I often tell the story that I was unable to complete a book satisfactorily until 2019 when I first learned to plot. A lot of writers are allergic to this advice, thinking having a plot will kill their desire to write their story. This might be true for them, but there are also diverse levels of plotting, from detailed scene plans to a rough sketch of what you want to […]
There’s a lot of advice out there about how to ‘Get Things Done.’ Some of it is very useful, some of it is very specific to people in certain situations, but everybody agrees if you want to accomplish a goal, you need to develop habits that help you reach that goal. Seems obvious, but I see a lot of people try to brute force their way into doing something,
How to do the Thing! Read More »
When the new year started, I had big plans. I would keep up with a 40,000 word a month writing schedule, go to the gym twice a week, and make a point of attending more local in-person events. I also decided that this was the year I got my finances under control. Well, here at the end of January, I’m finding that it has gone … ok? I’ve
In Which I Decide to Kick My Own Ass! Read More »
One thing that writers get asked about a lot is where they get their ideas, and I’ve already blogged about that (spoiler: from everywhere!), but one thing that happens if you’re a person who tends to generate a ton of ideas (it’s me. Hi. I’m the problem. It’s me.) is that it can be hard to decide which idea to focus upon at any given time. The standard advice,
In Which I Take My Own Bad Publishing Advice Read More »
For my leisure time this year, in between school and writing, I really focused on reading, making it a goal to read for at least an hour or two every day. I didn’t always make this goal, but I did more days than not, and as a result, I read/experienced 195 books during 2024. That amounts to 85 Print Books, 64 eBooks, and 46 Audio Books. My three top genres
My Favorite Books of 2024 Read More »
This has been a very challenging year. I’m not going into details again, but basically my entire life fell apart and had to be put back together. But in the middle of all of this, I managed to publish 2 books, write 200,000 new words, and obtain a certificate in Digital Art and Graphic Design. I am very proud of those accomplishments. But as the year ends, I want to
What I’m Looking Forward to in 2025 Read More »
I’m on record talking about what a shit year this was for me. Not going to review that here. But it was also a year of incredible growth and learning, so as the year ends, I want to review the important things that I learned. I learned that I could survive and accomplish things when everything is falling apart, but only up to a certain point. Yes, I can
I watched 50 full seasons of TV shows this year. I do not consider this an accomplishment, but at least these days, with streaming apps, when I watch something, I watch it on purpose, I don’t just sit in front of the TV because it’s on. As you might imagine, most of the shows I watched were SFF-adjacent, but not all of them. But anyway, these are my favorite shows
My Favorite TV Shows of 2024 Read More »
I’ve been playing D&D Regularly since 2021, after a lifetime of wanting to and never finding a group. It is, hands down, some of the most fun I’ve ever had. I play an overpowered half-elf Oath of Devotion himbo Paladin. I’m one of the group tanks. This is a character very much unlike me in real life, and that is a feature not a bug. He’s also just recently graduated
Everything I Really Need to Know in Life, I Learned from Playing Dungeons and Dragons Read More »
Well, THAT happened. That’s my response when looking back at 2024. The badness really started around last Thanksgiving, when I left my job at the library and things got messy. Literally, this was a volunteer job, and I wanted my weekends free so I could go back to school. The rest of the year didn’t get any better. My efforts to save my house came to nothing, and I had
2024 and Other Disasters Read More »