1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 This is MJ, I'm an author, I'm an artist, I'm an analyzer. You can find all my work at MJMunoz.com 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:09,000 Welcome to Story Over Everything. 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:18,000 I am going to go ahead and jump right into my author's log, and I'm starting with Sunday, July 16th, 2023. 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,000 I wrote 109 words. This is what they are. 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:34,000 I think this could work, cadets, Shush said after watching a few volleys. Who has an idea for how to make this game work for us to line the cradle quickly, so we're free to help Humph Sooner. Humph Sooner. 6 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,000 Remember, guerrilla podcasting tactics. 7 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:46,000 Why don't we just throw all the bundles right into the cradle, Slurp offered, Chirp countered. How about you throw me the bundle and then I run it inside the cradle and spread it out? 8 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,000 What will I do while you're spreading the litter? 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,000 You can bring more bundles to the door? Chirp replied. 10 00:00:52,000 --> 00:01:01,000 What then? How many bundles do you think Slurp can set here while you're in the cradle? 11 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,000 For Monday, July 17th, I wrote. 12 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,000 A lot? 13 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Let's see what you can do, cadets. 14 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Litter me, Slurp. 15 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,000 Okay, here it comes. 16 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:18,000 Slurp served a volley of leaf litter to Chirp, which she carried inside the cradle. 17 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:28,000 Shush corrected and guided Chirp in the ways of layering litter while Slurp worked at getting more litter bundles to the entrance of the cradle. 18 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,000 Slurp tossed a bundle just aside of the hole. 19 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,000 It promptly lost about half its mass to the ground. 20 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:40,000 Slurp shuffled over, his head hung low, and made the bundle whole once more. 21 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:47,000 Before Shush was satisfied with Chirp's litter spreading work, Shush had three bundles of litter waiting for her. 22 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,000 Who helped you, Slurp? 23 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,000 Nobody. 24 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,000 How did you do that so fast? 25 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,000 I'd like to say I'm fast, but you took a long time. 26 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:04,000 That was 132 words, by the way, for Monday. Sunday was 109 words. I don't know if I recorded that or not. 27 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,000 So moving on to Tuesday, July 18th, the reading is this. 28 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,000 Really? Chirp huffed. 29 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:15,000 So that isn't the solution. You will find... 30 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,000 Okay, sorry. 31 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:22,000 So that isn't the solution. You will find that you rarely make a perfect strike the first time. 32 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:28,000 You've seen the mistake. That's good. But it isn't enough. What do you do now? 33 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:33,000 Chirp and Slurp looked at Hush for a while before Slurp said, 34 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:40,000 Since I'm so much faster than Chirp, I say we work... 35 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:46,000 ...to get as many bundles by the door as we can... 36 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,000 ...as quickly as we can. 37 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,000 And then we can help take them into the cradle. 38 00:02:53,000 --> 00:03:02,000 And then I was wondering if maybe you could, Keeper Shush, do all the cradle bedding, since we don't know how to do it. 39 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,000 Interesting. Chirp, do you like that idea? Any improvements? 40 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,000 Yes. Chirp responded. 41 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:14,000 That was 120 words. Now moving on to July 19th, the next day. 42 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,000 Continuing from Chirp responded, 43 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,000 It would be better if we learned from you how to dress the cradle. 44 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:25,000 So why not have us bring the bundles to the door by Slurp tossing them to me here, 45 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:31,000 and then Slurp can go inside with you, and I can pass the bundles to him while he's in there with you. 46 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:37,000 Maybe you could even tell him where to place the bundles, and he can move to each place, 47 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,000 and I can toss them to him, and he can set them there. 48 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:46,000 Once all the bundles are in place, you can teach us both how to spread them. 49 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:52,000 That way we both know how to do it, and can help get the job done faster. 50 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,000 So we have more time to help you get all the grow grubs in position. 51 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:05,000 Slurp took his chance to cut in. Then we can relax, because we will be all done doing our part to help the camp. 52 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:10,000 Team Shush, no, Team Keeper Shush is number one. 53 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Not quite. Shush paused Slurp, then said to Chirp, 54 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,000 That is a good plan. Let us see how that improves your performance. 55 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:22,000 A pair of grow grubs gurgled and fussed as they had gotten into some sort of tangle. 56 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:27,000 Proceed, Shush dashed away to untangle the hapless pair. 57 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,000 That was 210 words. Again, this is all me writing within 10 minutes. 58 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,000 My writing length varies by different factors. 59 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:43,000 From the 20th, I wrote 61 words, and they read thusly. 60 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:50,000 By the time Shush had settled the pair of fussy grow grubs, and attended to a few more along the way, 61 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Slurp and Chirp had placed all the bundles and were anxious for Shush to instruct them in the art of leaf litter laying. 62 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:03,000 When that was done, the three moved the whole lot of grow grubs to their new and safer home. 63 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:13,000 This is the reading for Cat and the Key of Kindness from the Grow Bug Tales series, written and read to you by M.J. Muñoz. 