What to Do When Inspiration is Low

The Creativity Thermometer is reading low today. It happens. Into every storm a little calm must fall. Or something like that.

Did come up with a new idea, though. Not for this blog. This blog will still remain my Stories Blog. But Tales From The Great Sea is supposed to be mainly about my Swords of Fire Saga and especially the background information. Recently, I've been posting story-poems. I really enjoy those, both writing and reading.

Oh, and speaking of reading (segue from my original thought - we may never see it again), I finished my latest edit of Swords of Fire: Prophecies of Madatar. What a great read! I even teared up at the end. My previous edit ended over a year ago, so it's been a long time since I've read it. I really liked it and, as Fairyhedgehog told me, "It's good to enjoy your own book." Yeah. It is. I actually enjoyed it more than Traitor. Only managed to drop 11,000+ words. The current version is 168,000+ words. Time for another pass.

So, whatever was I talking about? Oh, yes. A new idea for Tales From The Great Sea.

I created a Swords of Fire Database which I call The Archive. (This is not to be confused with The Archives, a collection of all my writing dating back to the early 1970s.) Contained in this database are a host of records on 6,770 characters. These records include birth records; death records; marriage records; village populations; time lines; personal achievements; and a bunch of other stuff - for ALL 6,770 characters. Well, most. Some of the characters aren't actually family. Six records represent the Children of Fire and one represents Madatar. (Odd, but I failed to create a record for Ardora, Madatar's mate.)

Anyway, the backstory and records for all of these characters is hardly complete. LOTS of things I still want to get done, but just haven't had the time because of my new infatuation with blogging. It takes up a LOT of my time. Well, it occured to me that I could combine my old love of detailing the lives of my characters with my new love of blogging. Way back in the beginning I wrote a random number generator (RNG) for The Archive. By using the RNG I can take whichever character's name record corresponds with the number and write a short blub about them, using the existing records, and possibly even expanding them to fill in missing pieces.

So that's what I think I will do. May not post every day. Still sounds like a lot of work. But I'll be divying it up over time instead enduring hours long study periods. But to do some of the work (such as assigning military duty and rank by year) is going to require me to shut myself away and just work. (Before they come and lock me away for thinking this could even be remotely interesting for anyone other than myself.)

Meanwhile, I may take some time and play mindless computer games. Mindless exercises are good for my brain. They so fit in with my daily life.

Be warned now: You may find yourself reading who was promoted to Commander and who was High Marshall in Year 160. (In Year 352 it's Shello, Khirsha's father.)