The year has come and gone, and here we are. A last update, a quick one before we rush off into the new year. And I hope you all do so joyfully.
May the future be kind to you, and may you find the words and strength to achieve what you set out to do. Hit the right note with your Note. May it go viral, catch the interest of many a new reader with these wondrous words of yours, strike up a conversation with a fellow writer here on Substack, form bonds and friendships and write and read all that you desire.
What is it that you truly desire? asks Mr. Morningstar.
Right now? More hours so I can finish my draft of Spherean. Lagging but getting there. Almost finished. December was not a good month for writing…
I need more time to wrap up CARTER editing and publish it as an ebook and print edition. Postponed to Q1 2025.
More time… well, you get the drift. Time is the most precious commodity, and I am forever grateful that you have given your time to come to this little corner and read these Tales from the Defrag.
For that, I thank you, and I hope to see you again next year for more tales! Elodie, our detective, will return, Jamie will hunt demons in the In-Between, and Carter will be called to action again. And, of course, Spherean!
Will Hein Sorenson save the Spheres, or will GAIN rule supreme? All shall be told. And then some.
There’s also this Fantasy novel project I am itching to start/revisit. Here’s an early map I drew years ago. Yes, this has been a long time in the making, an epic high fantasy tale filled with woe and wonder, creatures that will amaze you, frighten you, devour you. A tale of villains and heroes, hapless as they may be, drunken archmages and the oh-so-wise Winzgreenies, who will wow you with their hospitality. So pull up a chair, have a Flipgrabber and enjoy the ride… oh, I forgot, the story is still cooking, it is still simmering, a few more ingredients and come 2026, after Spherean is done, it is time to shine for Endoria.
So many words already written, and so many more to write! And so many more books to read! 2025 will be a very busy year!
Currently, I am reading BotNS, Sword and Citadel, and this passage struck me as Gene Wolfe, through Severian, telling it as it is again:
I have noticed that in books this sort of stalemate never seems to occur; the authors are so anxious to move their stories forward (however wooden they may be, advancing like market carts with squeaking wheels that are never still, though they go only to dusty villages where the charm of the country is lost and the pleasures of the city will never be found) that there are no such misunderstandings, no refusals to negotiate. The assassin who holds a dagger to his victim's neck is eager to discuss the whole matter, and at any length the victim or the author may wish. The passionate pair in love's embrace are at least equally willing to postpone the stabbing, if not more so.
In life it is not the same.
—BotNS, Sword and Citadel, Ch. III
Indeed, in life, we are “anxious to move (their stories) forward.” And so we shall move forward into 2025 to do as we did before. Write, write, write, and I’ll be reading you next year.
It’s soon time to toast, the Final Countdown, we’re leaving together… ok, no singing! No time to proofread, edit and labour over this short last morsel, this last post on this last day. Out we send it before it is too late…
Again, thanks for being here and all the best and a happy new year!
A.
Have you tried https://inkarnate.com/ for map making? I made a map in it that looks a lot like yours.
Happy new year, my friend. Sorry for the delay in time to get to this, but I am here now and ready to be reading more defrag for 2025! May it be a positive, Spherean, and Carterean year!