Home Posts tagged "Kit Campbell" (Page 3)

Tag: Kit Campbell

Too Many Projects, Not Enough Time

I feel like I say this at least once a year. But I’ve done it again. Except it’s worse this time, because my COVID productivity has been terrible and I’ve spent a lot of time not doing anything productive (mostly playing Among Us, coloring on a phone app, and watching a LOT of YouTube videos–but not useful YouTube videos). So my productivity time has been stifled AND I’m trying to get my too many projects done. Great combination, she says sarcastically. We’ve been super busy this summer, camping and road-tripping and the like, which admittedly is not helping the productivity problem, but now things are somewhat settling down. Which means that it’s time to do random sewing crafts with the small-ish, mobile ones. I think this comes from a vague idea that, before offspring, I liked to sew, and that I should pass the knowledge on and whatnot, but in practice I do all the sewing and generally get grumpy at every one else for being absolutely no help. So then we don’t do any more sewing projects, until I get the whole passing things on idea going again approximately 12 months later. (The past couple of years we made worry pets and small owls that can be heated up in the microwave.) This year we’re going to make reversible cross-back aprons. Well, just me and the littlest one, cuz the rest aren’t interested. Certainly bigger scale than normal, but hopefully not more complicated. However, we went to buy fabric…

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All’s Fair in Love and Vampires

All’s Fair in Love and VampiresKit Campbell Even chocolate started to taste bad after the third bar. Sophia forced herself to swallow the last of it anyway, said, “Right,” and went out into the dark streets. The chill seeped through her coat as she kept to lonely alleyways and forgotten corners. “C’mon,” she murmured. “I didn’t make myself sick for nothing.” “You smell divine,” purred a voice from behind her. “I do so miss being able to taste food—especially chocolate.” Finally. Sophia reached under her coat, then froze as she sensed movement off to her left. “What’s a sweet thing like you doing in a place like this?” said a second voice, then laughed. Ugh, even the undead were crap at pick-up lines. So, for future note, three bars were too many. Sophia tightened her grip on her stake—her only stake. “Back off,” said the first one. “I smelled her first.” “Come on, bro,” said the second. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to share?” Well, served her right for being unprepared, but she’d be damned if she didn’t go down fighting. Sophia spun, pulling the stake out as she went. She lunged at the first vampire, who hissed and danced out of her reach. She cursed under her breath. She was out of her element—normally she waited until they were on top of her before she struck. But with two— “Not cool, dude,” said the second one. “That’s not playing nice.” His voice sounded closer, but Sophia couldn’t pick…

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Tis the Season for Procrastination

Hi, friends! Can you believe it’s almost 2021? I can’t! This year has both been extremely long (things that happened in February feel like ten years ago) and too short (ah! It’s the end of the year already?). The holidays have snuck up on me. I’d like to pretend that’s caused by 2020, but, to be fair, they do every year. For some reason I can’t seem to ever do any Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving. My brain can’t process it or something. But then what happens is that I only have a few weeks to do everything, and I get overwhelmed and shut down, which makes it harder to get everything done, repeat ad naseum. This is why I can never carry my Nanowrimo momentum through December. Very frustrating. A side effect of being overwhelmed is that I am an expert procrastinator. December is perhaps the worst month for it, too, because I’ll tell myself things like “It’s the holidays, you should make sure you’re enjoying them” and then spend two hours on YouTube. (In case you’re curious, I am almost completely done with my shopping now. I have to do my brother and his new wife–I’m thinking gift certificate somewhere–and some little things for stockings. Also my husband has informed me that he’s gotten me four presents and expects an equal amount of things to open. I got him one expensive present, so I may go buy some Reese’s Cups and wrap them or something.) (I am only about…

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What a Year This Week Has Been

