An Island

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

This is something that I started a while ago. I was trying to do some worldbuilding for the coastal fantasy I’m working on and I put it down for a while, and am picking it up again now. However, I have to cut this writing short as, if I keep going on with it I will never get it done.

This is to give an idea of the island where the main story I’m trying to write starts. It’s fragmented, but it works.

Other parts of the coastal fantasy:

An Interaction, Early in the Journey
A Heavy Storm
A Fishing Day Commences, A Fishing Day Ends
A Passion for Boats, Leaving Home
A Rest at a Beach
A Conversation at a Beach

I hope you enjoy.

—

There is an island that is large enough to have an interior where the sound of the ocean is barely, if ever, audible, and not so large that it takes days to cross. It sits near a long stretch of a chain of islands in a space that is ideal for comparatively convenient survival, and it is populated just enough, but it is isolated.

It’s not the most isolated or remote place, and there are others on that chain who live in more isolated places, and it is an island that does see some trade and travel through, but it is isolated and it takes time to get to and from.

The main area of the island is protected by a bay with a wide entrance, and it’s where the main, albeit small, port lies. There are other places on the island that have ports and in those spots vegetation is generally more dense, but those spots are also less protected from wave and storm action and so they see less industry, perhaps to the benefit of what remains mostly uncleared.

The port itself is not heavily developed; just enough to facilitate just enough trade and transport, but it does take up space.

Along one side of the bay lies a stretch of rocky intertidal platforms and some small alcoves, mostly natural and some carved over years, and small caves. It’s a space plenty wide to walk and along it are various invertebrates forming habitats in crevices and small rock pools; some of which are used for farming, and others protected.

Along the other side the platforms are not as pronounced and instead there is a greater richness in vegetation; its width allowing establishment for various forms of flora, and thus providing a contrast to the rockier side, which also has vegetation, though less so. But vegetation is forming along parts of it, but not much would be able to take hold.

Where the land meets the water in this bay is mostly a coarse to fine sand, and the slope of the beach is not severe. Due to the bay’s size and its openness, there are the occasional rough waves and storms that scour the beach, though nothing too severe. Whilst some of the beach is exposed, plenty of it has been left to various forms of scrubby and waxy vegetation to develop, holding sand and preventing damage.

Whilst the path from the port to the various buildings has some coverage, most of it is open and plenty of vegetation behind the sand has been cleared. However, past the small village plenty of it has not, and so there still remains a clear change between what holds the sand and the more verdant that lies beyond.

The village near the main port itself has an inn that sits next to and somewhat over the main route through the island. It sits there as a place to stop and trade, and make deals and plans for wherever travellers will next go. Really though, rather than trade, which does happen, it would probably be better to say that it’s a place where setting up trade happens, however uncommon that may be. It’s also a place to rest and take time, especially if traveling by foot, for the journey to anywhere more central over the islands is long compared to that by boat, and even getting from one side of the island to the other may take a few days, though some prefer to keep their stay short.

Tourists themselves will stay there too, but tourism at that far an island is not often, and many prefer to stay at smaller locations within the village.

Beyond the village lies dense vegetation in places and other structures upheld and maintained for research purposes, for one of the universities had a research station on the island, for which they had permission to have there so long as they helped maintain the area and contribute to its health. It was far enough to be isolated, to have access to a large lake near the island’s center, but close enough that getting to other area’s of the island wouldn’t take too long, depending on if they had the right animals with them, for the island was large and small all the same, and whilst there was a main village, there were others, and some outposts too, helping to maintain travel options, roads, information, guidance… those sorts of things.

And it was a peaceful island for the most part, and saw heavy rains when they fell, and varying vegetation, seemingly lush in some areas, seemingly gangly and scrubby in others, and lush with a dullness to it, too.

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Early in the Journey

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

This is a continuation of the coastal fantasy thing that I’m slowly putting together. There’s a particular story that I want to tell, and I hope I have enough time to tell it.

This is a continuation of the character in this bit of writing. Skipping a bit ahead. Hopefully I have enough time to fill in the gaps.

The other parts of this world that I’ve written are here:

A Heavy Storm
A Fishing Day Commences, A Fishing Day Ends
A Passion for Boats, Leaving Home
A Rest at a Beach
A Conversation at a Beach

I hope you enjoy.

—

Thin strands of golden light caressed their face, and slowly they’re stirred from a deep slumber. It had been many days on the road, and many more were to come, and they woke, not feeling refreshed. Still tired, still worn out, but they woke and they got up from the nook away from the road that they slept in.

Many more days, many long days ahead. Still, they were not deterred. They collected their things, prepared themselves a light breakfast, and soon they were walking once more. Once more, a long day on feet, a long day step after step after step. Another day looking for where to go next, and making sure to get there. The destination was a long way away, and it was difficult to know if they’d actually get there.

The fifty year storm had reached their island, and much like it always had, it was causing grave concern. There was no telling how long it’d be until the lighting that travelled underneath it would start crackling and whipping through the land, the structures. There was no telling as to how much damage it would cause. All that was known is that, with the storm’s return, it would be happening soon.

