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Steve’s Update 9/17/2016

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, www.SeventhSanctum.com, and Steve’s Tumblr)

I’m actually getting back to these!  Awesome!

 

Work should be a bit calmer now.  We had some changes in organization and process that look to be more efficient and effective, and it’s already paying dividends in just a week.  So let’s hope you see more writing out of me (though my goal is to be writing anyway).

So from here . . .

Her Eternal Moonlight

Her Eternal Moonlight is so close to release!  I’m really enthused about this, and as we get closer it feels so much more real.  Bonnie and I just finished recording a podcast as well!

Everything seems to be in shape despite a few last minute fixes.  Thank goodness for pre-readers and early reviewers because I misspelled two Japanese names (note, next time leave Japanese to Bonnie).  It is, essentially ready, I just have to push the buttons.  Which happens in less than 2 weeks.

The followup book on another big phenomena has been pretty much confirmed as going forward.  And no, you won’t know until the start of the year.  I’m thinking after writing two or three of these, Bonnie and I ought to write a how-to-book on doing them.

Next Way With Worlds Book

Way With Worlds Book 2 is still being edited, and I sink my teeth into it next month.  It’s definitely not going to be out until February, but I can’t see it being any later than March.

The “followup” works on Way With Worlds are underway.  As usually, not spilling much here (but you can find out a bit more in my newsletter if you’re really curious).  More and more I’m thinking it may be worth releasing early, but I don’t want to stress myself.  At this rate, I’d like to actually get people’s opinions – release it early or after Book 2?

I will say after all this I may take a break from writing on Worldbuilding.  Think I’ll have said my peace for awhile.

 

Random Creativity Book

So now that I’m pretty sure I’ll be writing on randomization and creativity, I’ve got to figure out just how to do it.  I probably won’t start brainstorming it for at least another month, to be honest.  What I want to do is distill all my wisdom from Seventh Sanctum into book form (hopefully, one book).  The hardest part is figuring out where to start and then how to put it in some organized form.

The second part?  A title.

Seventh Sanctum

Trying to find time to bang out the Pizza Generator as the data is all ready, so I can do something else.  I think having it hanging over my head kind of killed the fun and I need to move to another generator.  That happens.  Maybe I’ll revisit it another time.

But we must have random pizza, because who doesn’t want kimchi and bacon pizza with havarti?  Wait, that sounds good . . .

Speaking

I’ve got a full slate coming up – be sure to check my speaking page!

Con-Volution is my next convention, and I’ll be speaking on worldbuilding and monsters on Friday!  Go, attend!

 

That’s it for me – what about you?

– Steve

Steve’s Update 9/12/2016

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, www.SeventhSanctum.com, and Steve’s Tumblr)

What is this? Another update? Yes, amazing.

So anyway, to give you a bigger story on my slow blogging it’s pretty much been one thing after another. Mostly work and some shuffling around duties, software releases, and more. It’s also been a bunch of other stuff going on from helping friends out to errands. I haven’t had life get this much on top of me in awhile, though the smoke appears to be clearing.

The funny thing is it all goes back to that two days of classes I had. I’m sort of wondering if losing two days was a catalyst. Plus side, I got a great certification out of it.

Now let’s get to a REAL update here.

  • Bonnie and I were interviewed about our new Sailor Moon Book on The Crystal Chronicles. Go check it out!
  • The Pizza Generator. Haven’t done a thing on it, plan to return. That was pretty low on my list, which is kind of tragic as I’ve got enough data to go with – and learned a few things about Pizza. Going to see about getting that sucker out.
  • The Next Generator. Still gonna be food, but I’m still conflicted between coffee (which would be more funny considering pretentious names of coffee types) or a real serious one on candy bars based on my analysis of candy structure. The candy bar generator would literally make candy bar ideas that would be real and you or someone could make. Oh and in other news, I am anal-retentive enough to analyze candy bar structure – are you aware that there have been multiple forms of filled/chambered candy bars?  I am now because I am weird.
  • Way With Worlds Book 2. At the editor, and it’s the same person who did the Sailor Moon book. She rocks hard so this is gonna be a great edit. I miss my other editor, but life got busy and I can damn well relate. Still looking at Q1 in 2017.
  • The Way With Worlds “extra” book(s) I keep dodging about are in the works. I’m debating if I should release “something” early as the other book is delayed. Still haven’t decided – but let’s just say you’re gonna keep seeing Way With Worlds stuff into 2107. What, you think I used ALL my material?
  • The Sailor Moon Book, Her Eternal Moonlight, still drops end of the month – and I finished the final review of the print copy after having to make two small, embarrassing, fixes (literally a missing/wrong letter). Now it’s just podcasts, blog posts, and waiting. I’m finding I like a buffer for launch incase – like say finding two small issues.
  • As for other writing, here’s more detail – I have some small books in the work with no deadline, and two large (physical) books to start in 2016. One of those will be a look at the psychology of random/procedural generation, another is a different pop-culture investigation. Neither have a set deadline, but I expect the random generation book to be done in around 12-15 months, and the pop culture one in about 15-18.

That’s it for me – what about you?

– Steve

Civic Diary: 9/5/2016

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)

Been awhile on one of these hasn’t it?  Nope, haven’t forgotten, but it’s been a crazy few weeks.  Work, book launch, friends had problems, more work,a class.  It honestly got on top of me.

This also means my civic engagement has been low – right when I wanted to get more involved, after going through some pretty crazy adventures finding out just how I could be.

No excuses, I had to prioritize and was exhausted.  But there’s lessons in this.

Civic Diary Lessons: Priority.

I actually am a pretty planned guy- shocking, I know.  I usually have plans, however rough, about 12-15 months out.  My months also include general plans (do X on Y days).  So how did all of this get on top of me to the point where I’m just now getting to my GOTV plans?

Simple.  I didn’t really plan.

When you’re organized you can decide to do something but not look ahead on everything else.  You’ve got a plan right?  It’s not hard to introduce one new thing?

Actually, it is.  It’s easy to say “a few hours here or there” or “I’m not doing anything that Saturday” and miss the much larger context.  Could you be interrupted?  Will you have the energy to do your “new thing?”  What will your psychological state be?

When you got a plan, you don’t just swap something in.  You don’t think you’re so organized you can make time.  You make a new plan.

Sure I had one – a vauge one – but it wasn’t enough.  It wasn’t paced.  It didn’t acknowledge realities.

It’s probably as I’m experimenting with larger civic engagement.  But lesson learned – civic engagement is something that I need to do as part of the rest of my plans.  Set aside time, know my limits.  Do more when I can, less when other things call.

A good lesson for you too.  Also, maybe start small – I think I overdid it.

Other Activities On The Civic Front

So where am I otherwise:

  1. I found you can do GOTV online.  Planning to do that, and maybe a meetup later.
  2. Longer-term still looking at being involved in communications.  But that is for – yes – an actual plan.  As in I can figure it out after the Election.
  3. News-wise the news media has been erratic to dismal this election, so I’ve taken a bigger interest in media watchdogs.  Signed up for some action alerts to help me stay on top of things.
  4. I haven’t written my reps on much lately.  I’m setting my alert on that to weekly.
  5. Donate.  Because seriously, money matters.

 

That’s it for me.  Hopefully I’ll have more useful insights next week now that I’m getting back in the swing of things.

– Steve