  I notice the entrance has these slanted padded platforms laid out in such a way as to be able to scale with a leap side-to-side until eventually landing on the far level platform (You're ahead of me).  My id once again tells me I can easily do that.  I have, after all, being doing DailyBurn regularly for the past month and got into fairly good shape.

So, So after letting the kids try a few times, I tell the far-more-flexible kids that I'm going next (to loud objections).  I set myself up and bound onto the nearest slanted platform.  I pass the first three just fine, but then my trajectory shifts and I'm headed for the second to last far lower than I would like.  I land and immediately start sliding down. My left hand reflexively shoots out but it can't stop my descent.  I land in the foam pit below with what seems like nothing more than a bruised ego.

Then I glance at my left hand and discover my pinky is bent up when it should be going down.  I had dislocated it.  Fearing it's broken, I pop it back in and find that I can move it amid pain.  I am thankful it wasn't worse, and decide that I'm too old(-ish) for this and far too inexperienced.  I let my kids resume their more talented attempts and head to the front counter to get a couple bags of ice to squash my pinky between. I vow to let my kids (and far braver adults than me) enjoy these (deceptively dangerous) trampoline parks from now on.  I'll sit on the side and enjoy my book.

Exessively Seems or "Am I really certain of it?"

I have been going back and rereading my novels in anticipation of publishing them and discovered I tend to use the words "seemed", "seemed to" and "seems" a heck of a lot.  Sometimes it's within the same paragraph or consecutive paragraphs. I hadn't realized how pervasive it was in my stories until the editing and am certain my editor will highlight it as well.

I haven't done any research on this but I imagine others might fall into this problem as well.  By the very definition of writing in third-person, you are looking through another character's perspective.  So when they interact with other people, they are interpreting what the person is doing or meant to say. So to them, things could seem to be a way when not necessarily being that way. This is true in the real world as well.

For example, you might see someone with their eyes closed and think they are sleeping.  So the person "seems to be sleeping."  But in reality they might simply be deep in thought.  That is how a third-person writer might approach perspective scenes.

But in reality, at least the reality I've written, "seemed", "seemed to" and "seems" while allowing one to stay in the mind of the character decreases the certainty of the scene.  If they are seeming to do something, then they might not be doing it.  That's fine if that is the intention, but if it's a third-person omniscient point where the other character is acting, then it's far more effective to just have the person do the action.

For example, one could easily write: "But this man seemed different" when the third-person narrator is speaking about something.  And that sounds grammatically correct.  It could be that the man was different, or he might not be.

However, if you then change it to "But this man was different".  You are stating in the definite that he IS different.  If you follow it up with the sentence, "he didn't have the same amount of hair or laughed at all of her jokes," then you are defining how he is different.  In this context, "seemed different" would mean a completely different statement as in the narrator wasn't sure whether he was different.  If that is your intention, then fine, but as I've gone through and reviewed my writing, I've discovered the affirmative is far more relevant than the speculative.

Of course if you do find yourself using "seemed", "seemed to" or "seems" a lot, and they are relevant, to avoid hammering the verb into the reader's skull, it would be wise to switch it up with synonyms like "appears" or "looks".