There is something to be said for martial arts movies. There is also something to be said for old adages about idle hands being the devil’s workshop, which supposed (if you believe a quick count of the tubes comprising the internet) dates back to Chaucer’s time.

And there is also something to be said for The Last Samurai. Yes, I realize it’s Tom Cruise. Yes, I know it’s about the white man rushing in to rescuing a native culture on their own land. (*coughs* Avatar *coughs*) I like this movie because I’m a sucker for historicals and there are nuggets of awesome here. I mean, it’s Ken Watanabe. COME ON! And, despite what I think about his personal life, Tom Cruise can act. Phooey.

But I digress. There’s a moment in the film where Captain Algren isn’t *getting* the moves he’s being taught. Nobutada turns to him and explains he has too many mind.

That, my dear readers, is what gets in the way of what we want to do. For me, there’s been many things pressing on my mind as of late. I have the tendency, when I’m in the midst of projects or work, to fall deeply and head over heels into the zone and forget everything else. Then LOOK, SQUIRREL! something happens and I’m like: Do I need to worry about that?

In no uncertain order, the things that I fretted over in the past couple of weeks were: writer’s “platform,” online popularity, publisher perceptions, etc. And, to be blunt, it’s all bullsh*t. It is. All of that rah-rah-rah is secondary to the work. There are different forms of marketing, some of which are about creating an illusion, and I sometimes get sucked up into this. Mind you, I have friends who graciously provided a reality check in this regard, because I need that sometimes. I am far from perfect.

I think (Hah, hah… See what I did there?) it’s too easy to look to online popularity as a validation of self. As a way to say, hey… AWESOME! I have X number of fans pushing me forward. Every writer I’ve ever met needs a cheerleading squad that is NOT comprised of our cats. Every. Single. One. This is why there’s competition and snarky comments and bullsh*t. This is why some authors scout out bad reviews and comment on them. This is why we’re neurotic. And yes, I include myself in that category. I don’t write to hear myself speak. I write for my readers. And, for many authors, other authors are *also* readers, too.

Strip away the minds, and if you’re not telling the damn story, then you aren’t. There are those who can juggle all things and not be neurotic, and I admire them. I’m still growing and writing and reading and growing. Let’s hope I never stop learning, sharing, and being positive, too.

Mood: No mind! Empty head!
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Two.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: None, and I’m feeling it.
Yesterday’s Projects: RPG, Novel, short story
In My Ears: Tron. (<3 this soundtrack) Game Last Played: PicCross 3D
Movie Last Viewed: Return of the King
Book Last Read: The Encyclopedia of 500 Spells
Latest Artistic Project: Crystal Medallion pendant in silver and red
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

Yesterday, I was plowing through words and e-mails and stumbled across this article from Vanessa Fox, who penned “Learning How to Say No Isn’t the Answer.” This phrase really got to me:

The ability to do that — to say no to things you’re not super excited about — that’s a luxury. Most of us who have that luxury now haven’t always had it. In fact, many of us who now have that luxury likely only have it because of our tendency to do just the opposite — not only say yes to everything but to seek out new things to say yes to. — SOURCE: Vanessa Fox on Learning How to Say No Isn’t the Answer.

That is exactly where I am in my career right now. It’s not just financial concerns for me, mind you, it’s also creative goals and career aspirations. It’s about committing to further those aims and to recognize opportunity when it comes my way because I am planning a year or two out. My work, specifically my storytelling and game design projects, are not a guarantee for success. For any creative, there are no guarantees. I have to balance paid vs. non-paid, tie-in vs. original, and marketing vs. productivity. I do this not because my work is an obligation, but because I love, love, love doing it!

There’s this impression that people who work a lot of hours are slaves to the machine. That we don’t have fun or that we’re boring people. Yesterday, I felt like that stereotype because after reviewing my goals for 2012, I have to focus more on production time than marketing or people interaction time — especially online. My new job has changed my schedule in a good way! The time I spend on the computer has to be valuable and the time I spend offline doubly so. Do I have any regrets? No, not a one.

Yes, writing is work. Yes, marketing for Steve Jackson Games and managing John Kovalic’s business is work. Yes, designing games or ripping them apart is also work. But? It does not feel like the traditional definition of work. I feel like I’m my accomplishments are valuable and I’m working with some amazing people. There’s a lot of teamwork here and that, coupled with being able to connect with other gamers, creative pros, and readers, is what makes the day job and these projects so enjoyable.