As evidenced by the fact that it’s Thursday and I was supposed to post this on Tuesday. It’s been a week, hasn’t it? There was the never-ending U.S. presidential election that ended, but also kind of didn’t because certain people are being sore losers. At this point I’m so tired of the whole thing that I can’t even be bothered to be frustrated. There was the vaccine news that seemingly went nowhere. There were bizarre rumors about Putin resigning and Tumblr got taken over by Destiel going canon. And COVID-19 cases are reaching their highest levels and the schools are shutting back down, thus depriving me of the little free time I’d managed to scrounge up over the last month. (I already miss it.) God, I’m so tired. In March, when everything shut down, did any of us think we’d still be here now? I mean, logically, I think we knew, but emotionally, no. Are we ever going to get to see our extended families again? Our friends? Go to new places and try new things? It’s almost worst now. Back in March and April, when we were all home, we adapted. I had virtual coffee dates with friends and we did a virtual Easter lunch with our family. But now, it’s like people are trying to squeeze out what normalcy they can, and we’ve mostly gotten the responsibilities back instead of the good times. Man. I am depressing myself. This year has been so weird. Things that happened in…

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Taming the Beast, by Kit Campbell

Taming the BeastKit Campbell Mortimer the Magnificent leaned forward, his focus completely on the task in front of him. He almost had it…just a few more inches… There was a knock on his door, startling him. The replica of Gildrun’s sword, tiny and perfect, fell from his fingers, clanging onto the table in front of his model of the great hero’s historic defense of Longswallow. Mortimer sighed; it never failed. The knocking continued. Mortimer frowned at his model, but there was no use going back to it, not with that ruckus. He pushed to his feet, crossed the room, and pulled the door open just as the man on the other side of it started to knock yet again. Mortimer calmly dodged the man’s fist. “Can I help you?” “Oh, ah, yes.” The man took off his hat, holding it with both hands. “I’m looking for Mortimer the Magnificent.” Oh, no, not this again. “You’ve found him.” “I have?” The man tried to discreetly examine Mortimer and failed miserably. “You’re Mortimer?” Mortimer was never quite sure what they were expecting to see. A slight man in glasses and a worn cardigan never seemed to be it. The man scuttled back, starting to bow but then apparently deciding otherwise halfway through the motion. He fidgeted with the hat in his hands. “Hector says you got rid of his dragon problem.” Mortimer had no idea who Hector was, but suspected he knew where this was going. “Yes…?” The man fidgeted more. Mortimer…

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Help, This is Too Introverted Even for Me

I am introvert. I think many, if not most, writers are introverts. After all, most of us are perfectly happy spending an afternoon with our writing instruments of choice or a nice book, not being interrupted by other people. But, that being said, I do occasionally like to talk to other people. Hang out at a coffee shop. Go for a nice hike. Discuss writing with other writers (or get sidetracked on the latest scifi/fantasy books/movies/TV shows instead). But alas, we are all trapped. Except I am trapped with my family, which means I’m not actually getting any alone time, because if I go off on my own, someone will invariably set something on fire. (They haven’t yet, but you never know.) It’s a weird mix, isn’t it? Alone yet not, yet not in a combination that is generally helpful for anything. I’ve started having virtual coffee dates with my friends. They’re working okay, until one of our children arrive (or, in some awful cases, both of our children). Except I keep watching myself on the screen, or taking note of the fact that the pictures on the wall in the office continue to be crooked, no matter how many times I straighten them, or I somehow forget how to drink coffee and make a mess. But it is good to see people, even from afar, and even in weird circumstances. Even if half the time someone’s Internet glitches and then the whole thing crashes. (I made the mistake on…

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Continuing to Create When Life is Trying to Eat You

It has been a time period, friends. My husband has a major, ongoing medical issue that is potentially fatal. My father was chased by a crazy guy with a machete. My cousin died of a drug overdose. The coronavirus might cancel a much needed and much anticipated vacation. That’s on top of the normal, day-to-day issues (I am forgetting to do something for the small, mobile ones, I can almost guarantee it). As one might imagine, my mental state varies widely at the moment, and sometimes it’s a struggle to get out of the house, let alone sit down and write a couple thousand words. (Daylight savings is helping nothing, but it does give me a convenient excuse.) But I am still writing, and I am still drawing, and I think it all comes down to being gentle with myself. Should I have written yesterday, or the day before? Oh, yes, absolutely. Have I? No. Should I feel bad because there was a writing challenge in one of my writing groups that I completely failed at? No. It’s fine. (And also, if I do end up completing it today, I will count it as a win.) If it gets done, fantastic. If it doesn’t, there is always tomorrow. In the great scheme of things, a few missed days isn’t the end of the world. And, like I said, things are still getting done. Not as many, not as quickly, but it’s happening. So giving myself a break isn’t the end…