64 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,000 They're here! Cat yelled, jumping up and down on the couch. 65 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,000 Get down from there and help me greet your cousins. 66 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,000 Cat's mom called. 67 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,000 What are you guys whispering about? Cat demanded. 68 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:30,000 It's a surprise, Ava answered. You all talked in the car. You're supposed to be here to play with me. Cat responded sharply. 69 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,000 We're here so we can all have a good time, Harmony corrected. 70 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,000 Five more minutes, Rex smiled soothingly. 71 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:42,000 Fine! Cat yelled and stormed off. She slammed the slider door behind her. 72 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,000 They don't care about me. No one wants to play with me. They don't even like me. 73 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,000 Cat muttered to herself as she circled the yard. 74 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,000 Ow! she cried. She looked up and saw a wall she had never seen before. 75 00:05:53,000 --> 00:06:00,000 Cat looked around and saw she was surrounded on all sides but one by the strange walls. 76 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Mom! Dad! she called. 77 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,000 No one is coming, a wavering voice answered. 78 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,000 Who are you? Cat asked. 79 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:14,000 No one, just a spooktater, the voice answered. 80 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,000 What do you want with me? Cat asked. 81 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:22,000 A friend. No one wants to be my friend, the spooktater answered. 82 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:28,000 Let me see you, Cat asked, curious about this lonely stranger. 83 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,000 Have you seen Cat? Harmony asked Cat's mom. 84 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,000 She's cooling off outside, Cat's mom grimaced. 85 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,000 Remember, she's younger than you and she looks up to all of you. 86 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,000 We will, they all answered in unison. 87 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,000 They went outside and searched for Cat. 88 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,000 Someone is coming, the wavering voice spoke. 89 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,000 A spooky figure floated past Cat. 90 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,000 It was lumpy and misshapen. 91 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:57,000 It was pale and had strange eyes or mouths all over. 92 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,000 Some sprouting bizarre arms. 93 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,000 Like creepy tree branches. 94 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,000 It looks so sad, Cat whispered to herself. 95 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:13,000 The spooktater appeared to Rex, Ava, and Harmony, each in their own cell, like Cat. 96 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:21,000 If you can escape from my labyrinth of loneliness, you can go back to your world. 97 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:26,000 If you don't, you can stay here and be my friends forever. 98 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:31,000 The game ends at sundown, it told all four children. 99 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:37,000 As the four children wandered through the maze, they each had feelings of loneliness creep into their thoughts. 100 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,000 The spooktater searched each for precious memories. 101 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,000 It pulled one each from Harmony, Rex, and Ava. 102 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:48,000 He swallowed them and looked just as sad as he had before. 103 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,000 Cat arrived at a dead end and let out a cry. 104 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,000 I don't want to be trapped here forever, she wailed. 105 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Cat, is that you? Ava? Was that Harmony? 106 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,000 Rex, you're here too? 107 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,000 What are you all doing here? Cat called out, relieved to hear familiar voices. 108 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,000 We came looking for you, Ava answered. 109 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,000 Thanks guys, Cat squeaked and sniffled. 110 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,000 The wall Cat was leaning on gave way, opening like a hidden door. 111 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:19,000 She ran down the tunnel it led to and reached her yard in a few minutes. 112 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:23,000 She stumbled over something in the dim light and saw that she was alone. 113 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,000 She called to her cousins, but no one answered. 114 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,000 She spun around and ran back toward the labyrinth of loneliness. 115 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:35,000 As she got closer, she saw three glowing shapes flying around her, headed in the same direction. 116 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,000 Cat burst through the door and called to her cousins. 117 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:45,000 The three glowing lights whizzed past her, and after much buzzing and flashing, her cousins stumbled into the no longer dead end. 118 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:50,000 They all hugged and chatted excitedly, happy to be reunited and nearly free. 119 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:56,000 What are these things? Cat waved at the giant glowing bugs perched on each of her cousins. 120 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,000 This is Yah, the grow bug who saved me, Rex answered. 121 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,000 Swoosh is here too, Ava answered. 122 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,000 You're kind of like guardian angels, right, Wisp? Harmony added. 123 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:09,000 But we need to hurry up and get out of here, she continued. 124 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:15,000 Not so fast, Spooktater shrieked when they were all back in the yard. 125 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,000 They all turned and saw its glowing eyes blaze. 126 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:25,000 In a flash, it had warped into a larger creature with stumpy legs and long arms sprouting all over its body. 127 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:29,000 Don't leave me alone, it screeched and rushed at them. 128 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:34,000 Yah, swoosh and wisp shot off towards the Spooktater like rockets. 