This is a blog that concentrates on the influences and writing of two aspiring author friends called Thadeus Morticaine and Dan Coghlan. They have been friends for many years and found that they have a common interest in what they write, even though they write different things.

Thadeus Morticaine is working on a series of Folk horror stories, fantasy stories, some ghost stories and some sci-fi. He likes HP Lovecraft, Gareth L Powell, Robert Rankin and Kim Newman. He is also very much into his folktales and Celtic and Norse myths and legends.

Dan Coghlan is currently working on a Sword and Sorcery series about a Wood Elf Barbarian, and also a pulp fiction style series of Post-Apocalyptic stories. He likes Robert E Howard and Steve Dilks, as well as Lin Carter and Clarke Ashton Smith.

The Dark Garret twitter account can be found here at @GarretDark.

Sunday, January 8, 2023

 Hello everyone!

Well, its been a moderately busy week for me. On a bad side, my oven is on its way out and I need to think about getting a replacement. But I think I've hit my swing again with my writing.

I really don't like the Christmas period if I'm honest, I find it really disruptive and it seems to be that a lot of people don't really get into the 'Christmas Spirit' anymore. The corporatisation of the holiday seems to be taking it's toll on a few people around me and they are really getting bothered by all the pressure and expectations around this period. I think I sort of agree with them. Though there is still a lot of good to be had about this period. I managed to go to my regular Yule Dinner with friends, which was lovely.

It does seem to just get in the way of getting things like length projects being done. There are usually a couple of other things about this period that add to it all as well.

But I might just be getting a little bit of an old codger with the encroachment of middle age.

But I feel the start of the year has brought a freshness of mind and a new start, in a way. I'd like to take advantage of it. Hopefully, nothing unexpected will get in the way to disrupt things as it has done before.

Anyway, I'm still working on a set of fantasy short stories and novellas based on the adventures of a swashbuckling exiled lord and an aging mercenary based on the galloglass. I have the inspiration of some of Robert E Howard's historical fiction based about the mid 16th century like Shadow of the Vulture and his Solomon Kane to blame for that. And also, George MacDonald Fraser's The Steel Bonnets - about the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers.

DDRJake, ddrjake, ddr jake, cesar III, cesar 3, playthrough, tea, robert e howard, robert howard, george macdonald fraser, flashman, steel bonnets, the steel bonnets, anglo-scottish, anglo scottish, england scotland, border, borderers, border reaver, border reavers, border reiver, border reivers, reaver, reiver, reavers, reivers, shadow of the vulture, red sonja, solomon kane, kane, solomon, 16th century, 15th century, tudor, galloglas, swashbuckler, first draft, first drafts, edit, editing, christmas, yule, yule dinner, winter, warhammer, oldhammer, middlehammer, fantasy, warhammer fantasy, 6th, 5th, 4th, 6th edition, 5th edition, 4th edition, eldar, fire prism, fireprism, combat patrol, boxset, eldar fireprism, eldar fire prism, eldar combat patrol, eldar boxset, eldar army, aeldari, aeldari fire prism, aeldari boxset, aeldari fireprism, aeldari combat patrol, aeldari army, aeldari warhammer, aeldari 40k, 40000, 40k, warhammer 40000, warhammer, warhammer 40k, 40k army, fantasy army, undead, warhammer undead, chaos, warhammer chaos, warhammer chaos army, warhammer undead army, empire, the empire, warhammer the empire, warhammer empire, empire fantasy, empire warhammer, empire army, fantasy warhammer, writing, writer, author, shortstory, short story, short stories, shortstories, novella, novellas, swashbuckle, swashbuckler, swashbuckling, action, adventure, action adventure, sword and sorcery,

