So last month I ended up going to a bunch of music concerts, more than I planned. In total I saw Weird Al Yankovic, Glyph, Gloryhammer, Alestorm, DragonForce, and PowerWolf. Great time, though I think I picked up a bit of something at the last concert…been sick about a week, but mostly better now.
Also gave two units of blood, so I’m up to 11 gallons donated now! Woo!
Getting a bit more traction at work, they seem to realize they’re sleeping on the training I have. With how expensive certification was, I kept climbing the ladder. So A+, then Network+, then Security+. Shortly after Security+, CompTIA contacted me to see if I was interested in a beta for Cybersecurity Analyst+ (CySA+) at an absurdly low entry rate of 50 dollars. There were no study materials and the test normally costs about 300 bucks just for one voucher, so I jumped on it. Figured that I would take it in a few years, and fifty bucks now was worth a look at the test so I had a better idea…and then six months later after the beta, they let me know I’d squeaked through.
Then I got the PenTest+ in 2022, and finally capstoned it with CASP+ (also known as SecurityX) earlier this year. But my job only really uses A+ and some Network+. I was in a meeting with a higher manager recently and he said they might expand my responsibilities at the site, depending on skill. I said I had SecurityX. He asked if I had Security+, and I said, “Well, I have that too, but also all three certs above it…” and his eyes lit up in the “Why are we sleeping on this guy” way. Hopefully that helps later.
Had some solid thoughts about upcoming writing. Sundered Shroud is in a good spot, and Wings and Prayers, other than Aikine, is pretty good to. Probably write a bit more of the Book of Sun’s Blessing (also known as teh Sky-ble) for Thenyr. So Three Pantheons, Nathan’s setting, will be getting the work now. I want to rename it, but “Divine Realms” is kinda generic, and “The Gods Must Be Crazy” isn’t the right tone. “Pantheon” seems to be a word that doesn’t have a lot of synonyms.
But I’m going to start writing some of the general rules of the setting, written as Nathan would explain them to the tourists. So a discussion about Marks and Forcemarks, and how to avoid them, and such. Or other things. This allows me to show the work, but as Nathan is falliable, as is his employer, allows me narrative room.
Once I get the rules revamped, the entire novel will get rewritten. I’ve been papering over characters in ways for years and this time I’m just starting over. Nathan and Dawn will be there. Robjeet as well. Past that, I’ll see. As it stands I have a first book of Nathan getting his bearings as a realm walker. The second would be his big break with the pocket realmies. Third and later will be others…
And finally, Vershaft is being moved to a new setting, called Iridescent space. I’m having fun with some selected friends in a sort of “make random furry space bullshit stuff” happen, but I might explain some here as we go.
Here’s to a good October!