Really, I'm quite lucky.  I write when the mood strikes me.

I am helped by two main things (ok three if you include my loving wife!):  

    1. The kids usually go down by 7:30 which leaves my evenings open.
    2. We don't have a television which further leaves my evenings open.

The real question (for me) is whether I choose to write, read, or do something else entirely.

*Reader submitted question (probably the question I am asked most/the writing conversation starter).

Mulogo's Treatise on Wizardry is a satirical book that is "supposedly"  written by one of the greatest wizards of all time to his apprentice as a guide  or grimoire. The book is quite humorous and does a pretty good job of hitting all of the major plot points wizards find themselves in fantasy  novels.

The book contains lots of quick footnotes that add to the legend  that is Mulogo and more mystery to the wizard's adventures.

Mulogo's  Treatise on Wizardry is for anyone who has a love for wizards or wants a  quick laugh regarding their favorite tropes in the genre. It is a very quick  read, but packs a lot of "facts" and humor into each and every page. It also  contains a glossary at the back for all the terms used;  which is quite  helpful.

The only real fault with the book is its length and the cover.  The cover can be changed. But it is really short. Just as I felt  comfortable  with the book, found it was over.

Have you ever played any Elder Scrolls game where you can find books you can actually read in a digital chamber? It makes the mythological world feel richer, doesn't it? Though the majority of players would probably just skip it and go on with the quest, I'm one of those literary types who would take the time to devour its marvels. Well, Mulogo's Treatise on  Wizardry by Joseph J. Bailey, reminds me of that: a fantasy metafiction that would make readers feel like there's a real wizard somewhere in reality, and guess what? You can be too!
 
After the introduction of the wizard archetype Mulogo, the book opens up with the question: "So you want to be a wizard?" (Nods). Who wouldn't? Wizards are cool! But would you really want to be a wizard after Mulogo presents a list of his dangerous experiences? (With second-thoughts: Still nods...) 
 
Its lengthy subtext pretty much summarizes the witty tone that Bailey establishes in the whole book: 
  
Being a Succinct Guide to a Magician's Survival in a World of Frequently Misguided but Well-Intentioned Knights, Wise but Often Hungry Dragons, Hordes of Rampaging Extradimensional Interlopers, Treacherous Backstabbing Rogues, Far-reaching Nefarious Plots, and Random Calamity Brought by Sorcerous Error 
 
Written in second-person POV, in a lighthearted tone that makes the book seem to be geared for teenage audience or to an audience new to the world of epic fantasy, the treatise is focused on the point: "To be an exceptional wizard, you have to be subtle and focus on the effort of acquiring knowledge." Being the ideal wizard also means being "un-wizardly".

 The author also describes the three types of wizards:  selfish, hermetic, and alphas --Types which I thought are very-generalized. It made me question, "Could a wizard possess qualities of two or more types?".  Often times, it sounds like a self-help book, telling us the obvious advice: "Failing is inevitable" or "Take the safer route. It's not about being in a dangerous situation, but being wise to assess a situation". Bailey portrays an ideal wizard to be the Gandalf-type--stealthy, wise, calm, almost like a ninja, minus the mask. The book also presents a lot of interesting scenarios that wizards may face.
 
Because of its poetic tone, "Your Place in the World" is probably my favorite chapter. However, I think the real gem here is the glossary of "wizardly" terms found at the last
section.

After reading the latest Dresden Files book (a pleasure for any who have not yet picked it up), I found myself wondering, "How do wizards survive (in their fictional worlds)?"  

In fantasies, RPG's, and video games, wizards are often hunted by vast malignant forces, fell armies, and fierce legions.  Against insurmountable odds, wizards are usually on their own or allied with a mere few.  These and other wizards are asked to guide even less prepared heroes through a gauntlet of horrors that would leave Dante cringing.  Many times poor wizards are the targets for other's advancement, their magical lore and relics the focus of quests, missions, and injunctions.  In these instances and others, wizards are almost always outnumbered and generally outgunned.

So how do wizards survive?

Aside from minor concerns like actually leaving an author, game maker or GM with a tale to tell, how do the wizards do it?

The answer, obviously, is thanks to generous, far-seeing wizards like Mulogo who provided good advice and even better training!

After finishing The Chronicles of the Fists, a fantasy trilogy that is a blend of western fantasy and eastern mysticism, I wanted to do something unlike anything I'd read but loosely related to the world of Ea'ae created in the Fists trilogy.  The Fists trilogy had humorous and poetic elements along with comical takes on traditional fantasy.

I wanted to take these themes to another level.

The idea of a wizard's guide to wizardry seemed perfect, especially one where the vaunted wizard's advice was undermined at every turn by the scribe transcribing his words.  I also liked the idea of a book written as an indirect dialogue between teacher and student through footnotes.  Both were unlike anything I'd read.

Mulogo's Trestise is the type of manual found in an arcane library on Ea'ae... probably ignored but there nonetheless.

I hope you have as much fun with it as I did!

*Reader submitted question.