Avatar photoSteven Savage

Writing And Life Skills

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Awhile ago, I contributed to a cookbook for authors called Feeding The Muse. That made me think about the challenges authors faced, one of them being how to eat healthy and fast. It was one of the reasons I started posting my recipes here.

This has made me think about something we writers and indeed all creators face – the need for the life skills to allow us to be creative. You can’t write or draw when you can’t manage money or are too busy to clean the house.

This has made me think about all sorts of things that we authors and creatives can and should do.

We need to develop our own life skills: We need to work on developing the life skills that allow us to be creative. My challenge for you – What life skills do you need to improve?

We need to ask for help: We can’t do everything. We may need to hire someone to clean, or our cooking is so bad we need advice. Yes, that’s directed at you. My challenge to you is – What “life area” should you ask for help in?

We need to share our life skills: Everyone has challenges in their creative lives. We also have things we’re probably good at. So go and share your life skills. My challenge to you – What is your best life skill and how can you share it?

We need to share our life skill resources: Books, guides, websites. Let’s share our life skill resources – say a writing club with it’s own web page for such resources? Take this challenge – How can you share your favorite life skill resources right now?

We should make life skills part of creative events: Let’s share our life skills at creative events. Why not make it part of your writing group? Do a panel at conventions? Here’s your challenge – What environments are best for you to share your life skills?

Life skills support our creative work – and thus are part of our creative lives. It’s up to us to learn them, apply them, share them – and admit our gaps.

Steven Savage

Steve’s Update 9/22/2019

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

With August out of the way and more time to focus, I’ve had some good results on my projects! Let’s check in!

So what have I done since last time?

  • Way With Worlds: The News Worldbuilding Book is out! Go get it! Go buy it for friends! Go tell friends!
  • Chance’s Muse: The Seventh Sanctum came back from the editor!
  • A School Of Many Futures: Is now being written. The good news is it is shaping up – the bad is it’s a tough little story with all sorts of challenges. Since it is a sort of “double reverse Harry Potter” where two teachers and their friends find a normal school is brimming with conspiracies and chosen ones, it presents many interesting choices. I’m powering ahead, but at the very least Chapter 1 and 2 are going to be heavily revised.
  • Seventh Sanctum: Finally returning to this. What a few weeks.

What’s next?

  • Way With Worlds: I plan to outline the next book – I want to do one more before the new year!
  • Chance’s Muse: I’ll likely edit it in the next two weeks so I can start formatting.
  • A School Of Many Futures: Keep writing! I’m powering through now – and trying a few interesting tricks . . .
  • Seventh Sanctum: Get back to the Python prototypes and maybe (finally) a new generator (I’d like something to celebrate the new book with!)

Steven Savage

Vegan Nachos/Burrito Bowl

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Time for another recipe from Steve to help you eat healthy, fast, efficiently – so you can get back to your creative works! This is a Nacho or Burrito bowl recipe depending on what you want – one mix served in two forms!

Makes 2 servings.

First, the basic mix!

  • 1 14.5 oz cans black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed.
  • 1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, drained (or about 2-3 good-sized diced tomatoes).
  • Optional: About 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno slices.
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp crushed garlic (or about 1 tsp garlic powder)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder

Take all of these ingredients, mix them, and microwave them until hot, stirring it.  You can also dry-saute it without oil for a better taste.

Now how to serve them?  You can do the following:

NACHOS: Just drop the mix on a pile of nachos and serve!   Serve with a salad for a complete meal!

BURRITO BOWL: Make two bowls, and in each place 1 cup or so cooked rice,  mixed with 1 to 1/2 cups shredded spinach or cabbage.  Ladle the mix over the rice/spinach mixture and serve.  It’s a complete meal!

This meal is a great, fast, tasty one I’ve grown very fond of.  I originally invented the burrito bowl, and the nachos came as a later experiment – but now they’re popular in my household.

Oh, and keep in mind you can freeze the mixture for later . . .

Steven Savage