CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Final day of the challenge and I still have lesson prep to do. Word goal is 4,450 and the title should be 60- Ships of the ; 94- Beginning . That’s one tricky title. I still have two and a bit subjects to go and an 1,000 word document analysis to go, so I’m not sure I’ll get to it, today. I think I may have already moved on from the challenge onto the next phase, which I spent much of the morning planning. Now I know how much writing I can do, and that I can organise my day, I just can’t wait to get started. So I think I’ll draw the line early and say today’s a bust—but it’s a bust by choice. I know where I want to go, and what I want to do to get there, and I want to start now. I think the main purpose of the challenge has been served - even though I didn't realise what it was, when I started: to work out what I could do, what I wanted to do, and where I wanted to go. The challenge has done that, and I'm ready to move on to the next phase, or challenge of this writing l...

I did not complete yesterday’s challenge and will not complete today’s, but I will at least nail down the title: 71-Luck Among, and 16-Servants. I am facing the idea that I may just have to accept the reality that a full university load, coupled with home responsibilities and language study means reduced writing until the assignments and readings are done for the semester. I know, excuses, but I have to do the math: I need around 8 hours sleep; School takes 6-10 hours a day for the first three days of the week; house takes around 5 hours; travel takes 2, languages take 1-2. I’m looking at 15-19 hours a day BEFORE I even think of sleep. So far, I’ve carved out an hour in the morning to write, but it’s not my most creative time. Add the writing in and I’m looking at 16-20 hours before sleep. Hmmm… Okay, that’s pretty self-evident, but the week’s not over. I’ll see what’s achievable around mandatory readings and essay writing over the next four, but it doesn’t look good until the a...

Day 14: A.M. Before I was up at 0430 this morning as I had an 0730 bus to catch for university. After updating the blog and pfaffing around for a little bit, I checked Dean’s progress on his challenge —another short and another confirmed novel start. Also, some good advice about writing what you love. I now only have 1 hour and 10 minutes left to write in. Better get to it. A.M. Start Title randomly rolled this morning: 75-The Magicians and 51-the Silk Road. Well, crap – that one required a little research. I took a quick look and discovered lots of desert, camels and two more routes—the Southern Silk Road and the Silk Road by the Sea. This is definitely something I will revisit. With no time to research further, I decided on a fantasy and had 956 words down before I had to get into the before school routine for my littlest, and leave for my own classes. Poetry and flash fiction are scheduled to be written on the bus. Results: Story Match Challenge: Incomplete— The Magici...

I got stuck into the university prep yesterday and got no writing done—that was a mistake, and not just from the point of view of this challenge. I will have to do better. Today is my first day and my first lecture is in 4 hours. I have an hour and a half to write as I head into challenge day 14. Now, I’ll get to see what is possible during semester. Story Match day 13 was a total bomb.

Today, I had high hopes of writing two stories. I was feeling well, had caught up on my sleep, and got into the writing shortly after getting up. To be honest, I could probably still get another story done, but only if I stayed up until midnight, and didn’t do some of the lesson prep I neglected yesterday. So, even though I’m still fizzing from finishing the latest short story, I have to settle down and do the readings for Monday’s classes—even if one of them might not run. I have had a blast, today. I wrote another science fiction piece and it ended up being another Odyssey tale, and Miss Delight made another cameo. Have to say, I like this universe. Anyway, the day started with me very optimistically rolling two titles. The first one, and the one I worked on today came out as 37-The Tale’s and 57-Slumber, which I left en situ right up until the very end, when it morphed into The Taleteller’s Slumber. I was aiming at 3,350 words and at 2,700 words I was sure I would just abou...