CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Two tests, two days of working extra hours, a teething two-year-old and what amounts to two days off. A slow week this week, but the two days’ rest mean I’m about to head into to today with a clearer writing head. Writing Me: 1.       YA Novel1: Ch.1-3 outline complete. Ch.4 outline started. 2.       Blog: 3/4 +1 3.       Bob Mayer and Jen Talty’s Publishing Options course: Wk 3 complete. 4.       Continue reading and working through Bob Mayer’s Write it Forward: From Writer to Successful Author and Joy E. Held’s Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity . Writing Head #2: 1.       Novella1: +1500 wds. I struggled with this all week, and as it is prioritised above my other goals, nothing else got done (except in class breaks while on a training course). I may have to put a time limit on it on days I struggle. I only have 2500 wor...

Long week and busy. Starting to think I need to cut goals even further during term time. Next week will be the decider. Writing Me: 1.       Short Story1: re-familiarisation complete but the story is refusing to cooperate. Revised an alternative short story (1,300 wds) – science fiction stand-alone start in to an anthology set in my own universe. Over half-way through the second story to the anthology (800 wds). 2.       Project1: Chapter 1 edited. 1 new class drafted and almost complete (took out 400 wds, added 300). May lose more words as I refine the project's focus and move what will become supplementary material into supplement drafts. 3.       Project2: New class idea added. 4.       1 blog entry a week: 4/4. 5.       Bob Mayer and Jen Talty’s Self-Publishing Options course: Week 3 complete. 6.       Continue read...

As well as reading the likes of David Weber, Lois McMaster-Bujold, Anne McCaffrey, Alan Dean Foster, Elizabeth Moon, Andre Norton, John Christopher, Ben Bova, Robert Silverberg, Roger Zelazney, Tanya Huff, Rob Thurman, Jan Clarke, Tara K. Harper and Mike Shepherd, I also read romance and this has led me to discovering a number of other authors I really like, Nalini Singh among them. Recently, however, I read a novel called Grimspace . When I bought it, I thought it was a science fiction romance, one of the genres Writing Head #2 is writing. As there’s not a lot out there, I thought I’d read a little of what was. I would not call Grimspace romance. It has romantic elements and a very short (not too explicit) sex scene, but it is primarily one of the best science fiction action adventures I have ever read – and I’ve read a lot. Grimspace is definitely up there with works I’ve read by mainstream authors, and Sirantha Jax as memorable and tough a character as Alan Dean Foster’...

Even though this is posting late, my work habits are improving as I shift priorities and get a bit more balance. This is what I achieved Writing Me: 1.       Adventure1: Added 500 words to Scene 2; 2.       1 blog entry a week: 2/2. 3.       Bob Mayer and Jen Talty’s Publishing Options course: Week 2 complete. 4.       Continued reading and working through Bob Mayer’s and Write it Forward: From Writer to Successful Author and Joy E. Held’s Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity. Writing Head #2: 1.       Added 5,000 wds; 2.       1 blog entry a week: 1/2 So far, so good. Now, into this week proper.

Baby steps. Everyone keeps reminding me it’s baby steps. So far I am progressing slowly as I work to change my living habits. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. So, this week, I achieved the following: Writing Me: 1.       Adventure1: added 1,200 words to Scene 2; 2.       YA Novel1: Outline needs more work, but is slowly coming together. I am working characters with outline as they seem to be informing each other. Today I realised that this is my second YA novel idea that has no supernatural or paranormal elements. When it’s done, I’ll start on the older idea. 3.       Short Story1: reading over setting commenced. 4.       Three blog entries this week. 5.       Week 1 Self-Publishing Options workshop complete 6.       Reading continued. Real-World Me 1.       Have spent more time with...

So, last month didn’t go so well, but I’ve learned my lesson. This time, I’ve remembered to incorporate pretty much every area I need to cover. Writing Me: 1.       Adventure1: complete Scene 2 and stat the 4 new monsters for it; 2.       YA Novel1: This is no longer a fantasy novel, but a contemporary YA mystery set in a small town or the suburb of a larger town. Complete the outline (week 1), character development (week 2), and 2,000 words. 3.       Short Story1: re-familiarise with setting, complete outline, and get to 2,000 words. 4.       Project1: Chapter 1 is complete—edit. Chapter 2 is divided into sections. Complete Character Classes, edit the already completed work, start on Races. Should add around 5,000 words. 5.       Project2: Complete Chapter 1: Adding Project 2 to Your Campaign; and Chapter2: Project 2 Class. Start Chapter 3: Proje...

Okay, I didn’t get through all of the October goals. Made progress in some, flunked totally in others. Forgot to add in my study needs and the time required by my other two writing heads. In short, had a serious overestimate over what I could achieve – hence why I’m taking a couple of months to work out what I can expect to achieve so that when I set or accept deadlines in my new work routine I can be sure of making them. So here are the October goals re-capped and assessed: Goals: 1.       Complete Adventure 1 and submit. PARTIALLY COMPLETED: I did edit the adventure and re-familiarise with it, but competing priorities meant I focused on other things – such as the new story that started coming together (see #2 below) and some interesting study commitments. 2.       Complete the outline and first 5,000 words on a YA setting-specific fantasy novel, YA Novel 1. NOT COMPLETED: I’ve had a title in my head for a while now. Last ...