129 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:38,000 They circled around, swooped over and under and bashed into it. 130 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:43,000 The Spooktater stepped back, overwhelmed by the shine, glow and sparkle of the brave little warriors. 131 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:48,000 The Spooktater swatted at the bugs and one by one knocked them to the ground. 132 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:53,000 But as one fell, the other two pressed the attack until the other one could recover. 133 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,000 Cat shouted, get its legs, get its legs! 134 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,000 Her cousins joined her and soon the three grow bugs made a new attack. 135 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:06,000 Wisp bobbed and wove through grasping arms and blared a brilliant light that blinded the Spooktater. 136 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:11,000 Swoosh twirled around one leg, wrapping in a band of light and pulling with all her might. 137 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,000 Yah hacked at the other leg with glowing arm blades. 138 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,000 Before long, the Spooktater was on the ground. 139 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,000 The kids cheered. 140 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,000 A desperate wail rose from the monster and it stirred again. 141 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,000 This isn't working, it needs help! 142 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,000 Cat said, then ran towards the Spooktater and vanished. 143 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,000 As the grow bugs continued to struggle with the Spooktater, 144 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:35,000 Cat ran through the labyrinth towards the sound of mournful sobs. 145 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:42,000 In a cell of its own, Cat saw a huge gray moth with drooping antennae that wiggled as it sobbed. 146 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,000 It sat in a locked cage. 147 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,000 Are you the Spooktater? 148 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,000 You have the same sad voice, Cat asked. 149 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:54,000 The moth continued sobbing and sputtering as if it hadn't heard her. 150 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,000 Hey, I'm here to help you! 151 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Cat reached out cautiously to touch it. 152 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:02,000 It jumped and turned to face her when she rested a finger between its antennae. 153 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:06,000 Its wings fluttered, kicking up dust that made Cat recoil. 154 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,000 Who are you? 155 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,000 The moth asked in a sad, wavering voice, much like the Spooktater. 156 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:14,000 I can be a friend if you let me, Cat answered. 157 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:19,000 No one wants me. No one cares about me. No one likes me. 158 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:20,000 The moth groaned on. 159 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,000 I'm someone. 160 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,000 I know how you're feeling, because I felt like that too. 161 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,000 My name is Cat, and I want to help you. What's your name? 162 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,000 Hey, you are someone. You felt that way too, and now you're all better? 163 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,000 Well, hello, Cat. Nice to meet you. 164 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,000 I am Hiss, she responded. 165 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:40,000 Let's get you out of there. 166 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,000 Cat pulled at the walk on the cage, but it wouldn't budge. 167 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:48,000 It's okay. I'll figure a way out of here, Hiss said cheerily. 168 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,000 I won't leave you behind again, Cat insisted. 169 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,000 She pulled as hard as she could and tried to move the cage, but she couldn't. 170 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,000 After several failed attempts, she sat down to think. 171 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,000 Cat, I am a growbuck. I'm supposed to protect you. 172 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,000 You and your friends are in danger. 173 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:08,000 You should go help them and let me be. 174 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:13,000 I may be stuck in this cage, but I feel free thanks to you. 175 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:18,000 You're really sweet, and I wish we could have been friends, but it's time for you to go. 176 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:22,000 The walk on the cage rattled, and it fell apart. 177 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:28,000 The door swung open, and Cat and Hiss laughed for joy. 178 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:33,000 Now let's go help your friends, Hiss flew past Cat, glowing brightly. 179 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,000 Children, fellow growbugs, I have an idea. 180 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,000 If we combine our strengths, we can transform our shape and weed out this spooktater, 181 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,000 and the whole Sorrow Spud patch controlling it. 182 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,000 You can do that? Cat asked. 183 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,000 Yep, Ava answered. 184 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,000 No army this time? Harmony pouted. 185 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,000 I got it. You other growbugs ever heard of Aegistron? 186 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,000 Rex asked. 187 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,000 I'll fill them in, Rex. 188 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:58,000 Shaw said. 189 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,000 Then the growbugs called out together. 190 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:05,000 With radiant might, growbugs unite! Growbug gladiator, fight! 191 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:13,000 And they transformed from four magical bugs into one mighty multicolored robot to match the spooktater. 192 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,000 The growbug gladiator rushed at the risen spooktater. 193 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:23,000 They spun and crashed and thrashed through the scene as the children watched on in wonder. 194 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:28,000 Finally the growbug gladiator ended the fight when the twin mantis cutters cut deep into the spooktater, 195 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:36,000 and light from the blades entered its monstrous body and burned it away like the flame banishing darkness. 196 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:40,000 After the battle was over, the cousins and the growbugs had a lot to catch up on. 197 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:46,000 The sleepover had almost been ruined, but in the end the whole group enjoyed laughing and talking and sharing stories with each other. 198 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:53,000 After everything that had happened, Cat and the growbug made it a good night for all. 199 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:58,000 The End 200 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:28,000 Thanks for watching! 201 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:58,000 Thanks for watching! 202 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:28,000 Thanks for watching! 203 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:58,000 Thanks for watching! 204 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:29,000 Thanks for watching! 205 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,560 The strange creature slid down the sphere and focused its attack on one area. 206 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:01,960 The shimmer began to dim and flicker, and it looked like the force field was cracking, 207 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,320 where it had been hit repeatedly. 208 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,400 It's Dr. Decay! the critterbots cried in unison. 209 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,720 This is a safety zone, the electronic voice repeated itself. 210 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:13,560 Not for long! Ava called out. 211 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,680 The others scrambled to a defensive position, but Zev saw something strange by the weak point 212 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:24,360 of the barrier. A small form hopped up and down. Zev felt it was calling him and ran towards it. 213 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:28,120 The others ran after Zev and tried to pull him away from danger. 214 00:17:28,120 --> 00:17:32,840 Zev touched the strange creature and the kids and critterbots all disappeared from the safety zone, 215 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,160 moments before Dr. Decay burst through the barrier. 216 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:38,360 Guys, is this my critterbot? Zev asked. 217 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:41,880 Try to give him the high five, Cat encouraged. 218 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:44,040 Buddy up! Zev called. 219 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:48,600 The critterbot who helped them escape lifted one insectoid foot and Zev tapped it with 220 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:52,440 his gloved palm. Nothing happened. Zev tried again. 221 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,880 The grasshopper critterbot turned around sadly and jumped away. 222 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,560 Sorry, Zev. Ava tried to comfort him. 223 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:02,680 Must be some sort of glitch, Rex said. 224 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:05,960 Zev... 225 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:08,440 I'm sorry. 226 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:12,520 While the others fought off waves of attacking critterbots, Zev tried to make himself useful, 227 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:16,840 needed to be rescued, got lost a couple times, and learned to keep his distance to stay out of 228 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:21,560 trouble. He spotted the grasshopper critterbot a few more times and had tried to befriend it, 229 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:27,720 but it never stayed around. Everyone was exhausted from days of traveling and battling, everyone but 230 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:33,160 Zev. He stood at the edge of the firelight and looked away from the happy group of companions, 231 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:34,280 wishing he wasn't alone. 232 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,640 This world has rejected me too. A soft voice broke the silence. 233 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,640 Zev froze, gripped with fear. He swallowed hard and asked, 234 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:44,200 Who are you? 235 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:45,400 Nobody. 236 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,040 Someone with no buddy, just like you. 237 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:50,760 The sad voice answered from the shadows. 238 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,520 Cat and my cousins are here for me, Zev responded. 239 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:55,880 The voice chuckled softly. 240 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:01,160 Are they really? You don't belong. You have no part here. 241 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,880 That isn't your fault, but still, they will resent you and reject you. 242 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,160 You're wrong. I'll prove it, Zev retorted. 243 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,480 He spun around and marched back towards the camp. 244 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,920 I can't believe he has no critterbot buddy. Why is he even here? 245 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:19,320 Have you seen how he just gets in the way? It's probably because he's too little. 246 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:20,760 Shh, here he comes. 247 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:25,560 Zev came into the circle of the firelight and saw a ring of guilty faces. 248 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:31,160 With tears running down his face, Zev returned to the voice in the darkness and called out, 249 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:32,600 Let's buddy up. 250 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:39,320 Finally, the soft voice turned cruel and bellowed, Now I shall have the power I crave. 251 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:44,760 Dr. Decay grabbed Zev. The many eyes merged together into an enormous sphere that formed 252 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:50,680 around Zev, trapping him. The monster warped into a humanoid form and marched to attack 253 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,960 the wardens and their critterbots while they were off guard. 254 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:58,840 Zev wailed in pain and terror as the monstrosity attacked his sister and cousins. 255 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,720 It was too powerful, too fierce to be stopped. 256 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,400 The children and their critterbots lay on the floor amid the destruction 257 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,000 wrought by the bad doctor. 258 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,000 Dr. Decay stood victorious over the foes destined to defeat him. 259 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,920 He laughed maniacally until several things happened one after another. 260 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,400 The glitchy grasshopper appeared inside of the eye where Zev was. 261 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:21,480 He and Zev jumped out of the great eye. 262 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:26,360 They buddied up and the grasshopper critterbot unleashed a powerful attack on Dr. Decay. 263 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:30,680 The whole island shook and the sky flashed red over the landscape. 