Daily Updates: For the Win

Because I love harassing people, I'm going to now try and update this daily with something interesting each day. Also I will say that I wrote (which I did today, despite a lot of work and a huge school project and trying to tweak the internet to work) at least my 1k.

So yep, I wrote today. It was a magical delight. I'm getting into the book. I just wish it wasn't 11:30 so I could keep going.

I have a Changes (last book in the Dresden Files) review that I need to write. I'm also going to write a review of the whole series (since this first "season" is officially done), since I seem to not have convinced some of you to drop whatever crap you are currently reading and read this.

I had an interesting conversation with someone at work today. He is reading WGMD, and he kept pointing out whenever I used creative, world-related ways for curses or what not (example: "By the Eight," or "Gods!"). We also had a fight over whether or not the "god" in "Useless god" should be capitalized. I convinced him it shouldn't be, thanks to yahoo answers and other sources. This is because I'm always right, which some people have yet to fully acknowledge.

At any rate, he kept saying he thought the swears were dorky. He also would circle "Voice" (a title, which was used at the beginning but not explained until later) and say he didn't get why it was capitalized. It was interesting to me to see someone who doesn't frequently read fantasy's perspective on that. When I capitalize seemingly random words, I hope they are serving a purpose: to drive the reader to keep going and find out why the crap i capitalized seemingly random words. For me, that sense of mystery in the world building is really compelling; I love being thrown in, fully immersed.

Granted, I usually wouldn't mind some of those little floaty things if I'm chucked in. Servant of a Dark God, as well as any Erik Erickson novel is a good example of a learning curve I find a bit steep for my tastes. I can see the appeal, I'm just too dumb to take a lot of it on a grain of salt.

Anyway, the point is that while I thought I was writing something compelling, he thought I was just being, and I quote, "nerdy." Which is fair, I suppose. But I also feel that sort of dangling that carrot in front of the reader is a good way to get them to keep on going.

I also have a tendency to flesh out those randomly capitalized words soon enough (or keep their original meaning close enough to their "new" meaning that it is easy to infer) so that frustration is offset. Wow, I used lots of cool words in that sentence. I felt smart writing it. I just wanted you to know that.

I don't know what the point of this is. When I said I was going to blog every day, I didn't say it would be any good. But since people like points, here is one: WGMD is awesome, and more people should read it.

Glad that's over with. Here's your bit from the crap I wrote today.


The Yawning Maw was hardly spoken of amongst the Kian, at least from those of Drake’s position. Drake knew of Marked well; in the various battles he’d been assigned to command, Marked often consisted of the majority of his rank. The advent of the Gangrene had meant that no unmarked person would ever have to serve again; it was a law, written by the Kian, and enforced on nearly every level. Zahed’s abhorrence of becoming enlisted made sense in that context; he was being asked to serve in a position reserved only for those infected with the crystal’s taint.
It was ironic, then, Drake almost smiled, that his defiance resulted in him becoming that which he despised. 
- Effulgent Corruption, The Maw