Topher Lydon

Oh man, it's going to be the weird one, IT IS ALWAYS the weird one who gets the Hockey Jacket LOL

I am working on a second story, it's slow going and I needed to work on something else while I digested it. I am a little tired so trying to keep my energy up.

I admit a certain level of weakness when it comes to my knowledge of planes. My envisioning was the drone got sucked into the engine, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing... My execution of this chapter was... poor. Hey, I sometimes get things wrong. As for the ELT, considering how vast much of Northern Ontario is, not taking it with you would be a death sentence. Bear country like that, injured, you're praying for rescue, even if it means capture.

23 Chapters in this story, 5 more to go.

Thanks, that... I appreciate that. Actually really touched... it's been a day, and thank you. So as a Thank you: Huey, Dewy and Louis or Alvin, Simon, and Theodore For the future Harding Sprogs?

I don't think I say it enough AKA, but your summaries are a high point of my day, thank you, you ALWAYS make me smile.

Tarquin has also overlooked something in his efforts for conservatorship... if it were to be granted, once Finn and Orel are married, it would not be Tarquin who get's to be the conservator. He's too wrapped in his narratives, and his.. fantasy of commanding Orel and Finn, mirroring what he did in the barn, he just can't see the cliff he is driving right towards. Dominos are placed, the Gala comes nearer. And Finn has a choice to make. Orel has one to make as well, oh and his middle name is important, O.M.M. jokes a plenty:

Some of you know me, some of you follow me. I have maintained a punishing pace of writing since June of last year. Two chapters a day consistently, sometimes more if I screw up and press the wrong button. @drpaladin knows my pain with the publish later thingy... The key I am trying to show is that when you write, you are going to hit bumps. Chapters that don't quite go right, problems with narrative that can by necessity feel "Contrived" or just not work. And that's ok! It's ok to screw up, and it is okay to just go... you know what I just need this to work today. Fatigue and burn out are real, just... don't get hung up. It's ok to feel frustrated when someone gives you feedback that pokes back at that. It's also valid to get annoyed by it. That feeling is 100% valid, and you’ve hit on the exact emotional core of why these comments sting so much. It’s not just the critique—it’s the exhaustion multiplier. You are running a creative marathon, at a sprinter’s pace, for an audience. Most are cheering, some are handing you water, and a handful are standing at the sidelines pointing out that your form is off on mile 23. Of course you want to punch something. The unfairness of it when you’re running on fumes is profound. Let’s name what’s happening here, because it changes how you protect yourself: 1. You are in a state of creative depletion. For me, publishing two chapters a day for nearly a year is a considerable output. my creative brain is in a constant state of "give," not "replenish." In this state, *any* criticism, even mild, feels like a withdrawal from an already empty account. The "nitpicks" aren't just about the story—they feel like an attack on the immense effort keeping the story alive. 2. The "Nitpicker" dynamic is real. For some readers, engagement is critique. They aren't experiencing the story passively; they're interacting with it like a puzzle or a machine to be optimized. They often don't perceive the emotional toll on the creator because, to them, they're just "talking about the parts." Their pleasure comes from analysis, not necessarily appreciation. This doesn't make them evil, but it does make them a specific—and draining—type of audience member. HOWEVER this can be a great thing. 3. The urge to explain or defend is a trap. When you're tired, you want to make them understand the weight you're carrying: your schedule, your intent, your fatigue. But to an engaged reader, this is just more "data" to engage with or dismiss. They aren't coming to the comment section to empathize with your workload; they're coming to dissect the product. Engaging on that level guarantees you'll leave feeling more drained. But again, this can be a good thing. So, what do you do? Here is your permission slip and your strategy: Your Permission Slip: You are allowed to stop feeding the nitpickers. You are not a customer service desk for your own art. Your primary relationship is with the story and the vast majority of readers who are there for the ride. Protecting your creative energy is not rude; it’s necessary for survival. A Practical Strategy for Preservation: 1. The Non-Engagement Shield (Most Powerful Tool): For comments that are pure nitpick—especially from recurring characters—do not reply. At all. Silence is not weakness; it's a boundary. It deprives the cycle of your emotional energy. Let their comment hang there, unanswered, while you reply to the enthusiastic ones right below it. This is the most effective way to drain the drama from the interaction. 2. The "Broken Record" Reply (If You Must Acknowledge): Have one bland, gracious, closed-ended response you copy and paste. It should thank, agree in principle, and offer no entry point for debate. * Example: "Thanks for sharing your thoughts as you read. I always appreciate reader perspectives. Hope you enjoy what's to come." * It's a social "period." It says I see you, I am not ignoring you, and this conversation is over. 3. Re-Calibrate Your Focus (The Antidote to Depletion): After one of these encounters, do not keep staring at the comment section. Immediately go to a document or a note where you keep positive feedback. Read one or two comments from readers who "get it." You must actively, deliberately remind your brain of the joy and connection that is also happening. This isn't naive; it's neural re-training to protect your passion. You are not a machine. You are a storyteller operating at an incredible level. The "picking" feels so sharp because you are so exposed. Right now, your most important creative task isn't writing the next chapter—it's fortifying the creator. Your energy is for the story, and for yourself. You have worlds to build. Give yourself a chance to stand up and move on. You're not defined by mistakes, or bumps, or bad days... you're defined by what you have built, and negative feedback helps you to improve your art. And if you're like me, and currently nursing a cup of coffee with a few literary bruises from the past few days, dust yourself off, get up, and get on with it. Because the pickiest of readers means THEY ARE READING, THEY ARE INVESTED, and YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!