I guess, in the end, appearances are everything — or are they? Just because an author isn’t Tweeting jokes or interactive with readers doesn’t mean they’re not engaging. Just because a game designer isn’t talking about every individual piece of their process doesn’t mean they’re not busy working. And just because someone isn’t being social or they’re not talking about every aspect of their personal lives or they’ve had “a” bad day, that they’re miserable or overworked or stressed beyond belief.

I’m having the time of my life both professional and personally. How about you?

Mood: Bubbly
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Two!
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Half an hour of yoga.
Yesterday’s Projects: RPG, Novel
In My Ears: Enya
Game Last Played: PicCross 3D
Movie Last Viewed: The Two Towers
Book Last Read: The Encyclopedia of 500 Spells
Latest Artistic Project: Crystal Medallion pendant in silver and red
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

Today’s New Year wishes are courtesy of Dork Tower. May your day be merry and bright and may you enjoy a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2012!

The other day I got frustrated because I didn’t balance my schedule changes appropriately. So? I turned to my trusty friend the timer, opened up a document, and started to write. I had three interruptions in the first five minutes (all of which were my fault) but the numbers blaring on my screen reminded me that I had to stick to it.

I wrote 1,000 words in a half an hour without even realizing it. Had to stop because I was typing so fast I kept sticking on the Ctrl+ key which made my keyboard go all kinds of wonky — twice — but hopefully that’s all sorted out now. I think I’d have a meltdown if my new keyboard was batty after I spent three days setting it up, but after some investigation, I think this was a case of user error. Sigh, where’s Tron when you need him. Eh?

This free Countdown Timer works really well and there’s a full screen option available for those of you who have a second monitor. Combined with a Task Timer app from Chrome, these two items will help me break out my day into smaller chunks, even when I’m working on larger projects.

Although word count is important, you will notice a change to my status updates at the bottom of the blog screen. Due to the new 100 day announcement I posted earlier, I’m going to list the type of projects I’m working on. Mind you, I’m under NDA for some and others I don’t want to tell you about for professional reasons. I know other authors are comfortable talking about what they submit for open calls, but I’m not. I’d rather focus on the work at hand then think about publications like little notches on a computer screen.

For me, once I get past the research phase, I worry less about word count because I track progress by date moreso than the number of words. Deadlines are my goals and with some projects, like short stories, there really isn’t a set word count. It’s done when it’s done. Sometimes that means I have to go through several revisions; sometimes I’m good after the first draft.

Like any other working writer out there, this job (part time, any time, full time or hobby time) requires balancing more than one plate. Some gigs work out; some don’t. The trick is to keep at it and the timer is one tool to help me to just that. 🙂

Mood: This grasshopper is focused.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: It’s kind of hazy…
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Half an hour walk.
Yesterday’s Projects: RPG, blogging
In My Ears: Movie Soundtrack Playlist (Currently Listening to Battlestar Galactica)
Game Last Played: PicCross 3D
Movie Last Viewed: Limitless
Book Last Read: The Encyclopedia of 500 Spells
Latest Artistic Project: Crystal Medallion pendant in gold
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

I think one of the hardest things to do as a writer is to figure out your goals. Last year, I had to balance what I wanted to do with what I could do and what I did (and didn’t) get paid for. Your personal situation may be different because you may not have the same financial or time considerations that I do. Maybe you’re trying to figure out what genre you want to write or maybe you want to find a critique partner. Maybe you’re scheduling your first convention appearance or your fiftieth. Regardless of your situation, I’ve come up with five questions that might help you explore not only what you want to achieve in 2012, but how.

1. How Does Your Past Support Your Future? – Think of where you’d like to be as an author. Now, review what you’ve done the past five or even ten years. Can you pinpoint what you’ve done to transform you into future-you? If it takes you longer than ten or fifteen minutes to immediately recognize the clear and actionable steps you’ve taken, then you may want to think about what that means to you. Maybe you revisit that long-term goal. Maybe you make smaller goals that do support your future-you this year. Maybe you get depressed and whine about what you haven’t done. And that’s okay! There’s a lot of emotional investment tied up in being an author because it’s a creative work. There’s going to be moments where you piss and moan, but also cheer and celebrate!

