Now that we’re back into the swing of things (sort of, I mean, I’ve got three months of Rhiallis posts already queued up for 2016 and there are a dozen more at least) I wanted to make a sticky post here to give a caveat (okay…several) about my blog.
      If any of the following things make you too uncomfortable to read my blog in the future, that’s fine. But I’d rather keep an open line of communication. Shared knowledge is shared power, my friends.
      That said, kumbaya ol’ chap, and read on.

• The writing published here is INTENSELY unedited. Raw.

      Au natural. I hardly bother to do more than spellcheck the snippets I post here (most of the time) because they are not part of my main focus (read “real” novel projects) and they’re just for fun. I spend just enough time on them to get them on paper, as it were, and then show them to my friends and move on. Do Not Judge My Skill Based On The Quality Seen Here.
      Please.
      When I write for realsies, I edit my brains out. Nothing is perfect on the first draft and if you read any of the umpteen chapters of Rhiallis’ Journey (or any gaming snippet), you’ll find redundancies, errors, typos, and just plain bad writing. That’s raw, guys. That’s how it comes out. The real genius of any writer is in the refining process. You edit that lump of poop into a diamond; it doesn’t just plop out perfect.
      Unless it does, and if so, please email me. I must know your secret. Editing is tedious and a pain and though its always worth it to have a beautiful, finished piece… it sort of still blows.

• I blog about what I like. Or hate.

      Sometimes that means posts about Doctor Who (long, windy rants about the Moffat-era fuckery) or Sailor Moon or Korean Dramas or Pathfinder or my friend Abbie, who does my nails, or yangnyum chicken, or learning Spanish, or a billion other topics that appeal to me at the time.
      I write about what is in my head. I won’t censor myself just because someone out there doesn’t want to read about how amazing I think Meghan Tonjes is. Because SHE IS!

• I like swear words.

      I am a potty mouth.
      I curse and I don’t feel bad about it. Jesus loves me anyway, man, so piss off. If you cannot handle words like bitchfonda, fuckery, asshat, or similar – this blog is not and never will be, for you.
      Sorry for your luck.

• I am a mess, politically.

      I’m all over the board. And yes, it changes with time, maturity, new knowledge, experience, and research. Right now, I’m a balls-to-the-wall Bernie Sanders supporter. I have a Bernie sticker on my window, I have donated to his campaign, and I reblog his stance on the issues as frequently as I can to get the message out.
      I am liberal as FUCK when it comes to equal rights for all Americans (gay, straight, trans*, disabled, whatever) and unabashedly so. I support our right to bear arms, and I also support stricter gun control laws, assault rifle bans, and universal background checks. I am appalled by the rape culture we live in, I absolutely support BLM and I acknowledge that I have experienced white privilege based solely on the color of my skin. Um… abortions are not for me, but I don’t think it is right to forbid another woman the right to choose.
      What else? That’s probably enough.
      Yeah, I’m also Christian. I pray and try to be closer to Jesus and although I have brains enough to take the Bible with grains of salt (based on the fact that it has been written, translated, interpreted, re-translated, re-interpreted, and rehashed a thousand times in a hundred languages by flawed, mortal, people each with their own historical context, personal prejudices, ideologies, and theories) because while the literal Word of God might be in there, it is definitely buried under a lot of junk. My relationship with God and understanding of His will may not match with yours – or anyone else’s – but it feels right to me and that’s what matters (to me).

• I am still growing and evolving as a person.

      There will be things that contradict themselves, over time. This year, I am really into feminism and learning to cook real food and appreciating or critiquing the portrayals of LBGTQ+ people in movies and television. I may celebrate the way “Steven Universe” has handled things, or rant about how poorly “Mischievous Kiss” handled its trans* character. And next year, I may be really into something else, or have changed my mind about feminism (lord knows, I sure did misunderstand it when I was younger). Today, I’m me. Tomorrow, I’ll be me, but a day older and wiser. Things change. Deal with it.

• Drama (in real life) is not my friend.

      You may notice that I rarely post about my personal drama. That’s likely because I have little to none. I don’t surround myself with people who stir up trouble, who can’t keep their noses out of other people’s business, and who are for lack of a better term, Drama Queens. I don’t like it in my world. I will write about it endlessly, but I will not suffer the heart palpitations and social awkwardness for realsies.

• The writing you find on this blog is largely unedited.

      What? I said that one already? Well that is because it is SUPER true. I don’t have time to edit my throw-away RP stories when I’ve got three novels on the front burner, six on the back burners, and another dozen poking around in my head waiting for their turn to heat up. Sorry.

• I am a bad photographer and a worse graphic artist.

      But I like to learn, and when time permits, I may improve. Or the “look” of this blog may remain awful. Who knows? It is a mystery of life!

• Loss.

      Loss is a familiar and frequently revisited topic on this blog. I lost my father at 17, a good friend at 21, another friend a couple years back, and my two favorite aunts in the past year and a half (one just a week ago). I talk about it here, because I think about them and I miss them and I have lots of feelings to express. If that’s too much, tune out.

Note: Image is “dices” by (tijmen) from SXC.hu