C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 116
April 4, 2018
Publishing Overview: March 2018
March’s progress started well, but then slowed down in the last two weeks due to a back injury. A note to all you other writers out there: If you want to keep writing, you have to care for your back. Exercise might be a pain, but it is also essential to your health. Don’t neglect it, until you wish you hadn’t. Live longer, and write longer.
Progress: March 2018
New words produced: 37,384Outlines and Notes: 21,758Words compiled: 22,393Works completed: 3 ( Dear Tiger: Let’s Go A-Hunting; Dear Tiger: Help me Find my Sisters; 1 x FF)Works edited: 3 ( Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab ; Dear Tiger Omnibus; Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins)Covers created: 4 ( Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil's Host; Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab; Dear Tiger: Help Me Find My Sisters; The Dear Tiger Omnibus )Works published: 3 ( Dear Tiger: Don’t Look Back; Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab; Dreams of the Serpent )Works released: 3 ( Memory’s Vampire; Dear Tiger: Don’t Look Back; Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab )Works submitted: 0Competitions entered: 0Bloggery: 15,008Hours at Desk—March 2018: 201 hours 43 minutesHours at Desk—February 2018: 183 hours 50 minutesHours at Desk—January 2018: 180 hours 3 minutes
Progress: March 2018
New words produced: 37,384Outlines and Notes: 21,758Words compiled: 22,393Works completed: 3 ( Dear Tiger: Let’s Go A-Hunting; Dear Tiger: Help me Find my Sisters; 1 x FF)Works edited: 3 ( Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab ; Dear Tiger Omnibus; Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins)Covers created: 4 ( Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil's Host; Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab; Dear Tiger: Help Me Find My Sisters; The Dear Tiger Omnibus )Works published: 3 ( Dear Tiger: Don’t Look Back; Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab; Dreams of the Serpent )Works released: 3 ( Memory’s Vampire; Dear Tiger: Don’t Look Back; Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab )Works submitted: 0Competitions entered: 0Bloggery: 15,008Hours at Desk—March 2018: 201 hours 43 minutesHours at Desk—February 2018: 183 hours 50 minutesHours at Desk—January 2018: 180 hours 3 minutes
Camp NaNoWriMo: Days 4-5
Just a quick post to update the progress.
I have discovered music – yes, all over again. I find that, if I listen to the right pieces, with minimal lyrics and a good, strong beat. I struggled to get the words down for the first couple days of the month, but these last two, they have come more easily, because I’ve been able to focus where I couldn’t, before. So, without further ado:
Day 4, April 4, 2018: I added 5,119 words to Blaedergil’s Host , as well as writing 1,627 words of flash fiction (spread over 4 pieces), and 402 words of poetry, split over 2 pieces.
Day 5, April 5, 2018: I added, 5,169 words to Blaedergil’s Host , and am just about to embark on the daily flash fiction and poetry journeys for the day.
I stayed off Mack's radar for a good three months, or so I'd thought. Maybe he was just letting me run. He found me, kicked my ass and hauled me right back on board. He'd been doing that on and off for the past two years. Problem was, Odyssey was also on my tail, and, when this job was done, Mack was supposed to hand me back. Not gonna happen. And, now I was back to Square One: Kick free of Odyssey & kick free of Mack... just as soon as the mission was done, because how could I turn my back on *that*?
April 3, 2018
National Poetry Month: Day 4, Verse 3
It's National Poetry Month, so we'll kick the day off with another verse - this one about dragons:
Hearts Betrayed
Written on April 4, 2018, for the February 16 entry of Another 365 Days of Poetry, this poem is dragon-related. It was meant to be a Petrarchan sonnet, but chose its own path—and who was I to deny it?
The dragons came, wing over wing,bodies burning, eyes bright with flame,The dragons came, did chaos bring,and our lives could never be the same.
“Bring him to me,” the she commanded,“Bring him, now,” her escort demanded.But no-one moved, or made a soundand the ‘he’ they spoke of could not be found.
“He’s left us,” the whisper finally came,and Blaedwin stepped forth, her visage pained.“He’s left us. You are not the only one betrayed.He was unfaithful, and with our hearts he played.”
The dragon-she bent her neck to seewhich human spoke in tones of grief,to which other she, had her lover lied,from which other she he’d run and hide.
“Come,” she said. “We’ll hunt together.”But Blaedwen shook her head.“No,” she answered. “To heal is better.”“Let’s live anew, instead.”
Hearts Betrayed
Written on April 4, 2018, for the February 16 entry of Another 365 Days of Poetry, this poem is dragon-related. It was meant to be a Petrarchan sonnet, but chose its own path—and who was I to deny it?
The dragons came, wing over wing,bodies burning, eyes bright with flame,The dragons came, did chaos bring,and our lives could never be the same.
“Bring him to me,” the she commanded,“Bring him, now,” her escort demanded.But no-one moved, or made a soundand the ‘he’ they spoke of could not be found.
“He’s left us,” the whisper finally came,and Blaedwin stepped forth, her visage pained.“He’s left us. You are not the only one betrayed.He was unfaithful, and with our hearts he played.”
The dragon-she bent her neck to seewhich human spoke in tones of grief,to which other she, had her lover lied,from which other she he’d run and hide.
“Come,” she said. “We’ll hunt together.”But Blaedwen shook her head.“No,” she answered. “To heal is better.”“Let’s live anew, instead.”
PokemonGo in the Scanner: The Weather's Shifted
In other news, today I finally worked out where the weather icon went. It used to sit at the bottom right-hand side of the screen, just above the window for finding nearby pokemon.
In all the excitement of the new PokemonGo Missions, I lost where it was, and didn't even really think to look for it... until today, when I had to catch a serious amount of weather-affected pokemon. it took me a bit, but I finally realised the weather icon is now located in the top right of the screen... which is kind of appropriate when it's a sun - when it reminds me of a kid's drawing of the outdoors.
In all the excitement of the new PokemonGo Missions, I lost where it was, and didn't even really think to look for it... until today, when I had to catch a serious amount of weather-affected pokemon. it took me a bit, but I finally realised the weather icon is now located in the top right of the screen... which is kind of appropriate when it's a sun - when it reminds me of a kid's drawing of the outdoors.
Ingress in the Scanner: Goodbye Guardian
Today, Ingress announced that the Guardian Medal was being retired - and I am glad.
Of all the medals, this one has been behind most of the angst and stress I have seen in fellow players, and I am glad to see it go, because of this. It has also been the main means I have seen players use to taunt their opposition, and not in a game-friendly way.
Of all the medals, this one has also puzzled me the most, just from the point of view that, if no player can truly 'own' or 'lay claim' to a portal, why was there a reward for doing so for a long period of time?
And, of all the medals, this one did not really require skill or teamwork to achieve (although I would argue that teamwork plays a great part in longevity, and smart selection occasionally helped, while remembering to recharge was an essential skill, too). However, those three points aside, what this medal mostly required was persistence in seeding portals, and a lot of dumb luck.
For example, given the high-level of portal hunting in the Canberra region, I was extremely lucky to achieve any level in mine, and I only managed it because I seeded one while on holiday interstate and was lucky enough to have fellow team members who just happened to come along afterwards, and who were generous enough to bolster it with stronger resonators and shields.Without these players, and its relatively remote location, that portal would not have lasted as long, however , it was chance I seeded it where I did, and sheer luck those players came along when they did, and were inclined to help - and for that I am very grateful.
It was also luck that a player from the opposing team didn't come along and take it out sooner. Cheats, data scraping, and active hunting aside, the portal could have been taken at any time by an opposing green with enough blasters, who came along at a moment when I wasn't focussed on the game - and there were a lot of those.
So, I'm happy that new players (of either side) won't see this medal (in the same way that they, like me, won't see the Seer medal), because it means that they will also not experience the stress of waiting for the days to pass without 'their' portal changing colour, and nor will they feel like they are being bullied, hunted, picked on, or deliberately (and spitefully) denied a chance at achieving it.