2. What Are You Willing To Sacrifice? – Every author gives up something to make a career out of it. Every. Single. One. For some, it’s social interaction. For others, it’s nights and weekends or having new furniture. I don’t watch TV. I get my pop culture trends from Twitter or Google. I watch even less TV now that I started making jewelry again, which ended up being a huge blessing for me. I get the camaraderie of a regular beading group, the ability to learn something new in a non-threatening environment, and the wonderful “art” that results from it. I’m not in shape (something I need to change) but I’m on schedule for achieving what I have to (and what I want to) in 2012. Next week, I’m going to hit the timer again hard to make sure I stay on track in spite of traveling. The point I’m trying to make here, is that becoming an author is more than just putting fancy words on a page. It takes a lot of work and because of that, because of the hours and hours involved, something has to give.

3. What Are Your Strengths/Weaknesses? – I talked about this a little bit when I wrote the debut column for Adventure to Dice Castle, but it’s still appropriate here. It’s impossible to be realistic about your goals if you have no idea what you can and can’t do. Think about this in terms of an RPG character. If the quest is to find the magical macguffin in a hidden tomb, then you’ll need skills that will help you find out where that tomb is, deal with any NPCs along the way, and survive the encounter. A lot of people find this part to be really hard, because there’s a lot of “I don’t know’s” that are often thrown around. Find out! Do you write better consistently or, like me, plan everything and then let the words flow out in a big heap? On average, how much time do you need to write a short story? Novel? Are you better at writing action scenes or romance? What’s the biggest reason why you haven’t finished your novel? What life-related things get in the way of your writing? Health/money/love/family/job problems?

4. Are Your Drawbacks Manageable? – There is no way that you will ever get rid of your negative traits. It just won’t happen. Instead, you have to manage them. Addicted to caffeine? Over-committed because you can’t say “No?” Insecure as hell? Procrastinate? Jealous of other writers younger than you? Don’t finish what you say you’re going to? These are tendencies ingrained into your personality for whatever reason. Embrace them, don’t beat your self up over them, and figure out how to manage them to help you keep focused on your work. Maybe that means you get help. Maybe that means you have to, like me, use a timer or blog for accountability. Whatever your tricks are, find them. Your drawbacks will never go away, not when you’re successful, not when you’re published, not even after you’ve achieved every goal you’ve set out to do, because you are you. Writing is a solitary act. No one else can put those words on the page for you. To get those words on the page, you’ll need to face yourself and deal with the parts you like and don’t like to achieve your goals.

5. How Much Money Can You Make versus Want To On Your Writing? – I’ve often talked about how every writer’s path is different, and money is a big reason why. Some authors have a spouse that financially supports them, so they don’t have to have a second job. Others have insane medical bills and work-and-write full + overtime hours. As much as writing is an art, it’s also a job for many, many, many professionals. I feel that some writers forget that, because the dream of becoming a successful novelist is rarely detailed. Many people are enamored with Cinderella at the ball, but being that abused, half-starved, over-worked girl? No one wants to be treated like crap, nor do they want to willingly go through the crucible to get back to the ball. Don’t get me wrong: some authors find success comes easier to them than others. That’s the way of the world, but that isn’t true for everyone. Right now, the paying markets are continuing to shift and change as digital media sorts itself out. The number of copies sold for an anthology and for first-time novelists has dropped. For every success story you can name there are literally thousands who never do.

I hope you didn’t think I was being overly negative by bringing these questions up. I’m not trying to say: “Don’t write. It’s scary. Oooooooo.” What I’m attempting to convey here? “Plan to write. To do that, you’re going to have to make changes in your life. Some you’re going to be okay with. Some you’re not going to. It’s up to you to figure out what that means in the end, but when you do? You will become future-you.”

Mood: Post-Christmas recovery. Day Four!
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Two with a chance of BBZZZZzzzzZZZZ.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: I suck. This is the longest post Christmas-recovery ever.
Word Count Logged Yesterday (not including day job): 2,000
In My Ears: Movie Soundtrack playlist on iTunes. (Currently listening to Harry Potter)
Game Last Played: PicCross 3D
Movie Last Viewed: Limitless
Book Last Read: The Encyclopedia of 500 Spells
Latest Artistic Project: Crystal Medallion pendant in gold
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem