CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Another big week of university preparation. I managed to finish the preparation for this week, just prior to when I would have had to be in class—but I didn’t attend class; I did the final touch-ups you need to do for a house inspection, and supervised overdue repairs that were scheduled at the last minute… and then I got straight into preparing for next week’s classes, because I have a convention I want to attend this weekend and there won’t be time afterwards. So, plans for next year? Reduce the study load by one subject and keep up with the release schedule. Also, re-introduce the roleplaying entries on a Friday, get back to poetry on Mondays, and remember the bird and critter report… maybe Wednesdays. You’ll see me moving towards that over the next few weeks as I clear the study decks. Only five weeks left of semester and the university year—and then I get to write full-time for a few months! Overview New words produced: 0 Old words revised: 0 Works completed:

Lots of study, this week… lots and lots of study. Finalised the third essay of four, caught up on the four classes worth of reading I missed when I was sick, and started on the class preparation for the first week of term. Also started the fourth essay, after finalising the topic with the lecturer. So go me-the-student, not-so-go-me-the-writer. Two-point-two-five years to go. Reduced study load next year. Six weeks left in the university year, not including exams. On the up-side, I *did* take a study break and revise a young adult novel I’ve been wanting to get started on for the last eight months, so that will be amongst next year’s releases as soon as it’s finished. Also had a few submissions to magazine markets that I put out. So *some* stuff got done on the writing front, just not a lot.   Overview New words produced: 1,444 Old words revised: 33,745 Works completed: 0 Works revised: 0 Covers created: 0 Works published: 0 Works submitted: 2 Competition

University break started this week, and I only have one and a half essays to write, instead of the four predicted – yay. Of course, I’ve spent a bit more time on my writing, getting ready for next year’s release schedule, since I know it’s going to be busy for 28 weeks out of the 52, I’d better work on that. I’m finding it hard to develop and maintain a writing habit with university, but it’s only for another year and a bit. After that, I get to decide what happens next, and I’m thinking writing full-time might just be it. Ask me again in six months. In the meantime, the essays took precedence, but reading and research time taken doesn’t come up as a word count. Lots of that, this week. Not much of anything else.   Overview New words produced: 5,934 Old words revised: 0 Works completed: 0 Works revised: 0 Covers created: 0 Works published: 0 Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Bloggery: 0 University Prep and Assignments: 1,496 Back-on-Tr

New process added for short stories. I have found 15 potential markets that make the wait before the stories can be independently published worthwhile. Each short story will now be given a chance to find a home in a recognised magazine, before being published. I’ve removed the titles from the project code for each to avoid compromise to any blind submission process they might be participating in, and I’ve revamped my publishing schedule to reflect this. I don’t think I’ll be implementing a similar process for my longer works, not unless publishers do something crazy like agreeing to purchase only the right to print and distribute within their established brick-and-mortar networks inside a set time frame, taking the ‘for the life of the copyright’ clause out of their contracts AND agreeing to ensure any print novels contracted to them are available in reasonable numbers for ordering within each and every 12-month period, for the life of the contract, while allowing me to retain all oth

I was sick for most of the week, and caring for a sick child, so not a lot of writing got done, but progress was made in other areas. Overview New words produced: 1,157 Old words revised: 4,014 Works completed: 5 (for inclusion in other works) Works revised: 0 Covers created: 0 Works published: 0 Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Bloggery: 0 University Prep and Assignments: 5,397 Back-on-Track Challenge: Design covers for, edit, format, and upload the following: YANovel26— Pyrie : initially slated for an August 2015 release, is now complete. It has a cover, a blurb, and a full edit, but I’m not sure I can upload it as it deals with a particularly sensitive topic and I’m not sure if it will be seen to cross too many lines. Other Tasks DarkFantasy8A— Winter’s Ache : caught up with the notes and started revision in preparation to writing. New Arrivals The following pieces arrived last week and were completed: