#when october is over i will have time i think... the -tober events have had me busy

[fvedyetor]

doodles of the bastards that irrevocably changed the trajectory of my life and mental health sorry

[writing-in-the-tiny-house]

The Trophies of NaNoWriMo, with AJ Mac

Follow this link to check out the book The Gem State Siege:

https://amzn.to/3yDtVDn

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The following is a transcript of this episode. The complete transcript is available on the show’s website.

[00:00:00] Devin Davis: Are you ever worried about writing a large amount of text in a short amount of time? Then you need to listen to AJ Mac, author of the book The Gem State Seige. He wrote the entire thing during NaNoWriMo of 2020, and he is our guest today on Writing in the Tiny House. Hello, hello, hello! And welcome to the show.

[00:00:47] Welcome back to the show. I am Devin Davis, your host, and I am the guy living in a tiny house to show you all of the different ways, regardless of how busy you are, that you can write that book. We focus mainly on fiction, at least the majority of these episodes. Today we have a person that I have been so excited to get to know. His name isAJ Mac.

[00:01:11] His first name is actually Aaron. And it's not in the interview. So I get to share a little tidbit before we play the interview. I actually met Aaron on a Facebook group looking for a critique partner. I had no idea what he had done. I had no idea his story or the process that he had taken to write this thing, but we exchanged first chapters many, many months ago and he critiqued my first chapter.

[00:01:40] I critiqued his first chapter. It was a great experience. And then like, a couple months later, I realized that his book was being released and was in print. So today we have AJ Mac, author of the book The Gem State Seige to share his entire story with us. 

[00:02:02] AJ Mac: I started off writing a completely different novel that I said I was going to release first, but then I thought about the options of like Permafree books and like start in content. Cause I just wanted to kind of roll into something that was a little bit bigger of a project than the one that I released first. And it took me about 10 years to actually write that novel, like rewriting and constantly revising and all of that. The final draft of that book, it took me about nine months to do a hundred thousand words, I think. And I was just like, okay I need to write it a little bit faster if I have this goal of doing all of these books and all of this story, this this whole sci-fi universe that I've created in my head, I might want to write a little bit faster.

[00:02:52] So NaNoWriMo came along. I found it on Facebook, found a lot of groups on Facebook, talking about writing 50,000 words in a month. And I was like, Okay. That's a challenge. I'm going to take it. I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to try. 

[00:03:07] So October 31st. I was just like, kind of like at my computer at 1159, like a runner at a Olympic track meet. 12 o'clock hit and I just started going. It took me about 20 days, 21 days, I think to get the 50,000 words, but I did it and I proved to myself that I actually could write faster. 

[00:03:29] Devin Davis: NaNoWriMo, though it calls itself a competition, is more like a big push to get people to start writing. No one is looking over your shoulder. You don't submit your progress to anyone, but it's just a month long marathon in the spirit of writing. And it is celebrated by everyone. When Aaron got in the thick of it, he had some big realizations about his own writing process.

[00:03:58] AJ Mac: I like being a pantser for the most part. Doing Prep-Tober is what they call it when you're preparing for NaNoWriMo I took some time out and wrote like a whole outline. I started setting up my writing space, and I bought Scrivener, and I wrote out and it took me about a day or so to write this entire like, outline of what I was going to do.

[00:04:21] And about Chapter Two, I was like screw outline. Yeah. I just yeah. 

[00:04:26] Devin Davis: He wrote for hours every day. Like he said, it took him 21 days to get his first draft completed. Three weeks. And as you might imagine, it took a toll on his social life.

[00:04:41] AJ Mac: I don't think I talked to my girlfriend much during that time. I was working night shift at my full-time job. And what I would do is I would work 5:00 PM to about 4:00 AM, was my schedule. And I would spend as much time as I possibly could while I was working-- which wasn't much-- writing. And when I was at home I would wake up early. I still wake up earlier about 11 o'clock and I will write until I go to work. so I I was pretty much, at my computer the entire time. 

[00:05:14] Devin Davis: Because he wasn't an experienced writer, at first he didn't know how to go about self edits and critique partners at all. This is how he handled it.

[00:05:25] AJ Mac: And I sat on the manuscript for about a month and a half maybe. And like, there were a lot of people saying that if you write something in NaNoWriMo, then it should at least be a year out before you actually start, like, thinking about publishing, but I was determined. I was determined to get some feedback on it. And I, I went to Facebook groups and like a bunch of critique groups. And I start querying for some people to give me some feedback on the book. And that was my start. And to editing that rough draft and submitting that rough draft and seeing if there was a actual concept for me to even publish a book. 

[00:06:05] Devin Davis: And a few short months later, he had The Gem State Siege in print.

