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Sticky: Personal Update
Feb. 5th, 2026 03:45 pmHey everyone, I don't know how many of you care about this, but I've got some good news I'd love to share with someone! In my most recent writing update post, I mentioned how I hoped to have good news on my second New Year's resolution (my first being to knuckle down and make substantial progress on at least one of my major story ideas - now up to 12365 words on my current WIP, for the record!). Well, now I do! My second resolution was to finally stop dragging my feet and commit to making actual, concrete steps towards transitioning IRL, rather than sitting around and letting dysphoria keep eating at me while I dithered. Well, today I can official say I did that - I had my first consultation for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) today! And I thought it went really well! Just thought I'd share, and thank you all again for having been such a supportive community for me over the years!
Embers: Chapter Twenty-Two, Part I
Feb. 20th, 2026 08:42 amThis is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
Warning: This post contains discussion of imperialism, abuse and racism.
( In which everyone gangs up on Katara to make absolutely certain she knows just what Vathara thinks of her. )
Warning: This post contains discussion of imperialism, abuse and racism.
( In which everyone gangs up on Katara to make absolutely certain she knows just what Vathara thinks of her. )
Summa Elvetica: Chapter Four
Feb. 16th, 2026 08:57 amThis is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
Warning: This post contains discussion of racism, slavery and genocide.
( In which the beginning of the journey proves to be the perfect time for a whole lot of infodumping. )
Warning: This post contains discussion of racism, slavery and genocide.
( In which the beginning of the journey proves to be the perfect time for a whole lot of infodumping. )
Writing Update 2/13/26
Feb. 13th, 2026 07:23 pmFor anyone who's interested in this, after my most a couple of weeks ago I've been continuing to plow ahead on my current WIP. I've mentioned that my goal has been to write 500-1000 words per day, which I felt was very doable and easy to work in around the various other things I've got going on in my life atm, and so far most days I've at least hit 1000 and often gone over (occasionally quite a bit over, if I find myself on a roll;))! At the moment, I've completed a prologue and four full chapters, as well as a significant chunk of chapter five, and as of this afternoon I officially hit 23,302 words in total. Yay!
Anyway, I know it's not sporking or reviewing and that's what most people who follow me are probably here for, but I am quite happy with my progress so far and I felt like sharing! If you want to see more updates like this, do let me know. And if anyone has any questions about my WIP, I'd be happy to answer those too. But until then, if anyone's reading this, thank you!
Anyway, I know it's not sporking or reviewing and that's what most people who follow me are probably here for, but I am quite happy with my progress so far and I felt like sharing! If you want to see more updates like this, do let me know. And if anyone has any questions about my WIP, I'd be happy to answer those too. But until then, if anyone's reading this, thank you!
Embers: Chapter Twenty-One
Feb. 13th, 2026 08:47 amThis is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
Warning: This chapter contains some violence and discussion of mind-control and incest.
( In which ships are sunk and loyalty somehow becomes even creepier. )
Warning: This chapter contains some violence and discussion of mind-control and incest.
( In which ships are sunk and loyalty somehow becomes even creepier. )
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which we learn everything we ever wanted to know about the daily operation of the Thornwalkers but were afraid to ask. )
( In which we learn everything we ever wanted to know about the daily operation of the Thornwalkers but were afraid to ask. )
Embers: Chapter Twenty, Part II
Feb. 6th, 2026 09:26 amThis is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
Warning: This post contains some violence, and discussion of imperialism and genocide.
( In which the story makes it abundantly clear, if it wasn't already, just which characters the narrative will be favoring. )
Warning: This post contains some violence, and discussion of imperialism and genocide.
( In which the story makes it abundantly clear, if it wasn't already, just which characters the narrative will be favoring. )
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
Warning: This post contains discussion of slavery, genocide and imperialism.
( In which the Republic of Amorr does little to recommend itself. )
Warning: This post contains discussion of slavery, genocide and imperialism.
( In which the Republic of Amorr does little to recommend itself. )
Writing Update
Jan. 30th, 2026 07:34 pmThought some of you might be interested that I've finally knuckled down and committed to one of my New Year's resolutions for this year - to get back into my own writing and try to make significant progress on at least one of my major ideas I have knocking around! For most of the past week I've committed myself to try and write at least 500-1000 words a day, working it in around everything else I'm doing, which has so far proven itself to be very doable. As of today, I've officially drafted a prologue and the whole first chapter of my current WIP, which together comes to about 6,328 words total. Not bad progress (helps that some days I've gone over my target), I think, and I hope I can sustain this momentum going forward. Wish me luck! I am kind of worried my first chapter is going to feel a little... stereotypical YA-ish, though some of that's deliberate; I do want to kind of set up some false expectations for where this story is going and what it's supposed to be about, before I yank the carpet out from under it in a couple of chapters. Anyway, just thought I'd share the news and see if anyone was interested!
EDIT: I also hope to have good news soon on my other, unrelated New Year's resolution. Fingers crossed!
EDIT: I also hope to have good news soon on my other, unrelated New Year's resolution. Fingers crossed!
Embers: Chapter Twenty, Part I
Jan. 30th, 2026 09:11 amThis is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which Toph finally gets her field trip with Zuko. )
( In which Toph finally gets her field trip with Zuko. )
Warning: This chapter contains violence and deaths.
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which the Thornwalkers face their first challenge. )
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which the Thornwalkers face their first challenge. )
Embers: Chapter Nineteen, Part II
Jan. 23rd, 2026 06:45 amThis is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
Warning: This post contains discussion of abuse and mind control.
( In which the Avatar receives an unexpected visitor. )
Warning: This post contains discussion of abuse and mind control.
( In which the Avatar receives an unexpected visitor. )
Summa Elvetica: Chapter One
Jan. 19th, 2026 07:19 amThis is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which the young scholar receives his assignment. )
( In which the young scholar receives his assignment. )
Embers: Chapter Nineteen, Part I
Jan. 16th, 2026 09:01 amThis is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which Prince Zuko makes a very distressing discovery. )
( In which Prince Zuko makes a very distressing discovery. )
Warning: This post necessarily contains discussion of a particular individual's history of abusive and bullying behavior and general bigotries.
The Arts of Dark and Light: Summa Elvetica
By Vox Day, aka Theodore Beale
Alternate Title: An Introduction To An All-New Fantasy Saga That Will Likely Put You Off Continuing It Further
SPORKER: MasterGhandalf
SUMMARY
In a world torn by religious and political conflict, the head of the Amorran Church decides the time has come to answer one very important question – do elves have souls? To determine the truth, a young priest is sent on an adventure so irritating that by the time it’s through, none of us will probably be left caring about the answer, if we ever did to begin with. Following this will come a series of shorter tales which supposedly set up the “epic” to follow, but at best tend to raise more questions than answers and at worst will leave the reader mystified as to just what the author is trying to accomplish, if not horrified by the implications – but hey, the great news is, very little of this is going to end up mattering anyway! Save for possibly more insight into the author’s mindset and creative process than we ever needed or wanted, that is.
( Introduction to Vox Day )
( Introduction to the Arts of Dark and Light and Summa Elvetica )
( Table of Contents )
By Vox Day, aka Theodore Beale
Alternate Title: An Introduction To An All-New Fantasy Saga That Will Likely Put You Off Continuing It Further
SPORKER: MasterGhandalf
SUMMARY
In a world torn by religious and political conflict, the head of the Amorran Church decides the time has come to answer one very important question – do elves have souls? To determine the truth, a young priest is sent on an adventure so irritating that by the time it’s through, none of us will probably be left caring about the answer, if we ever did to begin with. Following this will come a series of shorter tales which supposedly set up the “epic” to follow, but at best tend to raise more questions than answers and at worst will leave the reader mystified as to just what the author is trying to accomplish, if not horrified by the implications – but hey, the great news is, very little of this is going to end up mattering anyway! Save for possibly more insight into the author’s mindset and creative process than we ever needed or wanted, that is.
