Two weeks notice..

    Sorry for the hiatus but there have been a few personal developments lately. I've put my two weeks in at my job at the bank. It's a big decision that has been both scary and thrilling. Something that has led me to taking time off of my other hobbies. Focusing on finishing up strong is important to me. The whole reason I got a job at the bank was for stability. Now I'm heading in to the unknown with anything but a certain future. While my time at the bank was valuable in many ways, I've come to realize that it wasn't the right fit for me.

    Don't get me wrong, the job itself was fine. I learned a lot about finance and the corporate world, and I'm grateful for that. But I also learned that banking isn't a field that aligns with my passions. At its core, banking is about making money, and while that's true of most jobs, it can be hard to reconcile with a desire to help people. When you are constantly restricted with items that could greatly help people, you start to become a bit jaded with the system you're working within.

    I've always been passionate about helping others, whether it's by showing them how to solve a problem, protecting them from fraud, or celebrating their financial milestones. Those are the things that light me up, but unfortunately, they often got buried under the paperwork, sales goals, and regulatory trainings that came with the job. That monotony really killed the drive to come to work each day. It made the little flickers of success seem ever encumbered in shadow. It is really difficult to reconcile the fact that the bank makes money off the backs of people who could least afford it. Seeing fees waived for wealthy clients while struggling families paid a steep price just didn't sit right with me.

    But the biggest reason for leaving? Family. My wife and I have young children, and the looming cost of daycare was threatening to eat up my entire paycheck. Long hours and missing out on precious time with my family just isn't sustainable. Why work 50 hours a week to not be able to contribute to bills and miss out on family time? The answer is it doesn't make sense. The fact that childcare is so expensive is the only reason I'm being forced out of the traditional workforce.

    So, I've decided to take a leap of faith and try my hand at gig work. It's a scary prospect, to be sure, but I'm excited about the opportunity to spend more time with my family while still contributing financially. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, there will be challenges. But I'm ready for them. I know that this is the right decision for me and my family, and I'm excited to see what the future holds. Hey who know this book thing might even work out and I'll be able to pay the bills that way!

In to the unknown!

    As some one who is trying to be a writer, creating a vivid and engaging setting for your story can be a daunting task. Whether it's a fictional fantasy world or a familiar city street, the setting can make or break a reader's immersion in your story. That's why I've found searching out landscapes online from travel blogs to be an incredibly useful tool for inspiration. Social media algorithms work in such a way that once you start digging into travel and landscapes, you'll see more of it, so let the wormhole begin!

    The internet offers the ability to virtually explore places that you may never have the opportunity to visit in person. Travel blogs, social media, and photography websites offer a plethora of images and descriptions of stunning natural landscapes, bustling city streets, and quaint towns all over the world. Even if you're not planning on traveling, these resources can provide a wealth of inspiration for your writing. It's an inspiring journey to traverse the mountains on one page and then dip into the waters of a beach on the next.

    When trying to plot out the path of my book, I found myself struggling to create a vivid and engaging setting for the story's climax. I knew that I wanted it to take place in a natural landscape, but I wasn't sure what kind of environment would work best. That's when I turned to travel blogs and started browsing images of different landscapes. I was searching high and low for something that would spark a fun idea for a chase scene.

    That's when I came across a breathtaking photo of the Grand Canyon, with its winding river and towering red rock formations. Suddenly, I could picture my characters navigating the treacherous terrain, hiding from their pursuers behind towering rocks, and ultimately making their escape down the winding river. The landscape became a character in its own right, adding depth and complexity to the story. It painted a path to where I want my first book to end. Pairing a chase scene with the finale of a book creates a sense of accomplishment and success, leaving readers triumphant and wanting more.

    Using travel blogs for inspiration provides a variety of different types of landscapes to fit any story or mood. If you're writing a romantic story, you might search for images of beautiful beaches or quaint European towns. If you're writing a horror story, you might search for images of abandoned buildings or creepy forests. The possibilities are endless. For me, it's a lot of oceanside and mountains that are taking me on Nordic and Sicilian voyages!

    Of course, inspiration is not the same as imitation. While you may be inspired by a particular landscape or setting, it's important to make it your own and incorporate it in a way that fits your story. Use the images and descriptions as a jumping-off point, but don't be afraid to put your own spin on things. It'll be what makes your work have its own flavor and style.