DDRJake, ddrjake, ddr jake, cesar III, cesar 3, playthrough, tea, robert e howard, robert howard, george macdonald fraser, flashman, steel bonnets, the steel bonnets, anglo-scottish, anglo scottish, england scotland, border, borderers, border reaver, border reavers, border reiver, border reivers, reaver, reiver, reavers, reivers, shadow of the vulture, red sonja, solomon kane, kane, solomon, 16th century, 15th century, tudor, galloglas, swashbuckler, first draft, first drafts, edit, editing, christmas, yule, yule dinner, winter, warhammer, oldhammer, middlehammer, fantasy, warhammer fantasy, 6th, 5th, 4th, 6th edition, 5th edition, 4th edition, eldar, fire prism, fireprism, combat patrol, boxset, eldar fireprism, eldar fire prism, eldar combat patrol, eldar boxset, eldar army, aeldari, aeldari fire prism, aeldari boxset, aeldari fireprism, aeldari combat patrol, aeldari army, aeldari warhammer, aeldari 40k, 40000, 40k, warhammer 40000, warhammer, warhammer 40k, 40k army, fantasy army, undead, warhammer undead, chaos, warhammer chaos, warhammer chaos army, warhammer undead army, empire, the empire, warhammer the empire, warhammer empire, empire fantasy, empire warhammer, empire army, fantasy warhammer, writing, writer, author, shortstory, short story, short stories, shortstories, novella, novellas, swashbuckle, swashbuckler, swashbuckling, action, adventure, action adventure, sword and sorcery,
Solomon Kane by Robert E Howard

DDRJake, ddrjake, ddr jake, cesar III, cesar 3, playthrough, tea, robert e howard, robert howard, george macdonald fraser, flashman, steel bonnets, the steel bonnets, anglo-scottish, anglo scottish, england scotland, border, borderers, border reaver, border reavers, border reiver, border reivers, reaver, reiver, reavers, reivers, shadow of the vulture, red sonja, solomon kane, kane, solomon, 16th century, 15th century, tudor, galloglas, swashbuckler, first draft, first drafts, edit, editing, christmas, yule, yule dinner, winter, warhammer, oldhammer, middlehammer, fantasy, warhammer fantasy, 6th, 5th, 4th, 6th edition, 5th edition, 4th edition, eldar, fire prism, fireprism, combat patrol, boxset, eldar fireprism, eldar fire prism, eldar combat patrol, eldar boxset, eldar army, aeldari, aeldari fire prism, aeldari boxset, aeldari fireprism, aeldari combat patrol, aeldari army, aeldari warhammer, aeldari 40k, 40000, 40k, warhammer 40000, warhammer, warhammer 40k, 40k army, fantasy army, undead, warhammer undead, chaos, warhammer chaos, warhammer chaos army, warhammer undead army, empire, the empire, warhammer the empire, warhammer empire, empire fantasy, empire warhammer, empire army, fantasy warhammer, writing, writer, author, shortstory, short story, short stories, shortstories, novella, novellas, swashbuckle, swashbuckler, swashbuckling, action, adventure, action adventure, sword and sorcery,
The Steel Bonnets by
George MacDonald Fraser

Things are coming along nicely with that. I've the characters and background pretty much sorted out and I'm setting up a couple of stories - a short story and a novella - and should be starting actually writing these during the coming week once I've got some story specific things set in place.

I'm generally feeling pretty optimistic about all of that. Then, once I've got a first draft or two or three done, they can join the stockpile of first drafts to be edited.

I think at that point I really need to start doing just that. Editing. I think part of the big miasma like grump I'd got myself into in the build up to Christmas was partly to do with that. I'd stayed too long on one stage without seeing the end of things, with it possibly being a year or two before I would see the end of a project and have something to show for anything. So I need to rectify that.

Also, again, if anyone has any suggestions for increasing their average word counts, that would be great. I seem to pressurise myself about that and I need to somehow work out how to get my head around all of that.

But now, onto a bit of wargaming. I did take the plunge and get myself a couple of boxsets of Eldar for Warhammer 40,000. I got the codex, a couple of the combat patrols and a fire prism. The codex has already arrived and I'm still waiting on the actual models.

Warhammer 40,000 is something I've sort of had a love/hate relationship over the years. Perhaps its the curmudgeonly encroachment of middle age again, but I keep finding myself favouring the oldhammer or early middlehammer era of stuff. Thankfully, with some of the base Eldar models, they can pass for that period. But I do miss the way that James Workshop used to do things in the '90s. But, it's one of the more popular games out there and it's where 'the cool kids are at', if you'll pardon the parlance.

