Another year

As another year comes to a close, I look back at this blog and wonder “Where the hell have I been?”

This blog has suffered long spates of inattention. A lot of it is due to my other blog (that totally geeky gaming one), and some of it is due to school, work, and life in general. But, I have to admit, a lot is due to just a general malaise that has taken over my mental self.

I don’t know if it’s the academic burnout I know I am feeling. Or if it’s the apathy I often feel when I start to think that nothing I write, or dream up, is any good. Or maybe even the recurring health-issues that just sap my energy. Chances are, it’s a combination of all of that and more.

But, the year wasn’t a total loss. I did manage to complete one short story and submit it to a publisher. I made progress on a handful of other shorts, one of which is very close to completion. I did a lot of game-writing, actually. I self-published an entire superhero RPG, a couple of small supplements, and the first issue of a gaming fanzine (which flopped like a trout in a boat). So, there’s that.

2015 does promise to be a bit better, though. I expect to have my Master’s degree by summer. Though the prospect of having to start paying back student loans soon after frightens me, I have done some research on some opportunities that the degree will bring. And once I no longer have to stress about writing stuff I have to write, I can focus more on writing stuff I want to write.

One thing I’m not going to do is announce publically what my writing plans are. Every time I do that, I can almost hear the collective eye-roll as my readers think “Yeah, sure you will.” Instead, I will make announcements about what I have done. Which, if history serves, means that my announcements will be few and far between.

I would also like to read a lot more. For pleasure. I probably average maybe four novels in a given year. I’d like to double that. Maybe even triple it. I have stacks and stacks of books, and more keep coming in as I “comfort shop” at Half-Priced Books a lot. Their bargain section is downright dangerous for me.

That being said, I think I am going to pare down my book collection. I might even post titles I want to get rid of, and see if anyone is interested in buying or trading for them. And that includes Roleplaying Games. I have a ton that I will probably never play. I’m going to keep all of my D&D core books (from every edition), but some of the other games will probably just go away.

All-in-all I’m hoping to make 2015 a year of forward momentum. Making progress and improving my life in general. Lately I have been very stressed out over a lot of things, and it’s high time I start trimming the fat, and streamlining my life.