The storm itself formed slowly, but had telltale signs in how the rain fell and how the clouds formed. The way it would darken a space, the way it would travel. Seemingly slow, but sudden at the same time, as though the time taken wasn’t happening at all. The last time it happened, it was devastating. Of course the island and its communities recovered, as they always do, but it was still severe enough that, a few generations later, the effects could still be felt, even if not talked about. People tend to move on, but the memory reaches through, regardless.

And so they left, looking for a faraway place, hoping to find some answers to the whole thing. Hoping to find a group that they had heard about, a group that may no longer exist, who could have the answer to all of this thing. Some believed that the storm was a curse brought to their island, a last gasp from a dying peoples to spite the people who were there, such was the hatred in their hearts. A dying group that forced others to defend themselves, and a group that had to be pushed back from the island after they attacked and attacked some more.

The journey had been short so far, and the beauty of the waterscape, of the wide ocean and the chain of islands had not been lost on them. Of course, they had seen parts of it before, but this was the farthest they had been, and possibly the most isolated they had felt. Plenty of the islands were inhabited by other people. Sometimes just a small few huts or houses, sometimes just one, and sometimes just people roaming from island to island, and plenty had no people living there at all. And it was beautiful to see, for there still were pathways, but they were not always made by other people and so only maintained by the traffic they saw.

They left against protest, for the people they spoke to on the island about it felt it a bad idea to try and find the remnants of a group who held nought but hate. However, they felt that, if there was no information that they could find in the villages of their island, then it would be worth first heading to the city, to their university, asking around, and hopefully finding something there. Failing that, hopefully a trace or remnants somewhere. Anywhere, because there was no help at their island. Something.

It was a long shot, of course, but often it is the case that these long shots bring something forward, and perhaps they needed to continue their research at the research station on their island, but there was something in them that felt this was better than doing nothing. Better to put things down if it meant avoiding another disaster. The storm, as it was always spoken about, was documented enough to know that something about it was unnatural, and perhaps it was irrefutable proof of magic existing. Whilst this would be good to know, they were far more concerned about how it impacted their island and its peoples.

The ocean that morning was a deep blue, though it often was, and it stretched far beyond what vision could see. It was still another day or two crossing the island that they were on, and the breeze blowing gently around them carried a light, yet discernible salt within it.  All that there was around them, land-wise, was the island that they were on. It was all that existed at that point in time.

After preparing a brief breakfast, they collected their belongings, tucked them back into their pack, and continued their journey northward, under idyllic conditions and among idyllic scenery, appreciating it on the surface, and only that deeply.

 

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One Thousand Word Challenge 291: A Few More Days

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

Alright, so yesterday was meant to be the last day of Stupidity Hole. Fifteen years, a bunch of long writings, and then the fifteen year thing, and then a farewell post, and that would be that. That’s not how it happened, and in the weeks leading up I figured it would be better to just do the fifteen year celebration, then do a farewell post today. You know, the party happens and then the day after is the day you say your goodbyes. I figured that’d make the thing a bit less of a downer, and also give some time to wind down from celebrating.

In the last week I was umming and ahhing about this, because it had become apparent to me that I didn’t have enough time. Lack of sleep is incredibly debilitating, and it’s how I’ve spent most of my life functioning. I have no idea how, and I’ve never liked the fact that I’m able to just be awake and keep going when I need more sleep. It has been an incredibly unhealthy endeavour and it has gotten in the way of so many things.

So, essentially, what I’m saying is that there are a few more days of Stupidity Hole.

This is to give me time to tidy everything up and then bring everything to a close the way I want to. I know I won’t be able to get everything I want to get done done, but I will be able to get enough, and that’s what’s important to me at the moment.

There are so many things I have sitting here that I’ll now be able to clear. I’m not doing any more photo challenges as my participation in those has wrapped up the best I can wrap them up given my state of health and fatigue. I don’t quite have the mental capacity to keep participating in those, especially when I was meant to wrap everything up yesterday.

To be honest, part of me feels bad about extending the blog for a few more days. Part of me just wants to have it over now, but this is, in my view, the right decision to make. I’m still ending things on my terms and I’m ready to drop it, but I want things to at least be as complete as I can make them. I want to know that I did all that I can and then walk away from it all. So that’s what I’m going to do. Just a few more days, and hopefully not more. If I did everything the way that I want to and everything works out, then I know which day I’ll have everything ended and it’s not far off.

So I’ve got that all said and I wanted to spend the rest of this bit of writing talking about the need for sleep and how it has affected my ability to function throughout  life.

I generally sleep well, but I don’t sleep enough. I’ve never thought that I don’t need much sleep (as far as I’m aware, I haven’t thought that), and I’ve quite often wanted more than I get. It’s getting worse, and I know what I need to do to get more sleep, so I’m working on it the best that I can, but these things take time.