264 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,880 Deep cracks formed in the island and seawater shuddered. 265 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,000 Large chunks of island began to break away and disintegrate. 266 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:42,120 Zev and his critterbot gathered with the rest of the group and with a bright flash 267 00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:45,160 they all passed through another hole made by the glitching critterbot. 268 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,440 The cousins landed with a crash back in front of the TV. 269 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,520 Sounds of the party went on and the kids did their best to recover. 270 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:58,200 Sounds of battle carried over the wind and rain and the five kids ran to see what it was. 271 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:00,840 Dr. Decay was slipping and falling. 272 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,400 The four guardians tried to keep him back. 273 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:08,040 As they did, other critterbots slipped through, but Decay remained their focus. 274 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,440 Dr. Decay destroyed all four guardians and captured the children. 275 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,880 Each trapped child cried out in anguish as the village grew larger 276 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:17,880 and turned its attention elsewhere. 277 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,800 Glitch! Zev called out to his critterbot buddy. 278 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:27,080 Glitch flew to Zev and the two merged to become an armored grasshopper soldier critterbot. 279 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:32,920 Zev and Glitch took Dr. Decay by surprise and kicked him so hard he flew back to the critterbot world. 280 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,320 The kids were set free and the cracks in the sky vanished like a cloud. 281 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,920 Zev and Glitch separated and ran towards the others. 282 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:42,920 They tried to stir them, but they could not. 283 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:49,400 Four glowing spheres trailing like... trailing light like comets zoomed to the sad scene. 284 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,400 Each light turned into a giant glowing bug and perched by one of the critterbots. 285 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,400 The kids were revived. They thanked Zev and Glitch for saving them. 286 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,800 After they were back inside and introductions had been made, they recounted their adventure. 287 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,800 The growbugs marveled and declared that Glitch was truly a fellow growbug. 288 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:09,800 And that is the end of the story. 289 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:17,240 I have since rewritten the mid to the end or more about like the last quarter of that book 290 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,440 and I changed the story to a new one. 291 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:23,640 So I will have to rewrite and update that. 292 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:25,640 But that's basically the story. 293 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:29,640 I think anything in the newer version is just really improving upon what I had put there. 294 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:31,640 So I'm going to let it slide. 295 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:39,640 Again, this is part of the project of chronicling my progress as an author. 296 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:45,640 And I've been very... actually I'm going to pause and make comments after. 297 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:47,640 So that's the end of the story. 298 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:52,840 Thank you very much for listening and I will have an updated version of this within a year. 299 00:22:52,840 --> 00:23:00,840 No, really. I don't know when I'm going to make the recording, but I have the notes written down for the corrected version or the updated version of this story. 300 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,840 So you can look forward to seeing that. 301 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,640 Go to the website and look for it in the show notes. 302 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:10,440 I'll have it up in the author tab and maybe even on the front page that you see all the time. 303 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,440 I might have quick links to the five growbug picture book. 304 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:22,440 Manuscripts as part of my website restructuring to help focus on the fact that I'm an author and I'm writing these things actively. 305 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:24,440 So thank you for your time and attention. 306 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:36,440 So here is the section where I'm going to do commentary on what you heard earlier and wrap up and close out the show. 307 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:40,440 So I failed in my goal to write every day. 308 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:44,440 I believe there were two days within this week that I did not write at all. 309 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:51,440 And then I got going on a roll and I wrote for a couple more days and then it didn't happen again yesterday. 310 00:23:51,440 --> 00:24:00,440 I don't know if today, the day of the recording, which is actually the release day of this, the 21st, if I will do a recording or not or if I will do writing. 311 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,440 I want to and I want to believe I will. 312 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,440 But I didn't get to draw yesterday either. 313 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:07,440 I didn't write or draw yesterday. 314 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,440 Well, I sort of wrote. But anyway, it's complicated. 315 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:15,440 But yeah, I didn't get to draw yesterday and I'm not sure I'll write or draw today. 316 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:16,440 Like I said, I very much want to. 317 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:21,440 But just it's only 20 minutes, but 20 minutes is still 20 minutes and time is precious. 318 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,440 So you heard. 319 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:26,440 So that's not good. 320 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:27,440 And that's that's a failure. 321 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:38,440 And again, I'm not happy to share, but I'm open to sharing the failure as I stumble along my way and figure out this writing in a professional manner, 322 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:43,440 you know, treating writing like a business so I can turn it into a profitable business thing. 323 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,440 And I'm doing the documentation of it here for your benefit and for mine. 324 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,440 And yeah, I'm not happy with that. 325 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:50,440 I'm really disappointed. 