2 posts tagged “fantasy”

Here's a detailed map of Archania, island kingdom of merchants and mages.  This ancient land is they keystone of Ordrass, facilitating commerce and communication across the settled lands.

Map of Archania

An exercise in hope and determination (#self-indulgent)

I wake between 8:00 and 9:Something, sleepily remembering my Dearheart kissing me goodbye on her way out to the signing of the Second Avenue deal.  Freshly brewed coffee and birdsong greet my morning.  I dress and shuffle to complete bathroom necessaries before attacking the coffee.  Sitting on the couch, I turn on the TV and thumb insincerely through the paper: there is nothing in the news to shake my faith in mankind.

Taking my cup, laptop, and the paper, I meander downstairs and out to the back garden.  The paper hits the compost bin and my ass the wrought-iron chair. I flip open the computer to exchange e-mails with four artists, one editor-in-chief and my agent before I log into the network intranet to check the dailies on “Factor of X”, a live-action X-Men series I cooked up with Chris Claremont.  Satisfied, the real work begins, as I dig in to my manuscript for three hours.  The fourth novel of “the Canticle” is coming along nicely.  I type furiously, with vigor and purpose, stopping only to pet my dogs.

Stretching and closing the laptop, I stop by the basement studio to finish a tavern model and lay down another half hour’s worth of audio for the audiobook version of “Canticle Book One” before heading out to the market.

Upon my return, I laugh at the dieseling of the thousand-dollar car I can’t seem to get rid of.  Some things never change.

In the kitchen, I throw together a quick lunch.  Coarsely chopped celery and tomato go in a bowl with cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and a generous dash of the missus.  Stir vigorously: tweetworthy.

A couple of hours in the garden follow.  Bushes are trimmed.  Vegetables are picked.  Cobbled paths are swept.  Test For Echo is on the MP3 player.  I’m putting out the trash when a black Scion xB pulls in the drive.  I greet the wife and Moira. 

Inside, we do homework and chuckle at cartoons.  Afterwards, the sweet aroma of pipe tobacco soothes the nerves before fresh salmon and asparagus feeds the family.

Settling in front of the TV, Moira picks the show and I hammer out the final touches on Factor of X episode 23.  Later, Moira plays the flute for us, showing off her new trilling technique.

Putting the wee lass to bed, I read another few pages of Coraline and kiss a freckled cheek before retiring to the studio with fine brandy and cigar.  Dearheart sits opposite.  We read for an hour before retiring.  The bed is cool and comforting, the arms warm and welcome.

Sleep comes easily.  I no longer worry about money or failure or loss.  I know that I have found my place, my work, and that all is well.

This has been a fantasy.  Had this been the description of an actual “day in the life”, cigarettes, panic attacks and derision may have resulted.