The Thirteenth Hour Podcast

This week, I am talking about the morning exercise routines that I have done for years; Logan's "morning exercises" referred to in The Thirteenth Hour sequel (and I think even in the first book a bit) are similar.  But in the sequel, Aurora starts her own version of these exercises that are more tailored to her own needs.  She has less interest in martial arts but does find that due...

This week, I'm continuing work on the ending theme I started in episode 564 and now have some lyrics to go with some of the skeleton chords I came up with before.  I have a better sense, also, what I want to song to be about - with themes touching on coming to terms with the concessions of age, understanding yourself and where you come from better, and being brave / taking chances.  There is a...

This week, I wanted to touch on a piece that ties The Rocketeer (the film version just turned 35 this weekend) with The Thirteenth Hour sequel.  In some previous episodes ( 125 , 126 , and 127 ), my brother created a little interlude with the Wayfarer, a character that I've talked about a bunch recently that features heavily in the sequel.  He gets a magical rocketpack in that standalone campa...

This week, I'm working on an idea for a main theme for one of the main characters of The Thirteenth Hour sequel, the Wayfarer.  Part of this episode was recorded outside (sorry for the environmental sounds) and the rest in front of a keyboard where I was hammering out a skeleton framework for the theme. I think I settled on an illustration style I like for this book - ballpoint pen with waterc...

This week, I wanted to go over some main details of the plot of The Thirteenth Hour sequel, which is really four stories in one - Aurora's tale, Logan's tale, Alfred (from the first book's tale), and the plot that weaves them all together.  It might be too big for one book.  But so far, I'm just writing!  96K words so far and probably only half done.  I know I'll have a lot of...

This week, I'm working on an idea for a new ending(?) song for The Thirteenth Hour sequel.  I don't have the lyrics yet and only a vague idea of what it will be about (acceptance? integration? family trauma? I don't know yet exactly ... I have heard this kind of story is called a "second coming of age" tale since it's more about the shift into middle adulthood), but I hav...

This week, I'm reading from a random section from The Thirteenth Hour sequel draft.  Last week, I talked about the Wayfarer, so this week happens to be a section where Logan and Aurora first meet him.  I've mentioned a bit about the half elf freedom fighter, the Wayfarer , before, but this section gives a bit more characterization, as we get to know him more and more as the story progresse...

This week, I'm reading from a random section from The Thirteenth Hour sequel draft.  Last week, I talked about Aurora, so this week happens to be a section where Logan and Aurora reconnect with the new Imperial Rangers (formerly King Darian IV's all female guard) and invite them back to the island where they live for a visit.  I scrolled to this section randomly but recall it was fun to wr...

This week, I thought I'd discuss a bit about Aurora's backstory and some of the themes I wanted to touch on in the sequel to The Thirteenth Hour.    Not all of the research/backstory always makes its way super explicitly in the actual text, but I usually create a history for the characters in order to help create things consistent.  For Aurora, we already learned she grew up at an orphanag...

This week, I'm playing around with a variation of the archery technique I was working on last week (holding arrows in my bow hand) but also combining it with another technique, holding a few in my drawing hand also.  They each have their pros and cons, but I think Logan and Aurora might have played around with both, and probably others. At the suggestion of former show guest Billy Campbell, I...

This week, I'm playing around with something I saw in a Franco-Belgian comic book from the late 70s/80s called T horgal , written by Jean Van Hamme and illustrated by Grzegorz Rosiński, about the child of a race of people from elsewhere in the universe who crash land on Earth.  The child (Thorgal) is raised by Vikings and grows up to be a very skilled archer.  I just discovered this comic on a...

This week, I'm reading from a draft of The Thirteenth Hour sequel that gets at the life that Logan and Aurora have created for themselves.  This section is told from Aurora's perceptive: Satisfied that I had the gear I needed, I said goodbye to Logan and walked away from our house towards the ocean.  Whereas Logan preferred hunting in the forest, I liked hunting in the grassy plain overloo...

