The Aphanes - Chapter 5 is up.

Yes, Chapter 5 of The Aphanes, "Voices from the Wilderness" is up. See, I meant that about being almost done with it. Just over 17,000 words at this point, and the novella should top out around 55,000 words.

This is also one of those chapters where things actually happen, so you might be interested in checking it out. I'm slow to get going, but I do have a plot here besides "Charles works his brilliant telepathy/psychotherapy magic; breakthrough results." Plot is not really one of my strengths; I always feel like I'm being hideously obvious and then people tell me I'm actually being obscure and then too abrupt -- things in my stories seem to happen inexplicably, even when I feel like I've explained everything. So please let me know if you see that sort of flaw in this (I really would rather know about flaws than virtues in my writing).

And I'm probably the only one who enjoys the regional stuff, but if you're a fan of the national capital region, this chapter has Archibald Lampman and yellow plastic mailboxes. It don't get more O-C than that, my friends.

Also, a banner

I photoshopped together a banner for The Aphanes, because banners are cool and I always like to see how people "cast" their original characters.

( yay banners )

CanRock fans will note that Joel is played by none other than the aptly named Joel Plaskett, late of Thrush Hermit -- Plaskett is older and his hair's the wrong colour, but this picture filled the bill: someone attractive, yet uncertain-looking and skinny enough to be worrisome. (Joel's name did not originate with Plaskett, but with the prophet Joel and also with a policeman who came in to speak to my grade 5 class, believe it or not.)

F.A. MacNeil is a pseudonym (and an absolutely unsolvable alias!) because I don't feel like using my real name on this stuff, plain ol' Alex is too common, and more "exotic" noms de plume don't really suit me. Also, pride of Barra and all that. If I ever decide to write Highlander fanfic, this pseudonym will serve me well, although not as well as a bullshit Gaelic name.

And I will write Highlander fanfic someday. I won't be able to stay in the classy land of X-fic forever.

P.S. Sorry for spamming your friends pages with all these entries. I'll duck back into nowheresville soon.