On the writing front #
I am finally done! I’ve addressed all my proofreading notes for L’Enfant des Esprits. After several iterations and a desperate struggle against the feeling that this damn book would never be finished, I’ve finally reached the stage where another round of edits before the paper proof would be counterproductive perfectionism.
Next step: finalizing the layout for the publication formats. My EPUB and MOBI versions are ready; I just need to adjust an image insertion for the PDF and print version. Once the print version is ready, I’ll use my printer’s simulator to calculate the spine width, which will allow me to complete the cover illustration. It’s already well underway, but it’s likely missing a good strip of pixels since I used Suzuha’s cover as a template, and L’Enfant des Esprits will be two to three times thicker.
On the web front #
As you may or may not know, I’m employed at Mainmatter, a very European consultancy in the sense that my colleagues and I are from and based in many European countries (Germany, France, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, etc).
Twice a year, the company organizes an in-person event where we split into different groups who discuss topics related to company culture. These can cover the relationships we want to build with our clients, what we want to communicate to those who don’t know us yet, how to integrate internal projects into our daily work, or our official stance on divisive topics like artificial intelligence.
These workshops are enriching for two reasons: first, they allow conversations between people who don’t often (or ever) get to work together; second, they’re healthy discussions that make everyone feel involved in shaping the company’s core identity. It’s an opportunity to share perspectives, build or refine processes that make us more effective as a group of experts. And as a bonus, it gets us traveling a bit. Brussels, Munich, Strasbourg, Cologne… Everything is done to encourage as many people as possible to take the train over other modes of transport.
In the garden #
Itiztoohot. I’m hot. My plants are hot. My cats are hot. Everything is hot. I curse with all my soul the stubbornness of our species to collectively refuse to see beyond the tip of our noses. It’s 40°C in June in eastern France, and we wanted this. We chose to charge headfirst into this wall of fire like morons.
Now that we’re here, we have to deal with it. I moisten the soil in my vegetable garden by filling oyas, these unglazed terracotta pots whose porosity allows water to diffuse very slowly. I’ve collected quite a few over the years to cover my modest garden space. It’s a method I find effective; my plants do quite well even during heatwaves, and I only occasionally add extra water with a watering can for the plants farthest from the pots.
On the culture front #
I played The Pathless on PS5. It’s a short game, about ten hours long, and quite engaging. I see it as a cross between Zelda, Ōkami, and something more contemplative like Journey. The gameplay is smooth and cohesive, conveying a kind of animal freedom with a character who runs and flies without stopping, while artifacts are unlocked by solving small puzzles that grow more complex as you progress without multiplying the number of elements involved, to the point where the later ones can feel a bit repetitive. The battles with demons are important to the storytelling but aren’t a recurring mechanic during exploration. Each one is structured in a fairly unique way, which is quite enjoyable.
For what it’s worth #
In these scorching times, if you’re a pet owner, make sure you know the emergency steps to take in case of heatstroke. Even when you’re already doing your best to prevent it, a moment of inattention can happen quickly, and it’s better to be prepared for the worst, just in case.
For my silly cats who would let themselves get roasted in the sun until it kills them if I didn’t close off the hottest rooms in the house, I know how to cool them down while avoiding thermal shock, and I always keep cat drinks in my cupboard to encourage them to drink in case of dehydration.