Now I’m working on the 4th draft of chapter 18. It’s pretty short and it revisits a book one location, but with a twist. Did I do that already? I can’t remember.

Here’s the poem that describes it:

An invitation from a girl that’s been ignored.

A trip to a pristine house, quite adored.

Once-rivals meet while a question’s unspoken:

Is it fair to keep my world, while allowing yours to be broken?

—–

I’m still having trouble finding people to illustrate my next book cover. I’d also like pictures of my characters for the bios section on this site. My friend Matt told me about AI illustrations that are generated on websites. And I can even use them for free! Could my problems be solved!?

The site I found is called ‘Stable Diffusion.’ It has a space to type positive prompts, for the stuff you want; and a place to type negative prompts, for the stuff you do not want.

So let us begin with Officer Mackaba! He’s the early antagonist that chases Mean around the abandoned Hardpan City. I’ll put the positive prompts in italics for your viewing pleasure, followed by the resulting picture. Continue reading →

Okay, now I’m on the 4th draft of chapter 17! It’s an event that you’ll KNOW is going to happen from early on in the book, you’re going to WANT it to happen, and it’s my job to make it as satisfying as possible. Here’s the preview:

The wilted bloom takes the stage at last;

her presence and strength bound to the past.

How best to cultivate this flower?

Apply pressure! Truth! Swell with power! Continue reading →