Writing: As of last week, I reached 200 days working on some aspect of writing every day — either writing or editing. Lately I’ve been alternating between the second Therapist side story and the Healersverse prequel / side story. Trying to get my daily word count up, since there have been some really, REALLY minimal days — but as long as I keep working on something to the extent my focus and energy can manage, I’m all right with it. It’s something.

Meanwhile, the cover for the Therapist omnibus is in progress, and looking great. Looking forward to that. Book 4 is in the hands of one more beta reader and the cover is done, so we’re still more or less on track for an August release for that.

I also signed on to beta read two other people’s novels, and doing not as well with that than I had the last few times. By no fault of the writers at all; my focus is just shot lately. So there’s another goal. Get the word count up, and beta read more.

Entertainment corner: Still grinding away at Pokemon Violet. As I probably mentioned, I’ve always had the habit of leveling up my party evenly in games where you can swap party members in and out, e.g. Final Fantasy Tactics and the like. This habit is beginning to kick my ass in Pokemon. I have about 250 party members, and can only level up 6 at a time. It’s extremely slow going. But I have yet to change my strategy. Podcast on, game on mute, wander around, fight a bunch of things. Repeat repeat repeat.

The current anime season is… …existing.

I’m enthused about Undead Murder Farce, because I could use a snappy supernatural detective story / period piece. We’re also trying The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today, which I have mixed feelings about (it’s made me laugh a couple of times, but what in hell is up with that bilious color palette??). That’s it, that’s all.

Time to catch up on backlog, I guess. In this case, that means Land of the Lustrous (almost done), Insomniacs After School (couple of episodes in), and our slow crawl through Restaurant to Another World. I’m also very slowly working through Natsume’s Book of Friends, which is Extremely My Thing (folklore plus a depressed protagonist whomst everyone hates? yes hello reporting for duty), and still catching up on Witch from Mercury.

I’d also like to shout out the discussion arising from this review of My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1. It gets to the heart of why I don’t have any desire to watch/read most isekai. Which isn’t to say I wish harm on anyone who likes it, or whatever internet nonsense hyperbole one might concoct. I don’t care what anyone else watches/reads. But I just don’t get any enjoyment out of that kind of power fantasy. Sometimes I wish I did; there’s SO MUCH entertainment centered on it these days. But it leaves me cold.

I’ve pondered over what kind of power fantasy would appeal to me, because theoretically everyone has their price, right? But I wandered off after a season of Ascendance of a Bookworm, which is probably the closest the genre has come, and that’s barely even a power fantasy. In fact, I noped out right about when Myne starts to get un-nerfed.

The bedrock concept that the most morally upright thing you can do with this life is consume mass media doesn’t sit super well with me. There’s nothing wrong with entertainment. It’s fine. But it’s not a moral imperative. You’re just not going to get me on board with a story whose premise is “whoever consumes the most nerd bullshit is the most superior among us.” I love me some nerd bullshit, but it doesn’t make me a good person. I cannot swallow that notion with a straight face.

I’m also a fatalistic and literally depressed bastard, but the thought that this life does not matter and the best we can do is hole up and play more video games until we die? No fucking thank you, that’s too bleak for my blood. I may not be able to single-handedly fix the world, but I’m going down fighting for as long as I can. I’m not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. I don’t have to be the hero, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up, either.

So yeah. Most of a medium I enjoy is Not For Me in a very thorough sense, right now. But I can still enjoy some of it.