Note to Self (formerly Storm of Another Sort)

Dated 8th September.

Always, always, ALWAYS begin a new document, rather than overwriting the last already saved document. Now we'll do yesterday's post again. Stupid of me not to click "Save As" instead of "Save".

Anyway, night before last there was a tremendous thunderstorm during which two pieces of equipment in camp were struck by lightning. This caused our Internet to be knocked out, which is why I have yet to post this.

As an aside, I don't think I have adequately expressed how annoyed I am that I have to redo this post.

Yeah.

I have recently begun reading a bit of Michael Moorcock. He has rereleased some of his Elric of Melniboné stories, complete with commentary. I remember having read some Elric books earlier in my life, possibly junior high or high school. Moorcock's tales I recall as having been quite good, with Elric being a brilliant, quintessential antihero. They were dark, gritty, moody. They were also wholly unique in my experience to that point. Something about the syntax of the books always struck me as strange though. I think Moorcock was the first writer I ever recognized from his writing style as being British. Also, the stories were written in the 60s, so the audience was somewhat different.

And what, you ask, does any of this have to do with projects? Well, this reading has been the impetus which tripped me into my next project. Moorcock recommends that all fledgling writers of fantasy pay a visit to the beginnings of the genre. I feel that an excellent idea. I'm not familiar in any great depth with any fantasy older than Tolkien. Perhaps delving the roots, as it were, is a good plan. So, the project is this: I plan to read as much early fantasy as I can in the next year or so. It will have to be worked in my regular reading/writing/work schedule, which is decidedly willy-nilly. Regardless, I feel confident that only good will come of it.

CL