Dark Garret

 Hello everyone!

Well, its a New Year now and I hope that you enjoyed the celebrations, whatever you did, whether partying hard or having a quiet night in, or anything in between.

I also hope that everyone enjoyed their holidays too, I realise that I haven't done that yet. So, happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Yule and every other Winter celebration that I may have forgotten, I hope you all enjoyed your festivities.

I had a quiet New Year, having seen my dad earlier in the day and Christmas was quiet, having seen both my parents separately, but the main treat was the Yule dinner I had a week or so before hand. Much pork pie and many sandwiches and beers were had with friends in a Real Ale pub that is moderately famous in the city that I live in.

Now lets turn to what I intent to do this coming year.

I think in my previous post - almost three weeks ago - I was worried that I was loosing a writing spark. I was feeling very bogged down by a number of things and I was having trouble shaking it all off. I think there were a few factors in that, and I think now that a few festivities and familial pressures have been relieved, things should lighten up. Several anxieties - of which I do find troublesome and struggle sometimes - have been relieved a bit.

I feel a lot fresher now. I still have the Anglo-Saxon studies in the back of my mind for certain projects, but they aren't important now, as they once were.

I'm still to finish the fantasy novella starring an elf barbarian, a wizard and fomori. That I should hopefully start working on again soon.

In the meantime, I've started making copious notes on the Anglos-Scottish border history, particularly the Border Reivers. It really is a fascinating period of history, stretching from the Norman Conquest until the end of the Elizabethan period.

For this period, A book by George MacDonald Fraser of Flashman fame wrote a book called the Steel Bonnets, and a novel based in the period called Candlemas Road. So check those out if you'd like to learn about a version of the american Wild West that England and Scotland engaged in in the Medieval period. I keep wanting to nickname the period The Nasty North.

The Candlemass Road,
George MacDonald Fraser

The Steel Bonnets,
George MacDonald Fraser

They will be key for some fantasy stories I plan on writing, of which I'll start writing soon, just give me a week or two.

One thing I would really like to work on is my daily word count. I'd like to boost the average by a fair amount. Its almost a New Year's Resolution to improve that. So if anyone has any tips about how to do that, I'd really appreciate it.

Anyway, I think I've broken the malaise that I've been suffering from.

Over the next few days, I would also like to upload a review of a book I've recently finished. I think I mentioned it in the previous blog post, but anyway, in the previous couple of weeks, I managed to rattle through it at break neck speed. Its a book called Magick, by Judith Sonnet and I found it a very easy read. I'll tell you more about that in the review.

Magick,
Judith Sonnet

On a wargaming front, I haven't done much. I had been painting models quite a lot, but since the weather has changed, I've not managed to do much painting because it's been too cold.

I hope to rectify that soon.

It's one of the few things stopping some other plans. A friend and I are still planning on starting up a wargaming YouTube channel and having the models painted up would be great.

Otherwise, I have ordered another Bloodbowl team to go with my female dwarf team. They are some elves that I got from a third party company. A friend is soon to get my human team, so there should be a fair few games of Bloodbowl on the cards. I'll show that off once I receive it in the post and will post progress.

Female Dwarf Blood Bowl team

Also, The woods is a game that I still intend to play lots of. And I still need to finish off a few warbands for that. Its an absolutely delightful game and I think that a few videos of game play need to be up on YouTube. So I need to get that done.

I also recently found out that there had been a Border Reivers wargame. There'd been a kickstarter for it that I'd missed, only finding out about it when some folks were doing their unboxings of what they'd received. i'm still waiting for it's general release.

I'm still eyeing up getting into Baron's War by Footsore. They have some lovely models and I'm spoiled for choice before starting off. On one hand, I want the Welsh, or the Arthurian Britons, or the Early Saxons, or the Late Saxons. It's a shame I haven't got a lot more money to invest in it.

Barons' War, Footsore Miniatures

Welsh for Footsore's Barons' War

Saxons by Footsore Miniatures
for Barons' War

Lady Guinevere
Footsore Miniatures

Arthurian Briton Cavalry
by Footsore Miniatures

Also, I've still the urge - perhaps an unwise one - to get back into Warhammer 40K. I'm unsure if its a good idea or not. I've always liked the Imperial Guard, to the point that I refuse to call them by their new name. They were always my old army of choose since I first got into them twenty five years ago. But collecting them again is going to be financially ruinous, so I was thinking of the Eldar. Their starter boxes seem like a great entry point. The only real other problem is that, to put it politely, I'm really not sure about the company itself and also, some of the player base seem on the rather toxic side. But the space elves are so pretty!

Eldar Combat Patrol Boxset, Warhammer 40k,
Games Workshop,

In the mean time, I still have a couple of Warhammer Fantasy armies to finish off. I've barely even started them to be honest, but getting into Warhammer Fantasy seems a good option. I've most of an Empire army I got for playing 6th edition, which I hear is one of the more balanced editions and as a game, is perhaps one of the best editions.

I've also got the bulk of an Undead army and a Chaos army that I intend to play either forth or fifth edition with. Again, I need to complete painting them.

So that's it for this post. I've a lot to work on as of now and I hope to make this coming year a good one.

I wish you all a good, happy and prosperous year and that the ups outweigh the downs by far.