Hey guys. Its been a while sense I've posted. I have been busy with school and work. But as an update, I have been working on my writing course, and for all of you interested in "The Prairie Fire", well "Realms Of Fantasy" didn't take it. They are pretty professionals, so I might try a magazine more suited for new writers. Also, if you guys have not heard of Critters, you should check it out.

It is an awsome site that deals with critiqueing Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, or a mix of all those. It is a really good site that makes sure everyone who participates actually is critiqueing others before their work gets critiqued. I want to send "The Prairie Fire" there and hopefully get some well contructed advice and opinions of my story. You can find the critters website at http://www.critters.org/.

I also need to get some samples from some fantasy magazines. My instructor from the Institute of Children's Literatuer (ICL) really wants me to get sample magazines. So I need to send of for some of those too.

I can't wait until NaNoWriMo. It is National Novel Writing Month in November, and this will be my first year. Hopefully I can do it. I plan on doing it. I will release more info on the story I am thinking of doing later.

I can tell you I was initially planning on doing a story about a girl in a boarding school during WW2 when they are forced to escape from it after being taken over by Nazi Soldiers. Don't
get me wrong, I like Historic Fiction- maybe not as much as fantasy but I like it. I do not however like searching through tonnes of textbooks, websites, and other articles of information to find nothing that I find relative to the specific topic of my story.

Thats what happened when I searched for information about boarding schools in Europe during WW2. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, maybe there are crap loads worth of info out there, but I really would rather make a fantasy world where the rules are my own, and the world is my own, where I can let my soul pour out into my own fantasy characters.

Maybe it sounds greedy, but I do not consider myself a very greedy person (Mabey I am but nobody has told me I am), I have to get my greed in somewhere.

So ya, if it is a hint, my story is another fantasy. I thought it might help my creative spark so when I am done I'll work full force on "The Thorn Prince". I still feel when I write that something is being forced, so I will try another story.

I was talking to some other writers at Forward Motion Writing Group and lots of them said that you won't complete your first novel until a few novel starts. They said with each new novel you start, you will get farther into it then you did with the last. So though I have like thirty some pages outline notes and countless diagrams, maps, and such on "The Thorn Prince" maybe it is that first novel that will let me get farther on the next. Hopefully I will finish it one day, because I really like the story idea, but right now I think it is best to write on. Oh if anybody is interested Forward Motion Writing Group can be found at http://fmwriters.com/community/. It is a great place and I recommend it all to everyone. Also the owner of FM also is an editor of a great ezine called "Vision: A Resource For Writers". You can find that magazine at http://www.lazette.net/Vision/ It is a great magazine with lots of writing and marketing tips. I recommend it to anyone.

Oh, and I am glad to announce that Holly Lisle has another great writers book in her store called "Vision: The Writing Workshop". Holly Lisle has many great books in her store, and I recommend them all. She is also working on the "Create a Culture Clinic" Which I can't wait to come out. I was so excited when the "Create A Language Clinic" came out. I jumped right into it and had great fun.

Holly's store can be found at http://shop.hollylisle.com/ and her website can be found at
http://www.hollylisle.com/. I recommend these to sights with great intent and hope you all visit them. Holly really has helped me in my own writing with her great writing tips and her writing journal which inspires me everytime I read it.

I found a really cool keyboard that I think will dramatically decrease the chance of repetative stress relate injuries (RSRI) in the wrist. It also has been known to eliminate the effects of RSRI's in the wrists of people who allready have experienced them. The keyboard is called the Safetype keyboard. It looks a little weird with the keys actually facing vertical- up and down- rather then flat. You can read about it at this website http://www.safetype.com/, and also for Americans, you can buy it there. If you are Canadian, you can order it at http://www.ergocanada.com, and if you are European, you can order it at http://www.ergotype.nl/. The prices ranges differently depending on which country you are from. For Americans it costs $295.00 brandnew and $179.00 refurbished. For Europeans it costs € 299,-. And for Canadians, which is me, it will cost $360.00. All in all said, I will have to safe up a bit before I give it a try, and it is moneyback within 30 days if you do not like it, so I think I'll give it a try. I am sure I'll like it to. I allready see a difference in just holding my hands in the position they would be on the safetype.

Well I need to get to bed. Right now in Edmonton it is 1:25 am, and I have to work early tommorrow on the dairy farm, so I really need some sleep. We'll probably be working in the shop, or out flattening corn for the cattle, or something like that.

So I bid you goodnight, and remember, if you never stop trying, you will succeed in your writing.

Cuyler Callahan