12 Goals For 2020 - January

I thought it might help me to post a list of these (maybe print it out), and hold myself accountable each month, giving updates where they might happen.  If this doesn't interest you, nothing to see here.

1.  Publish "The Calling: Reunion."
    I'm deep into this, and wow, has it been arduous.  I've been updating Big A. on my progress, and right now, I'm at 38,954 words of recorded audio.  If it weren't so exhausting, I would've been finished months ago.

2.  Do Dunesteef Patreon with Big.
3.  Find Out Who Sings "I'm A Bad Liar" Song.
   This would take three seconds.  Hmmm.
3a. Put Out "Tales of eBay Horror" Episodes.   I recorded a new one of these, just with audio, to see if it could work.  Editing will be slow, though.

4.  Finish "Balms & Sears" Novella.
5.  Publish EITHER "A Sidekick To Miracles" or "YIGH" (Lara and the Witch 2).
6.  Finish "Podcatcher" short story.
7.  Do BOTH "Empire Strikes Back" and "Death Star Day" Episodes of "Delusions of Grandeur." 
   Recorded "Death Star D. Day" this week. I may ask Renee to do the female lines.

8.   Publish EITHER "My Friend of Misery" or audio version of "A Lovely Singing Voice."
9.  Do "Till Death Do Us" Episode With Marshal Latham.
10.  Put Out Christmas Story Collection.
11.  Put Out Audio Collection 4.
12.  Put Out TWO New "Dead & Breakfast" Stories.
    I finished up (the mediocre) "The Old Man & Me" this week, and would have published it already if I didn't think it was mediocre.  I asked Gino to do me a new cover for it.  Maybe I'll just put it out now with a temporary cover, and swap it out when I get a better one.  As far as the audio goes, maybe I'll put out the first four stories as a little collection, and the only way to get TOMAM would be buying that.  Hmmm.

Twilight Groan 2: To Serve Man

Rish Outfield and his ginger niece Cathexis talk about the classic Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man."  

Anyone else hungry?



If you'd like to download the episode, just Right-Click HERE.

If you'd like to support us on Patreon, just Left-Click HERE.

Next up, Bill Shatner is too Shat to fly!

Rish Outcast 160: 12 Goals For 2020

So, it's a new year (according to some, a new decade), and I thought I'd make a list of five goals for 2020.  Then that list became ten.  And here is an episode where I talk about my even dozen goals for the year.

I'm putting them out here so people will hold me to them.  Perhaps there's entertainment value there too.



To download the episode, Right-Click HERE.

Logo by Gino "The 13th Goal" Moretto.

Again, I'd really appreciate it if you'd support me on Patreon (even for a dollar an episode).  They got a much longer version of the episode, with a short "Lara & the Witch" vignette at the end.

A Flattering Discovery

So, I was on Instagram today, trying to find somebody's account like a silly teenager* when I made the titular discovery.  I don't know if you remember my tale "Rest Stop," about the guy whose dog runs out into the snow and he encounters . . . someone . . . while looking for the dog.

But in 2017, someone named Reuxben listened to my story on the Rish Outcast . . . and I guess it excited them enough to do some fan art for it.

But wow, they didn't stop there.  There were various sketches and works in progress on the guy's blog (could be a girl's too, I dunno).  This is his rough sketch:

I love that (hey, I love all of this) "Know me" is written under the title.  If I recall, the malevolent being out in the snow said that.

In this one, he seems to have painted the face of "The Hag" in the snow.  Reuxben called her "The Hag," but it makes me want to go back and call her that if I didn't.

Then, he added the hair, and some shading over the main character.

This is one of two finished products, with all the elements together.  This is my preferred version (and note that now it says, "No.  Stay."), which absolutely has to be dialogue from the story.

I have to say, it makes me feel great to discover this.  That a stranger liked something I created enough to create something I like that much.

Like Admiral Kirk said . . . "I feel young."

Rish Tiberius Outfield

*I swear, I'm getting less mature every day.  For example, yesterday I lost a snowball fight to a twelve year old.

The Twilight Groan 1: Introduction & Legacy

Hey there, kids.  My niece often asks me about the stories I'm writing, and she used to provide a voice here or there for my podcast.  But recently, I asked her if she'd like to do a podcast with me, where we talk about a topic we have in common.

She was agreeable, and we decided it would be on the original "Twilight Zone" television series.

