Monthly Archives: May 2025

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Back on the Horse

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Week 21 of 2025

Greetings all

Sorry for being a day late. I’d intended to write this when I got home from dinner last night, but the wife and I met a friend in Kingman, about 45 minutes away. On the way, home, we came across an accident, and got held up before backtracking and taking the long way home. By that point, I just went to bed.

However, it was a great week last week. I mentioned last week I wanted to get back on the horse after re-arranging the office. Well thanks to Jonna Hayden at Raconteur Press, I did better than that.

I didn’t write in the project I’d meant to write in, but she sent me the current list of Raconteur Press open calls, one of which is due on Sunday. At first, I was thinking that’s too soon, but I said the heck with it, let’s see if I can still go pretty quickly.

And, it turns, out, I can. I started Thursday and finished the first draft today, so about 5 days to get 6500 words. I’ll be editing the next couple of days but then I’ll send it in.

The story prompt is Noir 80s Vice. I’m not sure I ended up fitting the whole prompt, which was trying more for Miami Vice than what I ended up writing, so they may not accept it even if they think it’s good enough. Still, it’s very 80s and very noir, melding in a bunch of 1980s stuff from KC.

And one of the lines in there is absolutely one of my favorites that I’ve ever written.

I also did a final pass on the PDF for the big project in Okkorim and did some other work with stuff there. I have to say, the team that Matt and Luke gathered, including me, is pretty darn good.

And with that, I’m going to watch some TV before bediting the story later on. Have a great week everyone!

What I’m Listening To

Speaking of the 80s, or at least the early 90s, we’re watching Inspector Morse tonight.

Quote of the Week

Happy birthday to James Bond! Or at least, Ian Fleming. Here’s a great quote we writers always need to remember.

 There is only one recipe for a best seller and it is a very simple one. You have to get the reader to turn over the page.
– Ian Fleming

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)
  • WFTM (6,422)

Upcoming Events

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 360.8lbs

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

Weekly Update

Rob’s Update: Shoulder Pains

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Week 20 of 2025

Greetings all

Over the last month or so, I’ve dealt with some severe shoulder pain. One night was so bad I literally couldn’t sleep. I even had so much pain, I went to the doctor.

The diagnosis is about what one would expect for a guy my age. I have a bone spur and some arthritis. I’m not a young punk any more, I guess, as my new occupational therapist is teaching me.

Part of the reason is new ergonomics that didn’t work out. I recently moved my office from up front to back of the building. This part has been excellent. I love the space in general, but part of that change wasn’t ideal.

I often write with my chair leaned back and elbow on the table next to me. When I moved, I put a credenza to that side, not noticing that it was about an inch higher than the desk I’d had there before. It turns out, that difference messes with my shoulder.

Today, with a friend’s help. we moved a new desk into my office. It’s actually a bigger workspace but with less walking space. That’s fine, I’ve got more room for bookshelves.

Anyway, over the next couple of days, I’m running all the cables again. That part’s tedious, but it’ll be a much better setup after all.

And that’s all on top of a pretty good week. Overall, I finished out at the Chamber last Wednesday, then finished a major project, then started and finished a different project.

The two projects are both in Okkorim, where I’ve got work lined up for the foreseeable future. I’m really lucky to have this opportunity.

Truth is, while it’s been great, it isn’t a full time job and I need to get back to chunking out new content of my own. Besides the Chamber job, I had another issue affecting my time with my butt in chair, hands on keyboard, which is the single most important part of the job. This is why the office move is so important.

I’ve got plans over Memorial Day, but I want to get a few thousand words into something new by the end of the weekend. Then get back into a regular groove both with Okkorim, some Firehall Sagas stuff, and this new project, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.

Have a great week everyone!

What I’m Listening To

Moneyball with Brad Pitt. I rather enjoy it, though there’s a lot of changes to the real truth of the story.

Quote of the Week

George Wendt passed away today, which really sucks. Here’s a great quote from Norm, one of my favorites.

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world, Sammy. And I’m wearing Milkbone underwear.” – Norm (George Wendt)

Rob’s Works in Progress

  • Sowing Spring’s Wrath (3,213)

Upcoming Events

Tracked Items

My Weight Today: 358.2lbs

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe

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Rob’s Update: I Chose the Wombat

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Week 19 of 2025

Greetings all

Last weekend was Anthony’s Balloon Festival. It went pretty well. Lots of people having fun. It was also exhausting and I’m glad it’s done.

I’ve turned my attention to a bunch of Okkorim that has stacked up. We have a huge module we’re working on right now that combines a number of earlier modules.

This one is particularly interesting to me because we’re working more and more with Shadowdark. I’m warming up to this system. I like it’s torch mechanic, it’s use of range, and it’s peril system.

We’re expanding the world every month with the adventures we write every in the G20. I’m also about to start building up other sections of the world. Lots of fun stuff happening.

Truthfully, this has been an awful month for my production, admittedly for a reason. However, it’s nice to get back into the groove.

Tomorrow, I close out my time with the Anthony Chamber as Director. I suspect I’ll get asked to join the Chamber Board again in the fall, but for now, I’m stepping mostly away except for after action stuff from Balloon Fest. I want whoever runs it next year to have the leg up I didn’t really have.

Anyway, so here’s me getting back into updates. Have a great week!

What I’m Listening To

We’re restarting Death in Paradise. It’s tasty comfort food.

Quote of the Week

Happy birthday to Alexander Nevsky! However, instead of quoting something about leading a cavalry charge against ships over a frozen ice, I’m going to pivot to Roger Zelazny, who was also born today. And since I’m feeling whimsical, you get this.

 When you are about to die, a wombat is better than no company at all.
– Roger Zelazny

Upcoming Events

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell

Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe