Find Your Block

by

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

As I’ve spoken of before, it’s a good idea to make space for your creative works. Setting aside blocks of time for your work over trying to plan every hour is really beneficial. Having elaborate plans makes most of us feel pressure, having space to work feels like freedom.

However, as I’ve talked to creative types, I’ve found something else: we each have different “ideal” sizes of blocks and how to arrange them.

My idea block of creative time seems to be at least an hour, preferably more. It probably tops out at about two to four hours when I need a break.

On the other hand, I met a person who sets aside entire weekends to write and can churn out over 50,000 words over two days.

Why is this important?

First, finding your ideal creative “block time” means you can work out your schedule so you have time to create. It could be an hour at a time, so you can arrange many different efforts into an evening. It could be you need big blocks of time, so you pick a weekend day to do creative works.

Secondly, finding your ideal creative “block time” removes pressure on yourself. We creatives are constantly hearing how we should create, but finding how we create makes it ours. We may be able to use all that creative advice, but in our way.

Third, simply, you learn a lot about how you work. Finding the ideal timeframe for you to create lets you learn why. Other insights will probably follow.

So ask yourself – what is your ideal block of time to set aside for creative works? You might be surprised where that question goes . . .

Steven Savage

Steve’s Update 2/16/2020

by

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

Let’s see where all my projects are – you’re also going to notice slight schedule switchup. I’m doing these the same time as my newsletter so everyone gets an update.

So what have I done since last time?

  • Way With Worlds: The Gods and Deities Book has been published! You can go buy it here!
  • Way With Worlds: I’ve also started the next book – Conspiracies And Secrets!
  • A School Of Many Futures: I’m now editing the first draft, a mix of re-outlining and rewriting.

What’s next?

  • Way With Worlds: Work more on Conspiracies and Secrets. I think the likely publication date is late March.
  • A School Of Many Futures: I want to heavily edit the first three chapters and replot the remaining nine or ten chapters.
  • Seventh Sanctum: I’ve gotten some help on the Python coding as there’s real subtleties. My goal now is to get the advanced generators coded in the next 2-6 weeks.

Steven Savage

Cooking With Steve: “Northern Pizza”

by

In my book series, there is pizza. Sure the worlds around the star Avenoth are fictional, but pizza exists there. In fact, in two forms: Northern and Eastern.

Eastern pizza is like the pizza we’re used to, with a bit of a Korean/Mediterranean flair. Thin crust, lots of stuff.

But Northern Pizza, the original pizza, is different – its thick bread baked with mashed beans, greens, and spices. A one-stop lunch that originated in large bakeries and working-class restaurants.

So I decided to try and create it. Here’s the recipe – so far

Ingredients:

  • One whole wheat pita or thick, large slice of German Farm Bread or similar thick, dark bread.
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup Hummus (or mash up garbanzo beans, 1 tbsp crushed garlic, 2 tbsp lemon juice).
  • 1 cup highly shredded greens like spinach or highly chopped broccoli. Add some onion if you want.

Instruction:

  • Mix greens and hummus.
  • Spread evenly on bread.
  • Bake until toasted and top is slightly browned.
  • Serve.

I’ve made this a few times and really enjoy it. I’ve got to perfect it a bit, but as a kind of “open face hummus burrito” it’s good. Doubtlessly I’ll experiment more – and maybe tweak my backstories a bit.