326 00:24:50,440 --> 00:25:04,440 I'm also very unhappy with how unorganized all my notes are and yeah, I'm very unhappy with how unorganized all my notes are between Zoho and Google Drive and the Campfire app as well. 327 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:06,440 And I either need to. 328 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:15,440 I'm moving towards either wanting to buckle down and just pay money for Campfire so I can have its full functionality because it looks like in addition to the modules and all that stuff, 329 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:25,440 you have for the free account, you have limited access to using like you have access to X amount of resources and it's a finite number less than 20, I think. 330 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:30,440 And I haven't played with it enough to see exactly how it is, but I have a character naming sheet. 331 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:35,440 I have the five bro bug picture book manuscripts there and I have some other stuff. 332 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:44,440 But because I mostly write and I was writing for a long time in Zoho and then now I'm back to going into Google Drive and I'm writing for the first time. 333 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:49,440 I'm going into Google Drive because I just I wanted to be super concerned about privacy and things like that. 334 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:53,440 And then I realized I'm just not going to be afraid of the beast and let that slow me down and stop me. 335 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:59,440 So I'm going to use the best tools I have, even if they're from the devil, because I can use those for good. 336 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:04,440 And I think like that's a kind of a complex moral or kind of a state. 337 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,440 That's kind of a complex statement to make if you're going to dive into the morality of it. 338 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,440 But I mean, I'm not using literal weapons of the devil. 339 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:16,440 And like, you know, if a villain is trying to kill you with a sword, you don't want to have a sword to fight back against him. 340 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:20,440 That doesn't make any sense. So it's what you do with the tools that matters. 341 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:27,440 And I just think, you know, I think the big tech companies are not good, but it's kind of like my best. 342 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:37,440 The best thing I can do is use their tools, knowing what it costs me to use those tools and use them as effectively as possible. 343 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:41,440 And also notice that I'm probably not the target of their data mining. 344 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,440 And even if I am, so is everybody else uses the stuff. 345 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,440 And I don't know, it's a silly excuse. 346 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:55,440 It's like almost creating the toolbox fallacy for myself or, well, I don't want to use these people's tools because I think that they're morally corrupt or wrong or evil. 347 00:26:55,440 --> 00:27:00,440 And therefore I will make it harder for myself to do the good that I'm trying to do in the world. 348 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:01,440 I don't think that makes sense. 349 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:10,440 And I think it's morally consistent with the rest of how I feel about things, but I don't want to have a big long talk or discussion about it and like a philosophical thought about it. 350 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:22,440 I just I think using the most effective tools that help me to be the most productive while I'm doing good things in the world, it justifies me just saying, OK, I'm going to go back to Google Drive and just do all my stuff in that. 351 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:26,440 Because me, my wife, my daughter, we're all writing in Google Drive. We can all share with each other. 352 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:30,440 We can all check each other's documents. It's just a very normal, very accessible thing to do. 353 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:34,440 And I'm not going to argue with the functionality of it. 354 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:42,440 So I like I said, this Grow Bug Tales project is it's interesting because it's teaching me how to write in multiple ways. 355 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:46,440 And one of them is just with my organization, which is something I mentioned before in past story over everything episodes. 356 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:58,440 And now that I'm at the end of reading, doing the five readings for the five Grow Bug books, which I will I will again, because I'm stumbling and fumbling and figuring this all out as I go along, 357 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:03,440 I will have to reissue those off to put the posts out and clean things up. 358 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,440 But at least now I have good clean recordings for all five of them. 359 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:11,440 And I don't have them all backed up somewhere yet, but I can. 360 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:15,440 And I now I know I have to back up my audio, which I mentioned the previous episode or maybe it was two episodes ago. 361 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,440 I'm not sure. But I'm figuring things out. 362 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:25,440 I already have I already have the Princess and Curdie story over everything chat like the bulk of it recorded. 363 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:29,440 So I'm going to have to do minimal recording for next week's story over everything episode. 364 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:39,440 And the reason I need to be concerned about my efficiency in handling my recordings and my setups for things is that I should be spending a lot of my time writing. 365 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,440 Now, I need to be well read to be well. 366 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:48,440 I think you need to write. I think you need to be well read in order to be well written or to write well. 367 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:50,440 And I think it's very important. 368 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:58,440 And I think my whole strategy makes sense. I might be doing a little too much in areas of trying to get content produced other than books. 369 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:00,440 But again, that's something I have to wrestle with myself. 370 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:10,440 But at least I can argue for myself in this way, saying that I'm consistently working on chipping away at the grow bug tales chapter book. 371 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:17,440 And that as I've been as I've written, as I wrote each of the grow bug books, they all added to each other and reinforce each other. 