I hadn’t planned on picking up a new phone, but here I am with a shiny iPhone Xs Max (setup update is lagging behind, sorry). As usual, it’s a better handheld computer, and camera, than the previous model. I went with the larger screen because of my downsizing (pun sort of intended) in lieu of selling the house, because I have this idea that I can replace my Kindle Oasis. We’ll see if that’ll actually happen. The reading (and writing) experience on this large OLED screen is amazing thus far. I’m pretty sure that’ll mean more links for you in my Twitter feed, which you either like or hate.

New iPhone aside, I’ve got a lot of writing planned for this weekend. Looking forward to it!

Photo shoot day, featuring rocks of various sizes. Expect behind the scenes stuff on the Divide & Conquer Instagram, and possibly something on my private one too.

The first part of the Stiel story is now available on Wattpad. Not sure what to make of the platform yet, I’m just playing around for now.

We hosted an art-themed release party for the (Swedish) Divide & Conquer website yesterday. It was fun, and we’re tired today, rightly so. I wish I had a photo, but I don’t. I do have a re-decorated studio though, so there’s that.

I’ve got a thing on Wattpad, if you’re into swords and sorcery.

Can’t believe it’s Friday tomorrow. This week flew by.

Today is launch day for the Divide & Conquer website. We’re hosting a small event for our closest friends, and clients. I’ll see some of you there, the rest of you, raise a glass for us, will you?

Something last night gave me the worst tinnitus I’ve had in a long time. It ruined my night’s sleep, and I’m all but deaf on my right ear at the moment. Not pleasant, not at all.

I’ll have to console myself with the fun stuff that’s been landing in the inbox the past 24 hours or so. More on that later, hopefully. For now, I’ll just take it easy, and get some writing done.

Monday. It comes every week. I like it, weekends used to be my friend, but no longer. This week will be challenging, with an event on Wednesday that’ll be tough. Fun, though.

And I’m writing again. There’s that.

You’ll be as shocked as I am to hear that I wrote something last night, some 2,700 words actually. It was the last piece of the puzzle known as the Swedish translation of my novella, Ashen Sky. Deadline for the translation is long past, so we’ll see what happens with it now, but at least the manuscript is done. What’s left is, as always, an edit pass, then I’ll shop it around.

It felt really good to get back to writing. As regular readers know (and there are mostly regular readers here, ?), I’ve been struggling the last couple of months. Not much has changed, not really, except the fact that I sat down and actually wrote something. I’ll do the same today. Maybe you should too?

I’m taking it easy this weekend, by which I mean that I have no plans other than writing, catching up on some correspondence, and possibly some gaming. Haven’t played any games in a long time (not counting humiliating Emma in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a while ago), but it feels like this weekend might see some of that. Or maybe I’ll pick up the steel-string acoustic guitar and see how long my fingers last. That, and feeding cats, is what’s on the agenda. I’m actually looking forward to it.

Managed to not pre-order any new Apple devices. Might change my mind if the house gets sold… Or just sell something else to avoid adding more stuff to my life. I’m doing a lot of downsizing lately, albeit not as much as I’d want to. More on that soon, but eagle-eyed readers probably noticed that my setup shrank considerably in the last update. Feels pretty good.

I was really feeling bad yesterday. Went from tired to heart racing, to tired again. Very weird. Almost made me cancel today’s photoshoot, but the weather is just too good, and both the client and my partner in crime have prepared so many things for it. Fingers crossed it’ll go smoothly. Also, it’s a really cool location. I can’t wait to show it to you. I need a portfolio thing on this very site, I believe. Hmm…

Late night turned into a very weird day in the studio. Tired, pissed off at the European asshats who’re trying to kill the open web, and curious about how many of the leaks will prove to be true from Apple’s event this evening. Also, I need a pizza.

I woke up early this morning, rested. It’s been a while, and it surely is a fluke, but I’ll take it. Made coffee, something I haven’t done at home for quite a while either. Coffee just isn’t part of my morning ritual anymore, not even on weekends, although I do enjoy it whenever, as usual. The days when I’d have a headache because of the lack of caffeine, where I couldn’t wake up before coffee, are gone. Yeah, I’m as surprised as you.

While the results for the Swedish election aren’t final yet, there’s no other way of looking at it than that it’s a disaster for anyone that cares about their fellow human beings. I listened to conversations while walking to the studio this morning, and the word subdued springs to mind. It’s the same around the table here, this morning, because no one wanted this. Any of this.

I truly believe that it has to get worse before it gets better. The question is, will this be bad enough, or are we looking at an even darker trip down the abyss before we find the ladder and can start climbing towards some sort of decency again? I don’t know, but we’ll find out soon enough.

Happy fucking Monday, Sweden.

It’s election day in Sweden, and it’s good to see the social network feeds filling up with people telling the world that they voted. Granted, I’m seeing an echo chamber tailored to me, but it’s still nice when people are exercising their democratic duties in a timely manner. That, I fear, is the only nice thing about this election. Most sane persons are worried, because the outcome will be messy at best. Fascism is spreading like a disease in Europe, and so too here. It will get worse before it gets better. How much worse, that’s the question…

Voted, as anyone living in a democracy should. If you don’t, please shut the fuck up about the state of everything for the next four years.

I’m anxious about the outcome of the Swedish election. There’s so much fascism and fear shaping our society at the moment. Scary and stupid. But bourbon helps.