CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

"Why do you still do NaNoWriMo?" people ask. "Why are you actually here?" It's a legitimate question, and I guess people have a right to wonder. "Hey," they say, and go on with any combination of, "you write double the NaNo word quota each month, you're a published writer, you've got a successful eight-book series under your belt, your own stuff is coming along, and you even do work-for-hire, so, what's the deal?" Why ARE you taking part? Are you showing off? Grand-standing? Trying for an easy feel-good success? Marking time? Wasting time? Every year... Why do you do it? It just doesn't make sense. You know what? It makes perfect sense to me. It's part of the path I've chosen. I take part because NaNo reminds me of where I came from. It reminds me of the work it took to write more than 1k a day - and that that's not an easy thing for some writers, especially those just starting out. NaNo keeps my head grounded. To...

Last week’s progress report. Late again, as usually happens when I try to increase one or another part of my routine. I focussed on completing the NaNoWriMo quota this week, after a fairly rough and inconsistent start. Finally, seemed to put it together this week, so it was done. Anyway, that happened, and I got some gardening done. Overview New words produced: 24,863 Old words revised: 0 Outlines and Notes: 912 Works completed: 0 Works revised: 1 Covers created: 1 Works published: 0 Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Bloggery: 1,164 University Prep and Assignments: 0 Stepping Up Challenge Update Languages: Nil progress Non-Fiction Reading: Nil Ingress Updates No new challenges for me. PokemonGo Updates Nothing new to report Publishing Tasks Created 4 blog posts for this blog; Updated royalty records; Created the cover for The Sevarine Sidestep New Arrivals The following pieces arrived last week and are ...

And it's done! Yesterday, I completed my 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo, but the book isn't finished. It's nearly finished, and I'm aiming to have it done by the end of the month so I can add it to the publishing queue for next year.

Yeah, I know; it would probably have been more interesting if I’d started posting these earlier, but I was kinda busy, so it didn’t happen. I’ll try and do better next year. Anyway, I decided to try NaNoWriMo this year, despite not completing it last year. Here’s what’s happened, so far: Project Title: Shades of Memory Project Blurb: When Aggie Dormain arrives in Canberra to paint some old diggers, she does not expect to meet an out-of-work archaeologist investigating an alien conspiracy, much less to be pulled into an adventure that would give Indiana Jones a run for his money. Project Description: A crime noir novel of between 50,000 and 60,000 words set in an urban fantasy world, where conspiracy theories have some validity and maybe a bit of a thriller as well. Progress so Far: November 1-3: Nil words on Shades ; take-home exam started, completed and submitted; November 4: 5,146 words completed on NaNo novel; November 5-8: Nil words on Shades ; take-...

And the report for the week just gone. It was the second, and final, week of exams, so I had one assessment item to hand it – and then some feedback forms to complete, and that was it. University done and dusted for this year. Just next year to go, and this degree’s done. What’s next? Well, I’m gearing up to try and fill next year’s publishing schedule, and get onto a better planned schedule for 2018. By mid-next year, I should have an idea of how that’s going to go. In the meantime, this is how the last week with study obligations went. Next week it's on to the summer 'break'. Summer? you ask. I’m down here in the O.Zee., remember? Overview New words produced: 28,046 Old words revised: 0 Outlines and Notes: 524 Works completed: 1 Works revised: 0 Covers created: 0 Works published: 0 Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Bloggery: 0 University Prep and Assignments: 2,106 NaNoWriMo Update Added 14,363 words to Shades of Memory ...

This year, in spite of knowing I had exams in the first part of November, I entered NaNoWriMo. Now, usually, I bomb out and don’t complete my 50,000 words, and this year, I wanted to get started on a 90,000-word novel, but I was busy with study and kids and housework, so, when November 1 came around, I had nothing in my head… and I started writing anyway—and I’m very glad I did. For a year now, I’ve been toying with the idea of going full-time with my writing, and I had no idea of what that might entail, or how I might go about it, or even if I could. I knew it was something I wanted, but I’d planned it for my retirement. With events last year culminating in my then supervisor forcing me to choose between completing the degree I had work permission to start, or working while being denied the working conditions I was entitled to, and which would enable me to complete my degree. I’m still doing my degree, and that’s been hard, and I’ve been lucky to have my family’s support, fo...

Well, we’ve had a couple of hectic months over here, which resulted in a late release and not a lot of writing. No writing was achieved in October or the first half of November. I have also been undertaking NaNoWriMo, but as the dust of finishing work and completing the university year has settled, I have been making some adjustments. I will not complete NaNo this year. That does not, however, mean I have not been writing. Achievements for the last week are as follows: Overview New words produced: 18,082 Old words revised: 63,492 Works completed: 0 Works revised: 7 (1 collection, 2 short works for inclusion in future collections, 4 short stand-alone works which will also be incorporated in future collections) Covers created: 0 Works published: 1 (1 release platforms) Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Bloggery: 301 Publishing Tasks Created 3 blog posts for this blog; Created 2 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog; Published 365 D...

We... are... getting there. 19 November 2014: Words for the Day: 0 Word Total: 14,026 20 November 2014: First Sentence Written: The queen did not answer Hani's question right away, and when Hani took another step after her, Prince Kallanden reached out and grabbed her arm. Last Sentence Written: Slowly, Hani opened her sketchbook at a new page, and began to draw. Words for the Day: 4,056 Word Total: 18,082

I started NaNo late this year. There were exams and a whole bunch of stuff that happened, so I didn’t sit down and start typing until November 13. I figured 3,000 words a day was possible. Well, in theory... but it takes time to get back into the swing of things so it hasn’t quite worked out that way. Here is a brief view of what’s happened so far. 13 November 2014: First Sentence Written: With a swirl of leaves, the first magic came. Last Sentence Written: The blade sang briefly, before it bit into the leaping darkness and its song was drowned out by a shriek. Words for the Day: 3,013 Word Total: 3,013 14 November 2014: First Sentence Written: The ball of fur broke in two, pieces of it hitting the ground with meaty thunks as the rider finished his strike. Last Sentence Written: If the prince heard any of what was spoken around him, he gave no sign. Words for the Day: 1,839 Word Total: 4,852 15 November 2014: Words for the Day: 0 Word Total: 4,852 ...