372 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:37,440 And they added elements to go into the chapter book and actually like the in the grow bug in the cat book when there's like the sweet, the like tentacles of light and the sweet, the blades of light that the praying mantis has that stuff actually came from me writing the chapter book. 373 00:29:37,440 --> 00:30:04,440 So writing the chapter book and focusing exclusively on the grow bugs and in their world, it allowed me to discover information and abilities and different things about the grow bugs to add back into the other stories, to add unity to them, to make them cooler and more interesting and to better understand why I'm doing certain things with them and how they're able to do certain things. 374 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:09,440 And a lot of it I've learned to just chalk it up to its magic and be vague, be vague, but consistent. 375 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,440 And I feel like that's very much what I'm doing. 376 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:13,440 And I like that. 377 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:18,440 So, you know, reading through these manuscripts, I picked up a couple things in each of them that need to be corrected. 378 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,440 Cat has very little that needs to be altered in it. 379 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:30,440 Zev has a lot more and I don't know what my process needs to be, but I definitely I either need to. 380 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:43,440 I'm scared to throw stuff away, so I need either need to get rid of that fear and just start throwing away stuff or I need to start doing a more rigid, more rigorous system of dating my documents and turning them into backup files. 381 00:30:43,440 --> 00:31:01,440 So if I wrote yesterday, July 20th, and I decided to go in a different direction today, July 21st, and it's in, you know, document X or book X, I need to make a copy. I need to rename the 20th and make it, you know, 23, you know, whatever. 382 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:15,440 07, 072022, sorry, you know what I'm doing, right? 07202023, underscore, back or maybe back underscore at the front of it. 383 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:21,440 I need to organize that somehow. But then I'll have my document that was, you know, that's the copy. 384 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:27,440 And I'll continue working on the new document and make all changes going, make all hard changes going forward in that. 385 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:34,440 And then when I come up with something I need to change from the document modified the 21st, then I go ahead and whatever. 386 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:52,440 If it's on October 7th that I decided I need to change that, then it'll be 10072023 to distinguish it, designate it as a backup file, and then use the core document that I, you know, split off of to keep moving forward and making my changes. 387 00:31:52,440 --> 00:32:04,440 I don't know if that's enough or if I need to look into like Scribner's for Apple only. If it works just like Campfire, I'm not going to like it because I haven't gotten used to Campfire. 388 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:14,440 And I don't like it almost seems like too many tools for me to utilize. And my wife is doing great. She's written several books. She's like over like close to 10 now, I think. 389 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:24,440 And she isn't doing that. She's just using a Google document. She's not even organizing. To be fair, there's sweet romance. There's not a fictional world that she's making. 390 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:32,440 She's making it very much, you know, true life in a lot of ways. And that makes it easier for her. 391 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:37,440 And we've kind of had talks about what I'm doing, what she's doing. And I said, you know, she's like, it's because you're writing about bugs. 392 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:42,440 I said, no, it's not because I'm writing about bugs. It's because you're writing about real life and you're not having to make up all these things like I am. 393 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:49,440 So it makes more sense. But I definitely need to learn from her and be humble and not say, oh, I've been interested in writing for years and you haven't been. 394 00:32:49,440 --> 00:33:05,440 So therefore I'm no, she's being more effective of a writer than I am. And yet I need to just learn from that and take lessons that she's taught me in her writing process and figure out what exactly to do for myself. 395 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:13,440 So like I said, I'm trying to figure out what it is. It's just, I have all these different new ideas and I don't know if it's because I didn't develop enough in the pre writing stage. 396 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:27,440 Like, I don't know if I need to just have a massive like drafts document or brainstorm document and just write and write and write and write in that thing until I'm ready to pull things from it and say, okay, this was all my big bag of ideas. 397 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:44,440 And now I'm going to pull certain threads from that. I'm going to keep the bag of ideas closed over here by itself. And if I ever need to, I can go back into that one and then I'll come back here to, I'll come back here to do what I will come back here to. 398 00:33:44,440 --> 00:34:00,440 I guess I'll continue in this other document. I need to figure that out. So I think I need to buckle down and after I'm done with these five books, I, well, so I'm basically done with the five books. 399 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:07,440 I just need to do minor revisions to all of them. They're pretty much have unity now. I need to finish book six, which is the grow big tales chapter book, right? 400 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:24,440 So once I'm done with that, I think I was going to say, I think I might start developing the typhoon system before I go ahead and finish grow bug tales, the chapter book. 401 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:32,440 But I don't know if I should put all my mental energy into just developing the book faster and spend more time writing on it or what. 402 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:40,440 That's probably the smarter thing to do. I'm trying to think about like the snowball effect. You know, what makes more sense? What do I add my energy to? Do I spread myself then? 403 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:50,440 Or do I attack the smallest thing first, then take my energy from that and add it to the next thing? I should probably do the snowball thing and just focus on getting grow bug tales written faster. 404 00:34:50,440 --> 00:35:03,440 I'm only writing 10 minutes a day pretty much when I do write the 10 minutes a day and I am adding to it. I'm about, I don't know, a quarter into chapter nine out of I think 16 chapters of what my outline has the last time I looked at it. 405 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:22,440 And I'm liking what I'm doing, but I'm just I'm dealing with a big cast. I've got seven grow bug cadets. I've got three keepers. I've got the camp's guardian plus the five guest guardians. And then I've got the seer who's kind of overseeing the whole thing. 406 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:36,440 I've got the watchers and the watchers are this like high level of exalted. They're like Jedi Master or like Gandalf Wizard basically level characters and they're in the narrative as little as possible so that they can be advising and not intervening. 