My latest illustration; my take on the concept from Polygon Runway's 3D Illustrator course
A week ago I broke two toes on my left foot. It was evening. I'd spent the last couple hours working on the illustration above and decided I'd better get to bed if I wanted to function the next morning. I picked up my water bottle and stood, turning to step out of the 'U' shape of my desk, when I kicked an orc (foot stool) in the teeth—surprising it (me). The orc (again me) roared as it crashed to the floor, the axe (water bottle) it (me) held flying from its thick fingers. The whole thing was a terrible accident. Unfortunately, orc teeth (and the foot stool) are very tough and it was my third and fourth toes that gave under the impact.
After I recovered sufficiently, I decided to wait until the morning to assess the damage and determine next steps. Given the level of pain the next morning, I went off in search of a healer (doctor) in the nearby city. These elvish healers used their magic (x-rays) to determine that my toes had in fact broken in the contact with the orcish teeth (foot stool).
A good reminder that when you kick an orc in the teeth you're likely to suffer more than the orc.
All fun aside, the fractures aren't serious and already feel much better, though I'm told it'll be weeks for the toes to heal completely.
Book-of-the-Week
A non-fiction choice this week—FOUR LOST CITIES: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz. A fascinating book, one I really enjoyed. "Newitz explores the rise and fall of four ancient cities, each the center of a sophisticated civilization." They discuss the research done at each site, much of the modern research digging into the daily lives of the people living in these cities. They talk to the researchers, explore the sites, and share what we've learned about each.
I'm amazed when I read about these locations where cities and civilizations flourished for thousands of years in different parts of the world. The lives of the people in these cities looks both familiar and very strange—more than some of the "alien" cultures shown in science fiction. And yet, these are all human cultures.
I'm glad I picked this one up to read.
Works-In-Progress
Continuing to have fun with the new novel, though not as much as I'd like. With only a week left in the month, I don't believe I'll be finishing the book this month. Maybe in September, if things work out better.
I've got several other plates I'm juggling. I want to get more DRIVE-BY STORIES written and I have some longer stories to write for a couple editors.
And I'm still working on that new project, so hopefully I'll have more to say about that soon.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
I have fun with my creative projects and I'm happy to have you along for the journey. A special thank you for the support, whether as a premium subscriber, or a reader who has picked up my books and stories from my shop—you're my heroes!
Best wishes, always—Ryan