CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Progress is as follows: 1. Re-establish writing habit: not established 2. Establish exercise habit: establishing: moved from exercising every off day to 2 days exercise, 1 day rest; 3. Alter dietary habits: establishing: coffee at 1/day, water increased, portion-size decreased; 4. Sleep habits: not established, struggling – family routine variations are creating an additional challenge; 5. Back-list publication: progressing: 3/20 short stories published, 1/8 novels in formatting; 6. Progress on outstanding series: not yet begun – publishing takes precedence; 7. Establishment of new projects: projects still in planning stages; 8. Maintain 2 gameplay videos/day release: next week’s videos recorded and in editing phase 9. Finalize recording for gameplay series: 1 series in progress, approximately 67-81 episodes remaining. Additional Completions: Given some of the complications I have needed to deal with recently, and the need to ameliorate any future impact th...

Of the goals set for the week just gone, this is the outcome.   Achieved: 1. Recorded the next 29/28 gameplay videos for the schedule; 2. Edited the next 30/28 gameplay videos for the schedule; 3. Scheduled the 10/10 videos to accompany the novel release. Partly Achieved 1. Recorded the next 11/22 gameplay videos for the completion series; 2. Scheduled the next 25/28 gameplay videos for the schedule; 3. Edited and formatted, but did not schedule the 2 videos for the short story release; 4. Wrote 2/7 poems for Another 366 Days of Poetry. Not Achieved Did not complete the 7 pieces of flash from the main goals, and did not complete the novel from the stretch goals. Did not complete the publishing cycle for January 2026. Swapped In 1. Edited and formatted the 3 reading videos for a second upcoming short story release; 2. Began industry-accredited courses in computer coding and Spanish as part of external obligations. No doubt these will inform my writing in...

It looks crazy, but it’s called ‘taking the pressure down.’ The current goals take into account the need to publish at an accelerated schedule on both the writing and video fronts, in order to clear more writing time and prepare the way for a transition to a more sustainable and flexible work schedule in the, hopefully, not-too-distant future. In other words, I will not forever be trying to publish a month’s worth of work in a week. Having said that, I have a few more weeks to go before I can ease back. I might not, yet, be hitting all my goals, but I  am  getting closer. Without further ado, here are this week’s goals…and hopefully I’ve hit a little closer to the capability mark: Main Goals: 1.  Write 7 poems for Another 366 Days of Poetry (mixed genre, currently 33,172 words); 2.  Write 7 pieces of flash for Another 366 Days of Flash Fiction (mixed genre, currently 40,209); 3. Complete the novel, Dark God's Demise (2nd Ed.) (dark action fantasy, curre...

This article starts almost by apologizing for its harsh…or blunt…beginning, but it touched a chord for me. You can find it here: https://kriswrites.com/2023/02/15/business-musings-how-writers-fail-part-11-they-want-to/ Sure, it’s blunt, but blunt is good - and this article pretty much describes the battle I've slowly been winning against myself...although it is not failure I was afraid of, but success. I mean, I *know* how to handle failure. Success, on the other hand, is an entirely different beast. Four years ago, I *cried* if someone said they'd read and enjoyed my book. Someone telling me they hated it, not a problem; I was used to people not liking what I did, or not liking that I was the one who did it. That was normal...and comfortable - but doing something right? Something approved of? Well, sometimes it was better to fail than to face *that*. I've fought that particular demon for years. Some of you have heard me use the analogy of a rider bringing a young...