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They Say Most People Give Up on Their Resolutions by Jan 19

Which would be funny, really, since I was talking about my yearly theme on the 14th. But hey, my year of education continues apace. At least for the first month. I finished both my writing book and my sketch journaling class. I did my two prompts just to write. (I also put out a nonfiction book and wrote the midpoint reversal and dark moment on a scifi horror novella I’m working on.) So! Month 2! Doing okay. This month I’m taking a figure drawing class (though not, like, one where I sit and draw naked people somewhere. More cartoon-like, like anime or Don Bluth-style wise). It’s going fine, though my shortcomings as an artist are really coming out. But hey! This is why we practice. I’ve done the first of my prompts and have picked the Pinterest pins for the next one. I haven’t started my writing book. Whoops. I did pick one out–Fixing Your Plot & Story Structure Problems by Janice Hardy–but I’ve got library books out and you know how THAT goes. (If you don’t, I’ve got to read them before they’re due or I shall lose them, because they’re newer books and other people have holds.) (We went to the library yesterday and I sat in the car to avoid the temptation.) (I have a nonfiction book called What to Eat When that I read about in National Geographic, and a YA scifi novel called The Light at the Bottom of the World.) But all in all,…

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Connection by Kit Campbell

ConnectionKit Campbell Ciel slid to a stop, mere inches from the edge. Below him, below the jutting rocks, was water, dark and cold. Hells. Another dead end. There was shouting behind him. Close. Too close. Ciel rubbed his left forearm, his fingers tracing the glowing blue design that encircled it. It’d been there as long as he could remember. His mother had always made sure he’d kept it covered, but he’d never understood why. But now his mother was dead, and now he understood. “Over there! By the ruins!” It had all happened so fast. His mother had known she was dying, had begged him to leave, to head to the city, where he would blend in better. But how could he leave her, when she was in such pain? And then she was gone, and in the act of comfort, a well-meaning neighbor had taken off Ciel’s coat. And comfort had turned so fast. He could hear their footsteps now. Neighbors, friends, people he had lived among for his entire life. Intent on seeing him gone, or worse. Ciel looked around for an alternate route, but the forest was thick on one side, and full of things one did not want to encounter. Behind him was his past, bent on his destruction. There was nothing for it. Taking a deep breath, Ciel gathered his fear around him, and jumped. The water was colder than it looked, driving his breath from him. The glow from his forearm was brighter, here…

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A Theme for the Year

Happy 2020, friends. I hope the new year (I’m one of those no-year-zero people, so I won’t say new decade yet) is treating you well, and you’re making lovely progress on all your goals and resolutions. I got a bit of a late start, but I’m off and running now. I’ve written two short stories and am in the final edits on a nonfiction book in the last week, so hooray! Themes seem to be the trend this year, and I picked mine back in December: education. What does that mean? It means focusing on learning new things and practicing things I’m less confident of, mostly in terms of writing and drawing. To that end I’m taking an illustration class a month over at SkillShare and reading through my stash of writing books which have been collecting dust. And it means focusing on writing/drawing for the sake of writing/drawing, not always being so focused on marketing and publishing and submitting and all that jazz. Even just making that decision has been freeing. I’m feeling really good about everything. So, for this month, I’m reading The Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig (man, some of the analogies he comes up with…) and taking a class on sketch journaling. I did a practice page last night, using my drawing pens and watercolor, and I’m really pleased with how it came out. On the writing just for writing front, I decided I’m going to use up some of the pins I’ve been pinning for…

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