The last few weeks have been incredibly awful for lack of sleep. I wonder how I’ve managed to survive as long as I have, but especially over the last few weeks. I know I’ve gotten through things, but I have no idea as to how I’ve managed to survive at the same time. I’ve been barely functional. I’m still going, but it’s been incredibly tough.

So I’m fortunate to be sitting here, away from home, resting right now. I’ sitting here with my partner, they’re reading, I’m writing and I feel alright, but I can feel how tired I am, and it’s just heavy. Years of lack of sleep. Years of chugging along, trying to survive and get through everything. I’ve lost a lot to this blog, and I’ve lost a lot to lack of sleep.

My concentration at work has gotten worse as I’ve become more fatigued. My ability to get around and just walk, or make music, or write, or do anything I enjoy has become more of a struggle from the lack of sleep. I still function at a base level. I still get things done. It’s constantly a fight, however, and I’m having to just keep fighting. Keep pushing against what my body desires to get through each day. To get through has been tough. It has been increasingly draining.

My mental health has suffered a lot, and the lack of sleep has exacerbated a lot of issues there. It’s a cumulative thing, too. You feel it more and more, and it gets stronger and stronger, and it just keeps spiraling. It keeps getting worse.

Having the energy or the enthusiasm to go anywhere decreases. This then compounds with not wanting to be in the house and you can see where this all goes.

Essentially, not getting enough sleep sucks. It’s hard. It’s difficult. Choosing to not sleep is not an admirable thing. This really fucks over your life hard if you’re not careful, and even if you are, there’s no guarantee.

This feels a bit like a panic post, but that’s not what I’m trying to get across. What I want to say is that, if you are losing a lot of sleep, start spending time working out why and applying what you can to get more sleep in a reasonable way. Start working on finding a balance and work toward that, and get into a healthier state. Your body will thank you for it. So will your mental health. Good sleep consistently goes a long way. It’s not always easy, but it’s something worth striving for.

Look after yourself. As far as I’m aware, you only have one life.

The time it took to write one thousand words: 13:42:24

Decent speed and got across what I wanted to, so I’m happy with the result.

Written at Killara.

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Fifteen Years of Stupidity Hole

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

What a run.

I was hoping to have more variance in today’s posts, but this is the last chance I had to share these photos, so that took over the posting. Also made it a lot easier for me to share stuff.

I’m thinking about the last year primarily and all the heaviness that came through the posts, and how that’s not what I wanted happening between the fourteen years anniversary and this one. I’m also thinking about where my writing has gone and how it has changed since I started Stupidity Hole. It has been a wild, dull ride.

I set out to write a lot of silly stuff and that’s not exactly how things went. After lockdown, things became very much a meditation on boredom, but in a far clunkier way than that suggests, probably because it was by accident. Well, boredom and depression, but the depression was always there, I suppose. And grief. Can’t forget grief.

I probably could’ve done a better job of slowing down and pacing myself better. That would’ve helped immensely. Oh well.

I want to keep this one short and sweet because I’m not actually that big on anniversaries. Fifteen years is a good run and I’m glad I made it this far. I probably should have stopped a long time ago, but I persevered and whilst a lot of the writing I’ve done here I find lacking, I’m glad it’s mine.

What else is there to say? This should be a celebration. This shouldn’t be sad. I’ve had a lot of downs and some ups, but I can’t complain. Well, I can and I probably will, but I’m happy with things right now, and I want to linger in that happiness for a bit.

But yeah. Fifteen years. What a time.

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Near and Far

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

This was an attempt at playing with perspective. I think the angle I photographed from didn’t help, but I didn’t have much choice there. Still, I like the result. I think this turned out well though. I really like the space and the sense of scale coming through in this one.

I hope you enjoy.

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At the Tree

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

When I was driving to Bathurst, I saw this tree. This is a tree I’ve driven past a few times, but on this drive it stuck out to me. Something about it… I don’t know what.

I hope you enjoy.

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Sticking Out of Sand

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

I’ve been meaning to share this photo for a bit, but I couldn’t think of the right time to do so, hence my sharing it now. I like this one mostly because of what it is. Just an interesting thing to me.

I hope you enjoy.

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Susbstation Reactors

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

There’s a substation near where I live, and occasionally I walk past it. I’ve wanted to capture this bit of it at sunrise for a while and was able to do so. Might try with a stronger sunrise at some time, but here I like how the colour has come through. Helps make the scene feel menacing.

I hope you enjoy.

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Coming Into the Sunrise

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

I love Mount Solitary. I’ve said it many a time, but I find it such a great mountain to see. Just beautiful. This isn’t the first sunrise photo of Mount Solitary I’ve shared, but it is the last photo of the mountain I’m sharing. I’ll see it again, and I hope to see it under different conditions to hopefully capture what I’ve been trying to for years with this mountain, but I’m glad I got this photo.

I hope you enjoy.

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Trying to Block

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Stupidity Hole

One great thing about the wind is how it can be used, such as in this photo, where I believe I was a bit more intentional in my posing. To me this feels like trying to block out a sudden harsh light. Not the best way to go about doing it.

I hope you enjoy.

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