This is MJ. I'm an author, I'm an artist, I'm an analyzer. You can find all my work
at MJMunoz.com. Welcome to Story Over Everything, episode 38 for October 14th through 20th,
2023. I have my author's log for Grow Bug Tales, chapter 11 in this episode. And I just
have a minute or two of commentary because I'm getting this episode out later than I'm
supposed to, or than I wanted to. I know you're not supposed to mention that if you have a
balance, but here I am mentioning it because I'm a rule breaker, I'm a rebel, I'm a...
Anyway, so I am struggling to find the balance. I'm building back towards finding the balance.
I believe the last six days in a row, or at least the 13th through the 20th, 14th through
the 20th, I wrote and I drew ten minutes a day each, and that's really good. I'm very
happy with that. I need to push myself forward a little bit more. Saturday, I did not write
or draw. Sunday, which is when I'm actually recording this, the 22nd, I did. And I am
pleased with that, but it's taken me forever to get this podcast recorded and put out there.
And last week I forgot to publish my podcast on YouTube, even though it's available on
the RSS feed and basically on all the podcatchers, which is a good thing. But I failed to go all
the way and get it done the right way. And it's a combination of I don't have enough
time, and I'm rushing, and I also want to build the buffer. I'm slowly building that
buffer and maybe even I'll put my podcast episodes on a buffer as well, which maybe
I can use my mining leaves to help me do that because that would be smart, actually. So,
or skimming leaves, sorry. So anyway, without further ado, I'm going to go ahead and open
up the author's log and let you hear what I had to say, what I put into these books,
or what I put into the chapter 11 of Grow Big Tales over the course of this week. And
with that, I'm going to go ahead and cut to the other me. My 10 minute writing session
for October 14th, 2023 reads thus, I'm in Grow Big Tales chapter 10, or chapter 11,
23. What is it, Sherp? Quiver whispered. What do you think they're doing now? Tut and the
Guardians, Sherp asked eagerly, nearly forgetting to whisper.
Softly, Hum admonished. Quiver scooted closer to Sherp and somehow whispered more quietly
than he had before. I think Watcher, Tut and the Guardians are prepared for the enemy to
attack. I probably shouldn't whisper on that. They're probably hiding by the defense engines
waiting for an attack. I hope they're all well hidden and have to fight at all because
the enemy isn't here to fight us. I hope we misread their flight pattern. Really? Sherp
exclaimed. Hum gave a warning look. Sorry, Sherp whispered, then turned to Quiver and
said, I didn't write down how long that took to write. It was 112 words though.
My 10 minute writing session for October 15, 2023. I am still in Grow Big Tales chapter
11. You hope they don't have to fight? Why? Sherp, you know why, Quiver said. He didn't
want to say it. Because they might die, Sherp asked. Quiver was silent. But this is what
we're made for, she snapped back. Not all of us. Don't you think we're meant for more
than fighting? Lose knows best and so made us to be keepers and seers too. Don't forget
about Watchers, Hum interjected in a sing-song tone. Right, but what do Watchers watch for?
Sherp argued. Watchers help guide and train Grow Bugs. From grubs to cadets, Quiver answered
slowly. But why? Sherp pushed back. To protect them, just like they're supposed to help and
protect human children. Because that's what Grow Bugs do, Quiver said with an air of finality.
It took me 12 minutes to write and it was 127 words.
My 10 minute writing session for October 16, 2023 is in, it's taking place in chapter 11
of Grow Bug Tales and it reads like this. How can you protect anyone else if you don't
protect yourself first, Sherp demanded. Well, Quiver started. And how can you protect yourself
if you don't want to fight if you can't fight? Sherp plowed on. The purpose of Grow Bugs
is to fight and destroy hobnots. The whole of our lives is centered on going out and
stopping hobnots to save children from them. We learn to fight them and grow stronger so
we can be better keepers. Keepers help us develop into cadets, then train us to become
warriors. Seers find us hobnots to fight and guardians go out to fight them. Watchers even
act as guardians because that's what they are. They are the highest order of guardian
of Grow Bugs, given the most power to protect by fighting our enemies no matter what form
they take. Quiver shifted uncomfortably until he finally said, I didn't know all watchers
were once guardians. That took me 10 minutes to write and that was 152 words.
For October 17, 2023, my 10 minute writing session is like this. This is from Grow Bug
Tales Chapter 11. Cadets, I was never a guardian. Hum corrected. You weren't? Sherp asked. I've
always been a keeper. I felt drawn to the care of my fellow Grow Bugs since before my
metamorphosis. Once I even hum broke off. Watch her hum. Sherp prodded. Wait. Quiver
cautioned. She's seen. Oh, Sherp gawked as hum saw and heard something from a distance
away. The powers of the Seers were subtle. Sherp didn't do subtle. That took me 12 minutes
to write and that was 70 words. For October 18, 2023, my 10 minute writing session in
Grow Bug Tales Chapter 11 reads thus. I understand glimmer. Hum paused, turning her attention
elsewhere. Quiver and Sherp looked at each other and back at hum concerned about what
they couldn't see or hear that the watcher could. There is much fear and worry in the
camp. I will help to ease everyone here. You have done valiantly, child. Hum turned to
her charges and said, it looks like we could all use some help with being quiet. Hum glowed
with a soft warm light and sent out a song of soothing to each young Grow Bug in reach.
