Too Many Projects/Hobbies
As I sit and ponder in a rare moment of quiet, I realize that I'm really stressed and my head is spinning from "everything" I have agreed to do. Unfortunately, I haven't quite figured out what all it is I have promised to do and the hobbies I am participating it. I think, not actually remembering all of my current obligations is part of what is making me stress. It's part of why I refused to join NaNoWriMo this year as well. So, I'm going to see what I have on my plate (that I remember) and honestly figure out if I can do/participate in them. This is over and above my busy-busy job at Microsoft.
Long Term & Continuing Projects/Hobbies
Sovereign Press/Professional RPG writing. This takes the top slot and priority. This helps me move in the direction I want to go. I have just finished a writing gig on Holy Order of Stars for Dragonlance and I'm eagerly awaiting my next professional gig from them.
NERO Seattle. This is a big project and hobby I have just agreed to take on. This includes a whole lot of writing, story plotting and paperwork. I will be writing up and/or editing all of the race packages. That is fourteen in all. I have agreed to help write up the NERO Seattle GM Bible and Player's Guide. I've also volunteered to do things like create an NPC history binder. Plus, I will be NPCing at events and eventually getting my own character.
Grants Pass. This is the post-apocalyptic anthology that I have started putting together to hopefully sell. I am definitely on my way and I have interest from both a publisher and professional authors.
Evolution. This is a possible RPG world building, fiction writing and/or editing gig. Professional but not for pay - yet. I am still investigating this one. If I like what I hear, this may be a long term project. So far, it sounds very interesting.
Regresser's Evolution. Yes. This novel is not done, yet. It is still on third round edits and is actually next in the queue of my personal writing. As soon as it is done, the query and synopsis letters need to be written and sent out.
Gosstiny. This is the next ticking time bomb of a HUGE personal writing project. I have a story, called Breaking the Chains, that needs to be written. However, the story spans about two and a half decades in a complex set of civilizations. So, I need to write up the Universe bible first. I have a good idea of how to do it but little time. It has not been started but it looms... and begs to be written. It is required to wait until after Regresser's Evolution is done.
Monthly LARPs. I am currently involved in a monthly LARP, Crimson Dawn, that does take up some of my time but I love it too much to give it up. The other LARP, Heirs to the Fall, I believe is about to die a horrible death or I am going to bow out of the game.
Regular Tabletop Gaming. I have two every other week games. One is on the weekend and is pretty casual. One is during the week and pretty regular. I'm beginning to think I am not going to be able to keep up with the weekday game because of my writing obligations.
[A] Night. I have a weekly Anime/Lost/Whatever night that I host on Wednesdays. It is a time sync but I enjoy seeing my friends this night. I don't want to give it up.
The Seattle Field Trip Club. I promised myself that I would do the Seattle tourist and culture tour once I moved here. So, now I'm going to do it. Even if it is just me. Once a month, an event will be planned and attended. Whether it is a tourist event like the Seattle Underground or a culture event like the Symphony or both such as a planned trip to Powell's. Leigh Ann has promised to help me out with this.
LJ Gaming. I'm in a Buffy game on LJ. It takes up time to RP and write journal entries. I want to continue playing with this but I honestly don't know if I have the time to do it justice. I'm still deciding that.
Long Distance Gaming. I promised Rich that I would write up a character for his 7th Sea game and play via email. Also, I promised GregE I would PBE with Chrome Molly. Man, I really want to. Honestly, I do. But, I've now realized that I just can't and feeling guilty about not doing so is too much stress.
Short Term Projects/Hobbies
A Dance of Fate. This is the LARP that Bill and I are going to put on for DundraCon as the troupe Endless Adventures. I have promised to write up the bulk of characters and some of the plots. Then, hand it over to Bill for flushing out and itemization.
The Grants Pass Website. I've decided I need to post a simple website for the Grants Pass anthology. A page that I can always refer people to.
Updating Author sites. I really need to get off my butt and update both of my author sites: Jennifer Brozek and Eden Blackthorn. I have had several publications and acceptances since the last time I updated each. (Edit: Ok. Eden Blackthorn is up-to-date.)
Setting up the Seattle Field Trip Club. It's just going to be a moderated LJ group with people invited to it but it still needs to be set up.
Yep. Looking at the above list, I am a bit overloaded. Also, none of it addresses my desire to continue writing and publishing short stories. (I just got "Tequila Shiver" accepted by "Down & Dirty 3" to be published in May 2005 while "Silk Stockings" is going to be published in "MOIST" in December 2004.) I need to get organized in my to do lists to keep up with what needs to be done when. I've been rather scattered as of late without realizing it. I think, once I get things more organized, the stress and worry will be reduced since I will know what I'm working on when.
Saturday was a day of very girly shopping with Leigh-Ann. I can't remember the last time I went clothes shopping with another female who wasn't my mom. We drove all over the place and I spent a decent amount of money. Some of it on shirts for me. Some of it on costumes for a NERO NPC that popped out of my head at a plot meeting and has now been mightily twisted by the rest of the plot team. The only problem I see with this is me freezing my ass off at the game because the costumes aren't that warm. I also have an idea for my PC character who won't appear until January or February because I need the costume made.
Saturday night, I went out to the Mercury with DaveO and Leigh-Ann. It was a good time. I wrote some really awful (no, really... so awful it might be amusing) drunken poetry based on what I was seeing as I people watched. Seattle doesn't have the same feel as San Francisco but man, I do love to people watch at the Mercury. I would like to go more often. Though, less drinking. TWO drinks (a black orchid and a vampire's kiss) had me on my ass. I think I'm just going to stick to vampire kisses from now on. Less of a kick and better tasting - a mixture of Chambord, Amaretto and a spritzer, I believe. Yum!
You know, the Mercury is really good fodder for writing material. It is a privately own goth club that is hidden away in Seattle that you have to KNOW where it is to get to it. There are no signs advertising it. Just a funky symbol on a non-descript door that doesn't look like it is, in any way, a dance club. Once inside, if you are not a member, you need a member to guest you in. After a while of you coming, someone will start recognizing you and will eventually ask if you want to become a member. You pay your one time fee and then you're in. I'm still a guest. I want to get better clothes for the club and go more often.
Sunday, we had plans for a group of us to visit Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. All of the boys had to cancel. One had a school emergency. One had a work emergency. One had an SO emergency. So, it was just me and Leigh-Ann again. We had a fabulous time. I am in LOVELOVELOVE with Elliot Bay Books. I truly am. It's an old brick building with lots of old wood stairs and many levels of books. Plus, a café and a reading room downstairs. Just a wonderful place. Plus, we found the cutest paper store called the Paper Cat and an amazing one-of-a-kind crystal, mineral, fossil, rock store called Agate Designs. Unfortunately, everything was really expensive and they don't have a website or a magazine. You have to come there to find the interesting stuff.
It was very full and very fun weekend.
Tarot Card for the Day: Seven of Cups