So, as the TZ celebrates its sixtieth anniversary, Cathexis and I are presenting our new podcast, The Twilight Groan.  In this episode, we talk briefly about the show and its legacy, and hopefully open the door for many more conversations in the future.

So, which episodes of TTZ should we review first?  Next up will be "To Serve Man."



To download the episode, Right-Click HERE.

As always, to support me on Patreon, go to THIS LINK.

(The Rest of) "Most Feared In The Galaxy" On Delusions of Grandeur

Marshal Latham was quick to post the second half of my Star Wars-related story, "The Most Feared In The Galaxy," and the two of us managed to talk about three more episodes of "The Mandalorian" before THE RISE OF SKYWALKER came out.

I don't know if I'll write a follow-up to this story.  I do have an idea about how a sequel would end, but I don't imagine I'll put forth the effort (I've got soooo many projects either in mind or in mid-stream right now) unless people demand it.

Even so, I'm happy with this little tale, and if you want to hear it, with Marshal himself voicing droid 0-KE, then check it out HERE.

Rish Outcast 159: Choice of a Sidekick

Happy Christmas, Ron.

This was last year's holiday episode, which I was unable to get out there in time.

In it, I'm presenting the Benny Parks prequel story "Choice of a Sidekick," but be warned, the sound quality is decidedly un-Christmasy.



Download the episode directly by Right-Clicking HERE.

To support me on Patreon, go HERE.

Logo by Gino "He Chose . . . Poorly" Moretto.

Music was "Americana" (of course) by Kevin McLeod of Incompetech.com.

Christmas Collection, or Collections?

So, today I finished my 2019 Christmas story (and more than a week early to boot!), which I'm calling "The Many Faces of Christmas Eve."  It is my attempt to write an amusing holiday story, though (circumstances being what they are with me right now), there's also a pathetic attempt at romance in there as well.

But it made me think about the various X-mas stories I've written over the years.  The first one I can remember was from 1990 ("Santa and the Brats"), and I've done several since then.  I thought I might be able to put some of them out there in a collection.  Or collections.

I was considering releasing a four or five story set of 'em named after a line of a Christmas carol, and discovered I had enough for two volumes, if I did it that way.

Should I do that, put out a small collection now and another small one in a few months/years?  Or should I put out a big arse collection (eventually) with eight to ten stories in it?

I Narrate "Cosmetic Procedures" on Cast of Wonders

I was pleased to get an email today from Cast of Wonders, the YA Fantasy podcast.  Apparently, they've chosen one of my readings for an "Encore" performance, this week's episode.

So, I produced a reading of "Cosmetic Procedures" by Desmond Warzel years ago (2013).  It's a story of a private investigator hired to check out a man's wife who, after becoming involved with a makeup company, has been acting strangely.

Fun stuff.  Desmond's a fine writer, as I aspire to be.

Anyway, if you don't remember the story all that well, check it out HERE.  Heck, even if you remember it well, feel free to give it another listen.*

Rish

*If only to catch the familiar "Oh, hell no!" of the Dunesteef's Mildly Offensive Guest Star.

Rish Outcast 158: The Most Feared In The Galaxy

I deliberated quite a bit about whether to put this out as an episode or not.  But I must not have deliberated enough, because here it is.

In this show, I present my Star Wars-related short story "The Most Feared in the Galaxy."  Then I talk about whether I should have or not.

Apologies, in advance, to Marshal and Abbie.



Download the episode by Right-Clicking HERE.

Support my show on Patreon HERE.

Check out our "Delusions of Grandeur" podcast HERE.

Cover by Gino "Most Sheared" Moretto.

True(?) Ghost Encounter

I was taking some photos of Star Wars figures today, and when I got them developed (ie, when I transferred them to my computer), I discovered something really disturbing.

In several of the pictures, there was a subtle, but very distinguishable, "human" face visible.

Here, I'll let you be the judge.

Nothing in this one, right?
Well, how about this one?

See, there seems to be a frightening, perhaps malevolent face in the right section of the picture.  Oh, it's subtle, but it's there.

How about this one?

This CAN'T just be my imagination, can it?

I looked through the rest . . . and there were more, like this one:

It's not shadows or a trick of the light, but a truly ghastly visage.

It's even clearer in this picture:

Horrific.  The kind of face no one could possibly love, according to Tobin's Spirit Guide.

Check this one out.

Yeah, it chills my blood to even contemplate this.

I don't know who I need to talk to about this, but not to crib too much from the Monkees, but consider me a believer.

Rish "Ghost Pointer" Outfield