Hi, I’m author, amateur artist and carnivorous plant enthusiast Paul Lang, and this is my daily blog.

Today, I am thinking about my most recent ebook, “The Kingdom’s Disdain 6: Corpse Beetle” Is this a shameless plug? Why yes. Yes it is. I’m sure that all four and a half of the people who read my semi-daily rant blog will be deeply offended by my lack of artistic integrity. Anyway, on with the show!

The Kingdom’s Disdain started out as a writing exercise. In early 2019 I had no job and I wanted to see if I could write 3000 words a day. I also happened to be watching a lot of isekai anime, as this was during the infamous isekai boom of aught 19. I historically have had trouble pitching my work to publishers because all of it is very surreal/postmodern and doesn’t easily fit in any genre. So I thought “Hey, what if I write a story about a boy who wakes up naked in a cave, give it an edgy name like ‘The Kingdom’s Disdain’ and see where it goes?”

I wrote 3000 words and then got a job and stopped writing.

Roughly one year later, I lost that same job. I was laid off due to covid 19 and I discovered that unemployment was incredibly lucrative and at this point in time, socially responsible. I had stumbled on an article about how writing short ebooks is an easy moneyhack, so the idea was bouncing around in my head like an obsession. All this came together during my limitless paid free-time and I started writing “The Kingdom’s Disdain Book 1: Web of Bones” in earnest.
It’s pretty good, if I don’t say so myself, but I got better. This is what no one tells you about writing. Or maybe everyone tells you and you just don’t believe. The best way to improve is just to do it a lot. It isn’t cerebral. It doesn’t require a deep understanding of the universal myth or of the self (don’t get me wrong, those things help) The best way to become better at writing is just to do a lot of writing.

Anyway, my original goal was to make back the 200$ I put into the first book. I did not do that. I’m making a big loss on each of these, but the love of the craft, the loves of my world and characters, and my desire to slowly progress toward that illusive philosopher’s stone “A platform” keeps me questing onward.

Where am I going with this? Oh. Yes. Help me make up for my terrible financial decision by buying, reviewing and recommending my very good book. There is a link here. There is also no deception in my words. I am telling you to buy it. I am telling you to read it. I am telling you to review it. There are elves in it. There is magic. There’s a very big spider. Bye.