( Introduction to Vox Day )
( Introduction to the Arts of Dark and Light and Summa Elvetica )
( Table of Contents )
Tags:
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which I experience the most remarkable feeling of deja vu )
( In which I experience the most remarkable feeling of deja vu )
Embers: Chapter Eighteen
Jan. 9th, 2026 09:05 amWarning: This chapter contains discussion of genocide and abuse.
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which Healer Amaya discovers just what secrets her new apprentice has been keeping. )
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which Healer Amaya discovers just what secrets her new apprentice has been keeping. )
By Dennis L. McKiernan
Alternate Title: The Lord of the Rings: The Off-Brand Version
SPORKER: MasterGhandalf
SUMMARY
In a legendary world that may or may not be our own in the distant past, evil is stirring. An ancient sorcerer tyrant, a disciple of the god of evil, has returned to his fallen kingdom, raised his dark tower once again, and readied his legions for war. In response, a group of unlikely heroes belonging to a short-statured, generally peaceful humanoid race will be called on to go on an epic quest; they will find themselves traversing demon-haunted dwarven ruins, aiding the kings of Men in battle, and eventually must infiltrate the sorcerer’s realm to destroy the artifact that is the ultimate source of his power and prevent the world from falling under an eternal Shadow.
…what do you mean, you’ve heard this one before!?
( ”Introduction” )
( Table of Contents )
Warning: This post contains discussion of all the gross and squicky elements of the Chronicles of Blood and Stone.
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2. Previous installments of this spork may be found here.
And so, everyone, we have come at long last to the end of Robert Newcomb’s Chronicles of Blood and Stone. What have we learned on our journey? Mostly that Robert Newcomb is a hack writer utterly undeserving of the hype he initially got as a major new voice in fantasy, that he has some very disturbing views on women, a very gross fascination with gore and edge, can barely string a story together to save his life, and that his ultimate fall into obscurity was very well deserved. What more is there to say? But before we go, let’s take a look back at both the trilogy as a whole and The Scrolls of the Ancients in particular, to not only see just what is so bad about Newcomb’s writing but also why, and maybe if there are any lessons we can take away from his writing about how to do this stuff better (aside from the obvious “don’t be Robert Newcomb”).
To start with, we’ll go back over some of the elements specific to Scrolls (but I think by this point we’ve all got a pretty good handle on the issues Newcomb has with characters, plot, writing, theme etc.) and then zoom out a bit to take a look at the Chronicles in their entirety, now that we’ve completed our trip through them. Onward!
( The Scrolls of the Ancients Final Thoughts )
( Chronicles of Blood and Stone Final Thoughts )
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2. Previous installments of this spork may be found here.
And so, everyone, we have come at long last to the end of Robert Newcomb’s Chronicles of Blood and Stone. What have we learned on our journey? Mostly that Robert Newcomb is a hack writer utterly undeserving of the hype he initially got as a major new voice in fantasy, that he has some very disturbing views on women, a very gross fascination with gore and edge, can barely string a story together to save his life, and that his ultimate fall into obscurity was very well deserved. What more is there to say? But before we go, let’s take a look back at both the trilogy as a whole and The Scrolls of the Ancients in particular, to not only see just what is so bad about Newcomb’s writing but also why, and maybe if there are any lessons we can take away from his writing about how to do this stuff better (aside from the obvious “don’t be Robert Newcomb”).
To start with, we’ll go back over some of the elements specific to Scrolls (but I think by this point we’ve all got a pretty good handle on the issues Newcomb has with characters, plot, writing, theme etc.) and then zoom out a bit to take a look at the Chronicles in their entirety, now that we’ve completed our trip through them. Onward!
( The Scrolls of the Ancients Final Thoughts )
( Chronicles of Blood and Stone Final Thoughts )
Embers: Chapter Seventeen
Jan. 2nd, 2026 03:58 pmMG’s Note: Apologies to everyone for another later-than-usual post.
Warning: This post contains depiction and/or discussion of violence, deaths, mind-control and imperialism.
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which a certain spirit discovers that it may have picked the wrong person to antagonize. )
Warning: This post contains depiction and/or discussion of violence, deaths, mind-control and imperialism.
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
( In which a certain spirit discovers that it may have picked the wrong person to antagonize. )