This week, after some time away (visiting my brother and his wife), I had a couple of reflections.  Not only are our kids getting older and can do things like pull their own bags and navigate subway systems and sit through restaurant meals but they're also old enough to more fully appreciate differences in culture, language, and society much more so than when they were younger.  It's cool...

This week, we are continuing the talk started last time when game developer and musician, Paul Korman , came on the show; this week, my brother Jeremy joins us for further discussion on Paul, his game The Phantom Fellows, oneshorteye's mini documentary, "The Ghost Game That Isn't About Death" about Paul and the game, as well as game development in general.  The last time I talked...

This week, we are starting a two part episode with solo game developer and musician, Paul Korman , who was last on the show on episode 493 .  Paul and his game The Phantom Fellows are the subject of the oneshorteye's mini documentary, "The Ghost Game That Isn't About Death" about Paul, where he lives, the things that went into the making of the game, and the process of its creati...

This week, I recorded outside, the first nice spring day so far,  I wanted to take advantage of the weather so do some shooting outdoors . Unlike the static, more deliberate archery style | learned when I was younger, I have been experimenting with more dynamic ways of moving while shooting - different draw techniques (thumb draw, Slavic release) as well as shooting while walking and after rolling...

This week, on the show, I thought I'd explore a little more about how the Thirteenth Hour sequel is going, especially in one small area.  Logan and Aurora, the main characters from the original Thirteenth Hour are last seen on a small island off the coast of the mainland.  (I talked a little about the island in episode 522 .)  They learn to be pretty self sufficient there, but I also imagined...

In today's episode, I'm making two little riffs that I think will be background music for the pixelart Rocketeer game I've been working on.  One is a little somber piece to accompany the "RIP" scene when Cliff kicks the bucket.  I've made a serious one here, but I thought I might vary what is written on the gravestone to reflect what you did, if I can figure out how to do...

This week, on the show, my brother and I are discussing a RPG system he created based on the world of The Thirteenth Hour .   This is a work in progress based on a number of RPGs set in that world that we have already done but also with an eye toward creating your own world.  In other words, it's meant to be light on rules and structure, heavy on customizability and individuality.  So although...

In today's episode, I'm wrapping up the music that I started in episode 536, what I'm calling the "outdoor" Rocketeer theme for the parts of the Rocketeer vs the Third Reich pixelart game I've been making that takes place outdoors.  Since those are sections where Cliff will have his rocketpack and can fly, I wanted to give the music a kind of WW1 flying ace kind of feel. ...

In today's episode, I'm wrapping up the music for the indoors castle sections of the Rocketeer vs the Third Reich pixelart game I've been making.  Last week, I based the melody on the Jenny Theme from the Rocketeer soundtrack by James Horner and made a short segment (about 30 sec long), trying to make it sound both regal and ominous.  I think the theme in the film plays when Jenny is c...

In today's episode, I'm discussing some updates I've made in this past week on the pixelart Rocketeer game that I started a number of years ago.  I took a break from the programming part to do some work on the art and music for the game.  The game starts with a short intro cut scene told in 1-2 pictures + text, like old NES games, so I made a intro montage picture showing Cliff's l...

In today's episode, I'm discussing some progress I've made on the Rocketeer game that I started a number of years ago.  This week, I've been working on starting and ending screens, higher contrast backgrounds, as well as more on powerups, including the ability to throw the grenades you pick up - that took a lot of fiddling!   https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/02/02/the-thirteenth-h...

In today's episode, I'm discussing some progress I've made on the Rocketeer game that I started a number of years ago.  This week, I've been working on the background, powerups, being able to search enemies, and tutorial elements needed to orient players to the game.  More details can be found in this youtube video:  https://youtu.be/LSaEPHvzkJ8 More to come next week! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Once...

In today's episode, I'm discussing some progress I've made on the Rocketeer game that I started a number of years ago.  I was learning to use the program before by making a one level demo game which ended up being the precursor to the story and card game of The Rocketeer vs the Third Reich .  But I'd always meant to get back to the actual video game.  In the past two weeks, I had t...