DDRJake, ddrjake, ddr jake, cesar III, cesar 3, playthrough, tea, robert e howard, robert howard, george macdonald fraser, flashman, steel bonnets, the steel bonnets, anglo-scottish, anglo scottish, england scotland, border, borderers, border reaver, border reavers, border reiver, border reivers, reaver, reiver, reavers, reivers, shadow of the vulture, red sonja, solomon kane, kane, solomon, 16th century, 15th century, tudor, galloglas, swashbuckler, first draft, first drafts, edit, editing, christmas, yule, yule dinner, winter, warhammer, oldhammer, middlehammer, fantasy, warhammer fantasy, 6th, 5th, 4th, 6th edition, 5th edition, 4th edition, eldar, fire prism, fireprism, combat patrol, boxset, eldar fireprism, eldar fire prism, eldar combat patrol, eldar boxset, eldar army, aeldari, aeldari fire prism, aeldari boxset, aeldari fireprism, aeldari combat patrol, aeldari army, aeldari warhammer, aeldari 40k, 40000, 40k, warhammer 40000, warhammer, warhammer 40k, 40k army, fantasy army, undead, warhammer undead, chaos, warhammer chaos, warhammer chaos army, warhammer undead army, empire, the empire, warhammer the empire, warhammer empire, empire fantasy, empire warhammer, empire army, fantasy warhammer, writing, writer, author, shortstory, short story, short stories, shortstories, novella, novellas, swashbuckle, swashbuckler, swashbuckling, action, adventure, action adventure, sword and sorcery,
Eldar/Aeldari Combat Patrol boxset
for Warhammer 40K

Anyway, I remember really liking the Eldar tanks when they first came out with the elegant lines. I think I'll enjoy building and painting them and then can join in with a few games. I know a few folks who play it, so should be fun.

DDRJake, ddrjake, ddr jake, cesar III, cesar 3, playthrough, tea, robert e howard, robert howard, george macdonald fraser, flashman, steel bonnets, the steel bonnets, anglo-scottish, anglo scottish, england scotland, border, borderers, border reaver, border reavers, border reiver, border reivers, reaver, reiver, reavers, reivers, shadow of the vulture, red sonja, solomon kane, kane, solomon, 16th century, 15th century, tudor, galloglas, swashbuckler, first draft, first drafts, edit, editing, christmas, yule, yule dinner, winter, warhammer, oldhammer, middlehammer, fantasy, warhammer fantasy, 6th, 5th, 4th, 6th edition, 5th edition, 4th edition, eldar, fire prism, fireprism, combat patrol, boxset, eldar fireprism, eldar fire prism, eldar combat patrol, eldar boxset, eldar army, aeldari, aeldari fire prism, aeldari boxset, aeldari fireprism, aeldari combat patrol, aeldari army, aeldari warhammer, aeldari 40k, 40000, 40k, warhammer 40000, warhammer, warhammer 40k, 40k army, fantasy army, undead, warhammer undead, chaos, warhammer chaos, warhammer chaos army, warhammer undead army, empire, the empire, warhammer the empire, warhammer empire, empire fantasy, empire warhammer, empire army, fantasy warhammer, writing, writer, author, shortstory, short story, short stories, shortstories, novella, novellas, swashbuckle, swashbuckler, swashbuckling, action, adventure, action adventure, sword and sorcery,
Eldar/Aeldari Fire Prism
Warhammer 40K

I still need to get around to building up my Empire army I got for playing 6th edition Warhammer Fantasy. And the oldhammer style Undead and Chaos armies I got too. They use models cast from the original casts, which is nice to have found out - oldschool minis for modern prices is nice instead of the collectors prices for the originals that you find on Ebay. Its hard to build up an army that way. But once it starts warming up a bit, my modelling room won't feel so uncomfortable for long periods of time. I can then get a few games of 4th and 5th edition Fantasy in.

Anyway, I think that's pretty much everything for this week. I'll post updates as things go and see you all soon.

I'm almost tempted to start mentioning what I'm listening to while I write these posts and the favored beverage while I do so as well, just for a bit of fun. The answer is a Caesar III playthrough by DDRJake and a lovely mug of builder's tea - one of my favourites. Just a bit of silliness, I know, but some little bit of fun nonetheless.

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