[00:06:13] AJ Mac: It's about Tawnie Simms, a world-renowned conspiracy theorist who finds herself in the middle of a cataclysmic event in her hometown, Idaho falls. When what seems like a natural disaster, a mysterious organization that uses the tragedy is fueled to start a mass extermination disguised as a pandemic. Tawnie has to find her way to stop the monstrous billionaire responsible while keeping her and her five-year-old son safe.

[00:06:41] Devin Davis: So this book required some research, not only about concepts, but about geography. The story takes place in Idaho falls and Aaron doesn't even live there.

[00:06:54] AJ Mac: The pantser in me decided to find it somewhere where geysers would make sense for for the relic that I used in the book. So Yellowstone National Park was, was nearby. I have a fascination with-- and this is going to sound horrible-- but I have a fascination with like end of the world kind of cataclysmic movies like that, like movies, like 2012 and Water Worlds, things like that. Just kind of like interests me. So the apocalyptic trope I feel like that's my thing. That's what interests me. It's a lot of build up to what I'm doing in the scifi universe that I'm creating and the world that I'm putting together. And that just happened to be one of the starting points of the world.

[00:07:36] Devin Davis: So I asked him what got him interested in books and science fiction in the first place.

[00:07:44] AJ Mac: A lot of fanfiction. I used to do a lot of sketches growing up and drawing my own comic books specifically when I was younger. It was a show called Dragon Ball Z that for whatever reason in America did not want to continue past a certain saga.

[00:08:00] So I started drawing my own and that trend never left. Like I fell in love with writing and coming up with my own ideas. And I felt comfortable. Like growing up as an introvert, I felt comfortable just writing my own reality as opposed to living in the real reality, I guess. And it just kind of worked for me. 

[00:08:19] Devin Davis: All of us as writers, face roadblocks and other struggles. And sometimes we have self doubt. 

[00:08:25] AJ Mac: I struggled with the belief that I could even write that fast, considering that I've just been sitting on a bunch of ideas for 10 years before I actually decided to publish a novel. For any aspiring author that wants to write, join a community like NaNoWriMo where people are having the same challenges.

[00:08:47] Devin Davis: Not only is Erin cranking out books, but he and his friends also do a podcast.

[00:08:54] AJ Mac: My podcast is called The Dirty Trunk podcast. And we like to say that that's where the elephant is always welcome. And we talk about the uncomfortable conversations about growth and building your mindset as an entrepreneur. They come out every Tuesday, and the last episode we discussed your environment and how it shapes your future as an adult. 

[00:09:17] Devin Davis: By the time this episode airs, the Dirty Trunk podcast will have reached more than 100 episodes. 

[00:09:26] AJ Mac: For anybody who's listening to this episode here, if you have the goal or the dream to be a published author, do it. You can listen to this podcast and everybody who joins Mr. Devin on this this journey being a guest on this awesome podcast that he has here in this platform, you can listen to every single one of them talk about their dreams, their goals of how to start and how they started, but it will not be possible for you unless you actually put pen to paper and do it. Do not let fear get in the way of your goals and your dream. 

[00:10:01] Devin Davis: A special things to Aaron, author name AJ Mac, for joining me today on Writing in the Tiny House. He is working hard on the next several books of his series. And I am excited to see when those are going to come out. If you are interested in ordering or reading the Gem State Siege by AJ Mac, follow the link in the show notes and it'll get you there.

[00:10:26] And that is it for today. Thank you so much for my patrons. Without them this show can not be possible. If you wish to become a patron, patreon.com/writinginthetinyhouse. You can get early access to these episodes. You can get an additional episode, and you can get quality time with me over our exclusive chat rooms on Discord. Follow me on Instagram. My handle is @authordevindavis and on Twitter, my handle is @authordevind. Thank you so much for listening. We will see you next week and have fun writing.

Check out this episode!

[define--onomatopoeia]