407 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:43,440 But they'll kind of be my, you know, when the things get dark, they'll appear to turn the tide. 408 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:58,440 And I like to go to the races, you know that? Anyway, so that's what I'm doing with them. And I just, I feel good about what I'm doing. It's just perhaps a little too ambitious. 409 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:26,440 Like if I had just been writing the five grow bug books, I don't know, maybe I need to change the nature of my campaign. But the thing is this sixth grow bug book is just, it's just a chapter book. There's no real illustrations except for maybe a cover. Well, yeah, I'm thinking a cover illustration and then like chapter headings, which that could just be like a grow bug for every different chapter and just show off the different ones because they're all, you know, they'll have their own cute, you know, cross between a Digimon and a I don't know what. 410 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:36,440 Yeah, but that's the design idea. Cross between a Digimon, a Pokemon and a bug. You know, they're all bugs. They're either going to look like a little like a Pokemon or a little like a Digimon and, you know, be cute or whatever. 411 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:51,440 And, you know, how do I do that? And how do I, you know, maybe I just commissioned my artist, my artist who I've talked to, hey, can you just give me black and white drawings, one for each chapter, you know, let's make the villain even, wow, repurpose the artwork. 412 00:36:51,440 --> 00:37:04,440 I wanted to show the grow bug cadets in a circle and have the seer, the moth seer glimmer showing the bird, the mist bird thing that's going to be attacking the camp that they need to be saved from. 413 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:13,440 Show that thing she's projecting with her, you know, seer powers or seer magic where she's using light to make the thing appear and they're all loud around it. 414 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:26,440 So my artist could do that design or that sketch and just show glimmer, chirp and quiver, which are a cricket and a moth respectively and glimmers a moth as well. 415 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:37,440 Show the three of them for sure. Maybe have silhouetted the other characters. The other grow bug cadets would still in their proper forms for their, you know, whatever type of body type they would have for whatever type of bug they are based off of. 416 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:47,440 And then show the bird in the middle and then he can repurpose those. If I have 12 chapters and I'm showing there's seven cadets, there's the bird, many birds, whatever. 417 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:54,440 That's eight chapters worth. Maybe show the keeper. That's actually not a bad idea. It's not a bad idea. 418 00:37:54,440 --> 00:38:04,440 And I can have them showcase them using their magic in different ways, like throwing the leaves around for chapter nine or whatever. 419 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:13,440 So I'm saying maybe I shift to really focusing on getting the grow bug chapter book done as soon as possible. 420 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:28,440 Having the artist help me develop the designs, the final designs for the characters for the picture books by commissioning him and paying him for the cover for the chapter book as well as the chapter images. 421 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:31,440 That could be cool. 422 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:50,440 Black and white, less expensive, helps me and him develop our rapport in developing the look for these characters and then sell, you know, get that book published, get it selling and then use it as 423 00:38:50,440 --> 00:39:01,440 a bonus added thing to the launch campaign for girl bug book, you know, picture book one and kind of go from there. 424 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:11,440 And then after all that's done, then I can develop my typhoon system so I can really understand how exactly I want to structure my writing so that it's efficient and I'm not wasting time and I'm not going back over and over and over again. 425 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:27,440 Because that's the problem. It's not that I'm not creative, it's that I'm like I need to figure out how to limit myself and stop adding things to the stories so that they're manageable for me to write in the smaller stints that I do now. 426 00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:30,440 That's a lot to think about. 427 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:38,440 I'm going to go ahead and wrap up here. I thank you for your time and attention. I thank you for listening. I appreciate any feedback you have for me. 428 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,440 I'd like to know what you think about the stories. 429 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:51,440 You know, I told you that I'm going to do minor tweaks to Kat and bigger tweaks to Zev, kind of shifting the direction and changing some of the context of it. 430 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,440 But tell me what you think about the stories now if you listen to them. 431 00:39:53,440 --> 00:40:01,440 And, yeah, do the kids feel consistent in them because in Kat and Zev are brother and sister. 432 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:11,440 They're like a little brother. And he wasn't included in the sleepover because he was at grandma's or he was having fun with mom and dad or whatever, ignoring his big sister while she's off doing whatever with the older cousins. 433 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:17,440 And, you know, I don't know, maybe he was having popcorn and, you know, who knows what. 434 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,440 But, you know, he's somewhere else so he's not involved in that story. 435 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:25,440 But you get back to back these books and they all take place over the course of like a year, basically, and, you know, nine months to a year. 436 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:31,440 And you have the four cousins interacting and then you have them again together in the Zev book. 437 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:38,440 But I shifted the focus away from Zev enough where you don't get too much of them but you get just a touch, a taste of their personalities, which I think is sufficient. 438 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:42,440 So, I don't know. Tell me if it made sense, if you liked it, if you didn't like it. 439 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:44,440 Any feedback you have would be appreciated. 440 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:48,440 Until next time, folks, be well. This is MJ signing out. 441 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:50,440 I hope you enjoyed that. 442 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:56,440 Go to MJMunoz.com to leave any questions, comments, or other feedback you might have. 443 00:40:56,440 --> 00:41:00,440 There you can find all of my analysis, art, and fiction. 444 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:05,440 I cover books, tokusatsu, comic books, anime, and more. 445 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:09,440 Look around. You're sure to find something else that you'll enjoy as well. 446 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:21,440 This has been a Story Over Everything production.