Crazy Days and Fun With Links

Hey everyone, and welcome back!  I know it's been over a week since my last post, and I do apologize.  Holiday weekends always screw with my normal schedule.  I'm still getting used to the fact it’s Wednesday instead of Tuesday, and yesterday my mind was total mush.  Anyways, I've got a few cool things on the internet to share with you, and later this week I'll be forgoing another Friday Run-Down in favor of a short story I want to share with you all.

First, in my little world, I'd like to share that I've actually hit over 10,000 words in my novel!  It's a cyberpunk murder-mystery, and I love writing it.  It's one of the few pieces of work I actually fall into easily and get lost with the story.  I know I've got quite a ways to go in terms of length and editing until it’s even close to finished, but I'm glad to know I've hit that mark.  In the past I've always had trouble reaching that milestone.  I feel that once you reach that point, the story is well and started and you have a solid idea on where to go.  My other novel I'm working on, an epic fantasy-meets-steampunk is put on hold for now, but I'll be posting little short stories set in that world to get my motivation back up for it in the coming weeks.

Now, onto some fun internet finds!

First on my list is a really fun tarot card deck I found while looking on Pinterest.  It's a Zombie themed tarot deck from Quirk Books with art reminiscent of 1950's movie posters.  I love the detail on the art they showcase, and I'm sorely tempted to buy a deck just for the sake of beautiful art.  I'm not a huge zombie guy (about as much as the next nerd), but I'm a sucker for '40-'50's art.  That's one of the main reasons I fell in love with Fallout 3 and New Vegas.   But I digress.  Definitely check it out, and definitely see all of the books and gifts that Quirk Books has to offer.  I'll definitely be returning to purchase a few books for my collection in the near future.

Next up, I wanted to share Neil Gaiman's address of the graduating class of 2012 at the University of the Arts.  I wish I could credit this to a particular person or site, but I was bombarded by it on Twitter, Facebook and regular news feeds I frequent.  However, it is a fantastic speech by one of the greatest authors of our time, and he touches on how many artists feel in today's climate.  He focuses on being yourself and doing your craft for the sake of doing something you love.  I definitely felt inspired to pursue my writing much more.  If you are an artist of any sort, I HIGHLY recommend at least one viewing of his speech.

Lastly, I wanted to share a blog that I recently found and started following.  It's called Raquel Writes, and it's her personal adventures through writing.  Not only that, but she also posts current writing contests on each blog post!  Her posts are written in a very familiar tone.  Plus, she puts up a song of the day!  Most of them aren’t to my taste, but I like it as it helps set the tone she wishes to convey.  So definitely check her out!

Well, that’s all for me today.  I will see you guys and gals in a few days with some of my writing.  Until then, Godspeed and I hope you all have a great day!!!