Shady and not from a tree: So Schumacher thought that if he told Tobler to tell me how he sabotaged Matt and Ron Capps then he could assess how well I could keep a secret. Well for one I was on a roll as a tattle tale. For another, I had already written about it on multiple occasions. And foremost, it didn't involve me. It was about the safety of drivers and spectators. I had warned Tobler already, last October, that he was running out of control and I knew it was on purpose and he needed to stop He calmed down about it So Why wouldn't I write the finalized version of life? Of course, I would. Because that was my involvement, to tattle. Now when it comes to his little crap with Leah and me and him I told him several times in front of Terri Chandler, Leah herself and the FBI that I wanted NOTHING to do with Leah Prichit. I said it multiple times. I told him he was absolutely free to make his own choices but I would have absolutely nothing to do with Leah being on his team I couldn't make his decisions for him nor could I tell him he couldn't make his own decisions But over and over and over, even Dejoria knows, I said not to involve me with Leah. I want absolutely none of it. So he went ahead and decided that I would have no choice in dealing with the situation he decided to create. That's not fair. I was driving Alex to work the other day. He was using a calculator for the math, so he would give correct change because he was just overwhelmed, first new job, etc etc etc So... He wanted a different position. But I told him don't go asking for it because they may not have another. Just work your way up. Besides he had only one day and he hadn't had a chance to make tips, etc etc He should at least given it a week before complaining. So I told him, don't go telling your boss you can't do math If you want your boss to know you're having a difficult time, then throw your calculator on your tray or carry it in your hand. Since you're not allowed to have a phone at all, and have to put it in the box, he will notice and want to know what you have. So he will see it's a calculator and he will know that you need help and maybe the job isn't for you You can communicate all that to him without seeming demanding and needy but someone who is a problem solver and someone who will work hard and try to achieve perfection. I told him there's so many ways to work up. like he could tell on the cook who smokes pot before work.. so he could get the cook position and not have to do maths. But I told him instead to be quiet and work hard. It's easier and better. I told him you could throw the calculator on the tray and expect him to give you a different job because you can't do math Or you can just use the calculator and be honest about how you need additional help when you put it on the tray. He said "I just want to be honest" Don Schumacher isn't being honest about the whole Leah thing He never told me to what he wanted. Terri said he had something to say about Leah and me and his team and etc And I said I don't want anything to do with Leah what he wants to do is his Choice but I don't want anything to do with Leah. So Don sets Leah up with all kinds of public events with Matt. Nothing I can do. Matt decided to go to work. That's fine. That's his job Matt didn't arrange for the events. He was told to go to work. So Don wanted me to talk shit about Leah and then he could get the sympathy vote. While I'm talking about how John Force needs to be a better parent, Don Schumacher is the poor guy that made a mistake trusting and hiring Leah. Terri Chandler was super pissed at Don Schumacher about his choice about hiring Leah. I want to make very clear that she was completely against Leah joining DSR. She said wanted to tell on Don. But I wouldn't listen because I wanted nothing to do with it. I felt my opinion about Leah was obvious and that I didn't want anything to do with her. So why should I sit there and listen to someone disrespect my feelings by trying to push someone that I don't want on me? I yelled and carried on and Terri threatened to leave. Yet Don Schumacher decided that he wanted to do what he wanted to do. Fuck everyone else's rights. We are his slave. The entire world owes Don Schumacher their soul So last weekend I found out about his scheme. I was running thru an article, the FBI checked it and the article had no revelation or revelency about Schumacher nor Leah. But I put the article down with the knowledge of what Schumacher has done. Just a random event. So immediately he started negotiating about how to keep my mouth shut. I refused to say much about it... Except that I was pissed. And he had called me a liar and I told him I would say everything I knew about him if he ever called me that again. So he had this big ass list of shit to do for me. He also had been telling Matt to tell me shit to do or not do. And to swindle me into believing that he's Godly and awesome. Don should understand I make my own choices just as he does. #Duh And I have my own opinions just like anyone on the planet So he decides to see how trustworthy I am by having Tobler confess. I can't stand Tober. Everyone but him knows that So obviously I'm going to love tattling on him. And I did. But then Don was all no she's a liar she won't keep a secret So then again, I gave him a chance. Then immediately he wants to do nothing for me but wants Matt to swindle my mind into thinking that he's God. Sorry. There's not that much marijuana on the planet and eventually I'll wake up sober. Plus I don't smoke it. I should but I don't. It's expensive. So I got pissed off and I told about his little scheme that he was wanting to keep secret and was willing to pay me for. Now here's the point. What Schumacher wanted from me had to do with me. It was not going to hurt anyone but take alot of my patience, time and skill. All of which he doesn't have. So yeah he could pay me and I would shut up. It wouldn't hurt anyone. I wasn't letting a rapist run the streets without warning people that they were with a rapist that would drug their drinks All it was was an agreement to overlook the point that I didn't want to help him in the first place. But now I'm letting everyone know that he is absolutely manipulative and wants to be And absolutely has no regards for anyone else but his manipulation tactics. I was still pissed about what he did and wanted me to do against my will but I was willing to overlook it if there was proper apology funds. Make it worth my time to forgive him. Keeping his manipulations quiet was going to take quite a bit and I told him, about $10k would be a good start in an apology. But they decided on other things that would suffice. Some of the FBI are sympathetic with me and understand what I need to keep life smooth for me. Since Schumacher was intending to make it bumpy I figured it was alright. I never agreed to be quiet about him hurting anyone else. HE HURT ME. So it was between us. So if we had some financial incentive for forgiveness then that was between us But instead he decided to show his lack of intelligence once again and test me. I will not be tested. I will live my life how I see fit. I have no alliegence with anyone. God alone is my maker not Schumacher. I will not be tested by God or anyone. Today Schumacher was all rattled up by my tattling that he told Matt to YELL at me And he did and I told him "I don't want you to be mad at me and I don't like you yelling at me and I know I could be causing you problems with Schumacher but I'm not going to change who I am or what I'm doing." So he quit yelling because all it it's gonna do is make me not want to be around him and not talk to him and cry when I think he's not looking. And make Colby super upset. Schumacher is trying to cause us problems in our relationship because he's upset that he let Leah suck his old ass dick. And I refuse to be a manipulative part of media. And I refuse to allow safety to be an issue When Jesse was fucking with Dejoria's car, it only hurt her. No one else. It wasn't some fuck up to mess with people's heads or anything of that nature. Jesse knew I would cover it with the rape and that he would stay out of trouble and that no one would be psychologically fucked up But Tobler was purposely fucking people up and was putting Ron Capps and Matt Hagan in danger on purpose. What happened with Dejoria could be considered wrong and I admit that but it was contained And it was happening before I knew about it And I even posted in the 2016 season that Jesse couldn't fuck with her car any more. I wrote that. So whatever. I told her. I told everyone They just chose to overlook it the same as I did. After Dejoria's car blew up, Matt told Jesse not to do that anymore, I would be upset and then she won at Indy the same weekend. Delago told Jesse not to do it I told Jesse not to do it But when I was pissed at her, Jesse would tell me he could and I just didn't care. So he would. But someone was always on Jesse to stop. I just didn't write about it. It was a personal and private issue that only affected Dejoria's psychology. And I can't say it wasnt worth it and I won't. Just like for reasonable compensation I would find it worth it to keep Schumacher's manipulative tactics that don't interfere with safety quiet. Just like I did jesse. But I don't like being lied to and I don't like being tested so that I look like a liar in the end. Because I'm not. Too many people trust me to keep secrets that are harmful and to lie. Alot of people trust me and I find that a responsibility. Not an angle to manipulate. If you don't want to trust me or don't then that's on you I don't care. You can make your own choices and observations. I've always said that. Because I will prove you wrong It will just take Time but one day your eyes will open about me. If Don Schumacher spent half the time he spends on figuring out how to manipulate someone, on trying to be intelligent, he would really rock this world But instead he makes it pathetic and not worth living in.

[aberaham]

Talking about the world & inking

Heya Guys 'n' Gals,

today is 9/11. I feel like that date in 2001 marks the day where the world realized that we are f***ed. Of course, before that day a lot of bullshit happened in our world but I personally see consciously all the bullshit happening. Especially in the past few years. More and more twisted minds get power positions in this world and it is frightening. Politics were never a topic which interested me, but this year I'm going to vote, in hope to prevent my country getting in the hands of a twisted mind as well.

I don't want to call out names of politicians or describe tragical and terrifying events. The past year's people fled from their lands because of fear, people started threatening each other, starting wars, fights ...hate. Why? What changed? Or was it always this way? It's just that we can see it everywhere, now. It is terrifying to think about it, we sit in silence in front of the TV and watch the news.

On the other hand, when was the last time you saw good news on the TV? Not because there is none, but the media chose that bad news are better entertainment. I don't want to play down catastrophes, wars, hate, murder and so on. I want to tell you there is as much goodness in the world as badness. If not even more. We just need to chose to see it. Humanity is a Dramaqueen, to be honest. We see a lamb born and Pig butchered and all we can talk about is the exploitation of Farm animals instead of the wonder of life.  We should celebrate humanity instead of grieving about what may come. Help each other instead of hate each other.

Ink

I think I talked enough about the world for now so let's take a look at how you can help me out with my plans for the next month!

Inktober is coming and this year I like to prepare for it. I have several ideas for it and I like you to chose what I'm going to do. This month I'll sketch out the things you chose and in Inktober I'm going to Ink it obviously. I'll create a poll for that where you can vote for your favorite. Of course, you can comment your choice as well. Maybe you have even a better Idea than I had.

The first Option I wanna do is Character Sheets for Abesome Life finally.

As you can see I already started with Abe and I changed the layout a little bit. Over the time of

October I'm going to Ink the current Cast of Abesome Life as seen here:

The second Option is quite old artworks I only had sketched out or only had a concept of.

Some are really bare-boned some are already in detail. I'm gonna clean up the sketches as good as possible over the time of September and in October you're gonna see the inked versions of those.

Option three is the same as last year: OC-tober. Keep this trend going!

Some characters may overlap with the second option. But most Characters will be new. I will sketch out a handful, not as many that I can fill each day but at least 10 I think. You see, I still have this thing that I can't just draw a character. He or she get's an own backstory and even end up in a Story which already exists. Maybe I design some new Abesome Life Supporting Characters. Who knows.

So here you go. three Options. chose wisely and maybe put down new ideas. especially when you chose the Character designs! If this choice is far ahead early I'm probably going to ask you for Character Ideas!

→ To the Poll

Keep your desks clean

Abe