    Searching out landscapes online from travel blogs can be an incredibly valuable tool for writers. It can help you create a vivid and engaging setting for your story and provide a wealth of inspiration for your imagination. So the next time you're feeling stuck on your setting, take a virtual trip around the world and see what landscapes inspire you!

The Gloose is loose

    Writers draw inspiration from a variety of sources, and animals have been a popular muse for countless artists, writers, and designers in the fantasy genre. From the beauty of their form to their unique features, animals have given us endless themes to play with. Sometimes, however, they can also lead to the creation of something strange and unusual, like the Gloose - a fantasy creature that is a cross between a goose and lizard.

    At first, the Gloose may seem like an unlikely combination. However, both geese and lizards have interesting traits that could make for an intriguing fantasy creature. Geese are known for being noisy, territorial, and sometimes aggressive. They are also intelligent and social animals, forming strong bonds with their mates and flock mates.

    On the other hand, lizards are known for their scaly skin, their ability to blend into their environment, and their unique movements. They can also have a fascinating range of colors and patterns, from bright greens and blues to earthy browns and grays.

    What would a creature that combines these traits look like? Perhaps it would have the annoying honking of a goose, but with the added ability to camouflage itself like a chameleon. Maybe it would have scaly skin, two arms instead of wings, and a long, sinuous tail for balance and agility. And imagine if it had the intelligence of a goose, but with the added ability to problem-solve and adapt like a lizard.

    The Gloose can teach us many things. We can be inspired by its unique features and the way it has adapted to its environment. Like the Gloose, we can learn to be resilient and adaptable in the face of challenges. We can also embrace our individuality, no matter how strange or unconventional it may seem. But mostly, we will learn about how obnoxious a goose can be if you give it arms and make it much, much faster.

    Regardless of how you interpret it, the Gloose is an excellent example of how animals can inspire us to think outside the box and push our creativity to new heights. Many writers create their own creatures by taking real-world animals and tweaking them a bit. How would this thing work in a tropical setting? What if this mammal had wings? What if I mixed the annoying birds on my lawn with the geckos that are always around? You never really know when inspiration will hit, so the next time you're stuck in a creative rut, take a look at the world around you and see what interesting creatures you can find - who knows what kind of inspiration they might spark!

The night is full of possibilities!

 Have you ever experienced that eerie feeling when you're alone in the dark? The quiet of the night can be unsettling, and it's not just your imagination playing tricks on you. As human beings, we are wired to be alert in the face of danger, and the darkness only heightens our sense of vulnerability.

    There's something about the nighttime that can be spooky. The lack of sound and movement can make even the bravest of us feel uneasy. When you're alone, the silence can be deafening, and it's easy for your mind to start playing tricks on you. Every creak and groan of the house can seem like a sinister presence lurking in the shadows.

    I remember one time when I was rocking my baby in the early hours of the morning. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The stillness was so palpable that it felt like it was suffocating me. I couldn't help but think that something was about to jump out from the shadows and attack us. My skin was covered in goosebumps, and I had to remind myself that there was nothing to fear.

    This sense of suspense is what makes the nighttime so intriguing. It's a time when anything can happen, and our imaginations can run wild. It's why horror movies are often set in the dark, with characters stumbling around in the shadows, trying to evade some unknown menace.

    But it's not just in movies where the nighttime can be spooky. In real life, there have been countless tales of ghost sightings and unexplained phenomena that happen during the wee hours of the night. Some people believe that this is when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest, and it's easier for spirits to make their presence known. Personally I don't believe, but that many tales do make you wonder.

    Of course, not everyone finds the nighttime scary. Some people find it peaceful and calming, a time for reflection and relaxation. But for those of us who get spooked by the silence and the shadows, there's no denying the thrill of the unknown. It's a reminder that even in our modern, well-lit world, there's still a bit of mystery and magic left to be discovered.

So the next time you find yourself alone in the dark, embrace the spookiness. Let your imagination run wild and enjoy the thrill of the unknown. And if you start to feel a little uneasy, just remember that there's nothing to fear but your own mind playing tricks on you.