Steven Savage's Blog, page 67
November 16, 2017
A Writer’s Life: Experiments
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)
Remember my goal to write at least 24K words, probably 30K, this month? Yeah, still having issues with trying to force myself. The idea of giving myself space had helped, but I still felt like I was forcing myself. This caused some analysis that you may find useful.
Why was I still feeling like I was forcing myself? I didn’t have to go very deep to figure that out.
I felt like I had to do everything right. Or that I had t...
November 13, 2017
Steve’s Update 11/13/2017
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)
It’s my weekly Scrum style standup for my audience, so what’s up?
So what have I done the last weeks? “A Bridge To The Quiet Planet”: I am now into Chapter 12 and am planning to blitz on this to try and get the draft done by EOY. Frankly I think I have to ram through it. Chapter 11 did not get deployed yet, just got busy. Way With Worlds Minibook #6: Is done and off to editor this week! Giveaway: Food, Culture, and Worldbui...A Writer’s Life: Space
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)
This month I’m trying to write at least 24,000 words, preferably 30,000. This isn’t due to any NaNoWriMo thing, it’s a personal challenge to up my productivity. In setting this goal, I ran into a problem.
I’d set aside time to write, but it felt constrained. A punishment, a forced duty.
Yet when I’d get writing, I’d often enjoy it. I find that even when you don’t want to write, doing it for five minutes usually unblocks yo...
November 11, 2017
A Writer’s Life: Cover Me III – Electric Fantasy
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)
Remember how I was practicing making book covers? How I was posting them on tumblr and elsewhere?
I got my first “professional” assignment.
Now this isn’t professional in the paid way, but in the “on an actual book someone publishes” way. I’m helping out an ambitious co-worker with a love of pulp SF to put out his e-book. I of course volunteered to do the cover. He gets it for free, I get practice, and it probably won’t suck.
...November 8, 2017
My Agile Life: More Talking Less Meeting
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve’s LinkedIn, and Steve’s Tumblr)
More on my use of “Agile” and Scrum in my life!
As I’ve noted, doing personal Agile (in my case Scrum) makes you more aware of ways Agile goes wrong on the job or in your friend’s jobs. It’s contrast, because you can get your life running smoothly with Agile, so breakdowns elsewhere become more apparent.
An important part of Agile is that people communicate, often several times a day, perhaps even unschedule...
November 5, 2017
Steve’s Update 11/5/2017
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)
It’s my weekly Scrum style standup for my audience, so what’s up?
So what have I done the last weeks? “A Bridge To The Quiet Planet”: Chapter 11 is done. Way With Worlds Minibook #6: is just under 80% done, though it also will need a good edit. Sales: To celebrate NaNoWriMo coming up Way With Worlds Book 2 is on sale this week! Other Stuff: Mostly chores and other things. Months end and month’s start and all. What am I goin...October 30, 2017
Steve’s Update 10/30/2017
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)
It’s my weekly Scrum style standup for my audience, so what’s up?
So what have I done the last weeks? “A Bridge To The Quiet Planet”: Chapter 9 and 10 are out to pre-readers! Way With Worlds Minibook #5: Is go! Go get it! Sales: To celebrate NaNoWriMo coming up Way With Worlds Book 1 is on sale this week! Other Stuff: Mostly wrap-up. What am I going to do this week: Way With Worlds Minibook #6: I hope to restart it this we...October 29, 2017
My Latest Worldbuilding Book Is Out: Checkups!
My latest Worldbuilding Book is out! This one is a Checkup to see how your world and documentation is doing! A good buy if you’re pretty good on the details, but want to check your big picture. Think of it as a good way to stay on an even keel.
As always, if you want to review let me know . . .
The post My Latest Worldbuilding Book Is Out: Checkups! appeared first on Steven Savage.
October 27, 2017
My Agile Life: Pull
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve’s LinkedIn, and Steve’s Tumblr)
More on my use of “Agile” and Scrum in my life!
Let’s talk Pull, Agile, and personal productivity. Unfortunately this requires some backstory so I’ll try to keep it short.
I use Scrum as my Agile method to keep life in order. That’s basically “have an ordered list of stuff to do, choose what to do in a timeframe from the top priority, do it, revise, repeat.” One of the foundational methods of Agile is Kanba...October 25, 2017
In Praise Of Your Crappy Book
(With NaNoWriMo coming up, let me give you a bit of a boost)
So you wrote a book. You self-published it or may self-publish it. It’s just that, down deep, you think it’s kind of crappy. Guess what, I don’t care if it’s crappy – it may indeed be crappy. I want you to know why this is great.
First, let me note that it’s probably not as bad as you think. The ability to see our work as awful is a blessing and a curse to writers, but I oft find writers suffer from low self-esteem over egomania. We...
