Progress Report: The stuff of nightmares

Slowly but surely. That's how progress is ... well ... progressing. Reading aloud from a hard copy, marking it up as I go along, and then entering the changes is time-consuming, but it's coming along.

The titling department is at a standstill, mostly because life is in the way. Honestly, Dear Reader, my preschoolers have no respect for my creative process and interrupt me at the most inconvenient times. Specifically, morning, noon and night.

As I endlessly refill sippy cups and wipe poopy bottoms, fear creeps inside of me -- fear that I'll never come up with a good title, and my lack of decent titleage will lead to a cover-art debacle like those suffered by so many many fantasy writers before me. Behold the horror (via Good Show Sir): 

 Cat people? Is this one more place James Cameron ripped off an idea for Avatar? Also, I'm creeped out that these cats are so sinewy-muscly-bulgy? *Shiver* Fundamental titling problem: Darkness and Dawn is simply trite.

I don't care what this apprentice is adept at, everyone knows you shouldn't fence bare-chested with a black unicorn. Especially not in your Robin Hood hat. Split Infinity isn't a terrible title, but whatever's inside this book that inspired this cover is absolutely criminal. 

This author stole this scene straight out of my book, right down to the smoking incense and gold pasties. My next run-in with John Russell Fearn is going to be sooo awkward. Don't worry, Dear Reader, any title involving the words "conquest" and "Amazon" is right out. 

Do you see the danger, Dear Reader? My fears are not unfounded! Fantasy cover art can go wrong in so many horrifying ways!

I need a palate cleanser. Time for some She & Him. (I promise no more bad pop-rap synth. This is truly a fantastic song, and a lovely fan-made video to boot. Take a deep breath and feel your stress melt away.)



Now that we're all nice and mellow, Dear Reader, here's a final, random overshare: I was trying to post three times a week. Upon reflection, I'm not really sure why. Perhaps I read the recommendation on a blog about blogging or something. Also, I like to create arbitrary standards and stress myself out. (Why yes, I am a Type-A firstborn. How did you guess?)

All of this being said, I decided to cut back to posting twice a week and immediately a sense of warmth and all-is-right-with-the-world-ness settled upon me. So ... I'm not imploding any universes or upsetting any apple-carts with this announcement, but twice a week it is. Just so you know.