That's a fair and frustrating question for any reader watching a character struggle. Oliver is, very much, trapped in a painful and flawed human logic right now—one where assuming he knows what's best (or worst) for others feels safer than the vulnerability of asking. I agree totally, Finn and Orel's agency; it matters in the long game of the story. Orel isn't going to be saved by anyone, he's the one who has to save himself, and Finn.

Thanks for the close read. You've pinpointed a crucial tension in Oliver's character—his intellectual clarity versus his emotional vulnerabilities, especially around ego and rejection. While his quick regression was intentional (stemming more from Orel's sting than Finn, as you noted), I'll take a look at that scene to see if his turning point could feel more earned for the reader. Appreciate the feedback on Lydia's potential role as well. It gives me things to think about for future chapters.

Orel just needs to figure out where his strength lies. Oliver is still the tragic figure in our little Shakespearean drama. At least he is finally doing right by Orel. And Tarquin, Tarquin always has a plan.

On an unrelated note, Carter's Echo is going quite well, 10 chapters. Tackling that missing Two years, the Toronto years for Will Andrew's first interaction with CSIS, where they notice him. Denton Jensen and what happened to him. Peter and Jason's story. The more I work with Merrickville, the more I realize I need to define what happened in 2001/2002. It gives me a chance to explore Alistair Merrick as well, and what kind of creature he really was. There has to be some reason Tarquin is the way that he is. I also get to explore Walter Grady's friendship with Thomas Highmore, and the 1978-1982 era, which as people know was a turbulent time of extremism and violence that puts even today's troubles into perspective. Andrew's journey from the idealist we saw in Shadow/Duty to the realist that would become the CSIS Operative. So after this one is released, I will release that story. It's not going to be a long one, but an important one.

now you know Alistair's plan for Orel. All hail the king?

Chapter Eighteen: The Archive of Hollow Kings The Merrick Vault did not look like a place of legend. It did not contain the skeletal remains of enemies, nor did it glitter with the stolen gold of the Third Reich, despite what the local teenagers whispered in the back booths of the diner. It was a room made of silence and cold air. Located behind a false bookcase in Alistair Merrick’s study—a mechanism that groaned with the effort of its own secrecy—the vault was a ten-by-ten box

We are at the halfway point in this book. There is (at least) another 20 chapters. This next arc is specifically focused on Peter vs the Beast. Should run for four chapters. I mentioned at the start this book is Tommy and Peter's book. Short and geeky win the day!

And I mean, imagine the Volley Ball on the White House lawn in summer.

I wanted Will to have a running mate who is every inch his equal, and given the choices out there. I wanted someone that would meet him on his level, and bring something to the table. Pete Mitchell does that.

NEXT: The Beast, The Twink, and The Rabid Wolverine Peter gets REALLY angry

It was a good way to show Will's Evangelical speechs. He's always had that prophet approach that causes people to listen. It's where he is strongest. Hah, different life he'd have a mega church somewhere. He's built for that style, TV/face to face, Townhall. His opponants, Biden (unlike the real 2024, Biden HAS NOT stepped down yet) and he that shall not be named... who have their own powerful strengths. Biden's natural rapport (when capable of it) and statesman presence. And then we have the Republican candidate with his... and like him or hate him, this is undeniable, his ability to galvanize his base is awe inspiring.

This was one of the first scenes I wrote for this book, the town hall scene. It was the core of what I was writing, and wanted to get across. We're so mired in tribalism, that we're being exploited. England, Canada, the US. It's the same playbook, the rich buying both sides of the equation and switching their support back and forth, while ensuring no one is looking at them. Farage and Starmer exactly the same as Pollivre and Carney, as the US enigma. And we need to look past the mouthpieces, and start tackling the real root of our problems.

If Will didn't face them, he'd never cause them to stop and think. He can't win them all, he just needs to win enough of them.

Good morning I am awake, apologies, I have been very tired lately (not sleeping well) so late rising. enjoy the chapter

CHAPTER 21: FIRE AND ICE Location: Hangar 4, Willow Run Airport, Detroit (FADL) Time: 2300 Hours. July 8th, 2024. Status: Campaign Day 4. The hangar smelled of jet fuel, ozone, and old iron. It was a cathedral of American industry, vast and shadowed, lit only by the work lights suspended high in the rafters. In the center of the concrete floor sat the campaign’s charter plane—a refurbished Boeing 737, painted a stark, matte slate-grey with no logos, just the tail number N-1776-WC.