Quiver and Sherp settled down and forgot about their ideological differences for a time.
The Grow Bug cadets and Grow Grubs heard the song from within and each one felt their worry
melt away. Thoughts of danger and destruction didn't leave their minds. Those ideas became
abstract, distant. Each Grow Bug felt he or she was doing exactly what Luz demanded of
him or her and so felt content with whatever awaited them. All was Luz and Luz was all.
So in the end, the details were nothing to be sad or distressed over. That took me 12
minutes to write and that was 184 words. For my 10 minute writing session, October 19,
23, I am continuing to write Grow Bug Tales, Chapter 11.
Come out, everyone, Watcher Tut's voice cut through Hum's soothing song with warmth and
triumph. We are no longer in danger. It is time to celebrate our victory. Tut laughed.
Wow, they're the best, Sherp exclaimed. You're too loud, Quiver chided Sherp.
Back so soon, Hum wondered. Watcher Tut, we're here. Sherp wriggled her
way through the hiding nest she, Quiver and Hum were in.
No, don't, Hum cried. What's wrong? Sherp asked, confused. Stay here. Stay safe. Be
strong. Hum whispered to Quiver, then made her way out of the nest.
Watcher? Sherp hesitated. Where is everyone? Hum pulled Sherp close to her and surveyed
the area. A fine mist clung to everything in the camp. It swirled unnaturally as if
searching. Hum stretched out with her mind to quell the fears of the hidden Grow Bugs
all around her. The mist seemed to rest on the nests where they lay hidden. Ahead of
her, the mist swirled and pushed itself in between the cracks. Terror spiked through
the keepers and cadets hidden therein. That took 15 minutes to write and that was 174
words. For October 20th, 23, this is my 10 minute
writing session in Grow Bug Tales Chapter 11.
And three nests of concealment burst asunder as mock wings formed from their mists, their
bodies taking form from the gathering of the swirling mists. Keepers lashed out at the
predators with tendrils of light. Grow Bug cadets skittered and scattered in frenzied
terror. Mock wings croaked and gave chase, making for a chaotic cacophony that added
to the confusion. Hum left chirp gawking as she entered the fight with a ferocity unseen
in her by any of her youngest charges. The keepers gathered all the Grow Bugs together
and formed a defensive circle around them to ward off any. That took me 12 minutes to
write and I wrote 87 words. So after I put the episode together, which
I just have come back from, it's given me an opportunity to think about what happened
and why it took me so long to put up this episode. And I'm not 100% sure. I know I need
to fine tune my workflow a little bit. I think that's the problem. Really ideally what I
should do is I should do my 10 minute recording of whatever sort. I should do the commentary
on it and package that up into a video and get that produced and then get that uploaded.
Uploaded to YouTube or wherever. Get my audio file converted from it if need be and also
throw it into the document that I have for the next story over everything episode. That
workflow would make sense and whether I'm doing an episode that week that I've produced
all the content for that week or if I'm stacking up content like I want to and I'll be releasing
stuff a month or two months or just a week or two down the line. I should go ahead and
keep out that workflow and I guess along with the living life 10 minutes at a time with
my writing and drawing I think I need to follow that up with keeping my workflow nice and
tidy so that I'm not having to go back and remember and make up thumbnails or grab screenshots
or whatever. And also like the way I need to make sure I'm grabbing thumbnails from
stuff as I'm doing it as well. That way just in case I need, YouTube doesn't automatically
get a good thumbnail or even for the blog post so I can have a good thumbnail I need
to make sure I grab that at the beginning of the process too. Like I'm doing a good
job of generating the content for my thumbnail what they're going to be because I'm just
grabbing it from the information that I'm putting on the screen at the beginning of
the video for like 10 or 15 seconds as I'm ramping up into it but I failed to capture
that and then now I'm thinking well I'm going to go back and grab that for different videos.
So that's you know less than ideal and I want the, I'm putting the information there because
it helps me produce the video but then I was forgetting to put it there to also help me
well, produce it you know in the best way I possibly can which means utilizing every
bit of that to make my process as efficient as possible. So anyway taking the time to
reflect and think about everything is good. I think it's going to be a little tidier
a little neater for next week. I certainly hope so. So here's hoping and cheers take
care of yourself until next time folks. This is MJ signing out.
I hope you enjoyed that. Go to MJMunoz.com to leave any questions, comments or other
feedback you might have. There you can find all of my analysis, art and fiction. I cover
books, tokusatsu, comic books, anime and more. Look around, you're sure to find something
else that you'll enjoy as well. This has been a story over everything production.