Now, would I feel the same, if I hadn't achieved onyx? In the end, yes, although I would still have been disappointed, in the same way I am disappointed I can't improve my Ace Trainer medal in PokemonGo, even though I love the new Gym system.
So, it's goodbye to the Guardian, but hopefully hello to a better game. I can't wait to see what Niantic come up with next.
Of all the medals, this one has been behind most of the angst and stress I have seen in fellow players, and I am glad to see it go, because of this. It has also been the main means I have seen players use to taunt their opposition, and not in a game-friendly way.Of all the medals, this one has also puzzled me the most, just from the point of view that, if no player can truly 'own' or 'lay claim' to a portal, why was there a reward for doing so for a long period of time?
And, of all the medals, this one did not really require skill or teamwork to achieve (although I would argue that teamwork plays a great part in longevity, and smart selection occasionally helped, while remembering to recharge was an essential skill, too). However, those three points aside, what this medal mostly required was persistence in seeding portals, and a lot of dumb luck.
For example, given the high-level of portal hunting in the Canberra region, I was extremely lucky to achieve any level in mine, and I only managed it because I seeded one while on holiday interstate and was lucky enough to have fellow team members who just happened to come along afterwards, and who were generous enough to bolster it with stronger resonators and shields.Without these players, and its relatively remote location, that portal would not have lasted as long, however , it was chance I seeded it where I did, and sheer luck those players came along when they did, and were inclined to help - and for that I am very grateful.
It was also luck that a player from the opposing team didn't come along and take it out sooner. Cheats, data scraping, and active hunting aside, the portal could have been taken at any time by an opposing green with enough blasters, who came along at a moment when I wasn't focussed on the game - and there were a lot of those.
So, I'm happy that new players (of either side) won't see this medal (in the same way that they, like me, won't see the Seer medal), because it means that they will also not experience the stress of waiting for the days to pass without 'their' portal changing colour, and nor will they feel like they are being bullied, hunted, picked on, or deliberately (and spitefully) denied a chance at achieving it.
Now, would I feel the same, if I hadn't achieved onyx? In the end, yes, although I would still have been disappointed, in the same way I am disappointed I can't improve my Ace Trainer medal in PokemonGo, even though I love the new Gym system.
So, it's goodbye to the Guardian, but hopefully hello to a better game. I can't wait to see what Niantic come up with next.
Camp NaNoWriMo: Days 2-3
In addition to National Poetry Month, April is also Camp NaNoWriMo. Progress so far has been slow, but, today I kicked it up a gear.
April 2: Blaedergil’s Host: added a total of 1,679 words, well short of the 3,000-word target minimum. On the upside, however, a very long walk has made my back feel a lot better.
April 3: Blaedergil’s Host: added a total of 5,062 words, a thousand over the 4,000-word daily target. (I decided I had ground to make up.) I did manage two half-hour walks today, and my back is no longer causing me pain, even though it remains stiff.
I stayed off Mack's radar for a good three months, or so I'd thought. Maybe he was just letting me run. He found me, kicked my ass and hauled me right back on board. He'd been doing that on and off for the past two years. Problem was, Odyssey was also on my tail, and, when this job was done, Mack was supposed to hand me back. Not gonna happen. And, now I was back to Square One: Kick free of Odyssey & kick free of Mack... just as soon as the mission was done, because how could I turn my back on *that*?
April 2: Blaedergil’s Host: added a total of 1,679 words, well short of the 3,000-word target minimum. On the upside, however, a very long walk has made my back feel a lot better.
April 3: Blaedergil’s Host: added a total of 5,062 words, a thousand over the 4,000-word daily target. (I decided I had ground to make up.) I did manage two half-hour walks today, and my back is no longer causing me pain, even though it remains stiff.
I stayed off Mack's radar for a good three months, or so I'd thought. Maybe he was just letting me run. He found me, kicked my ass and hauled me right back on board. He'd been doing that on and off for the past two years. Problem was, Odyssey was also on my tail, and, when this job was done, Mack was supposed to hand me back. Not gonna happen. And, now I was back to Square One: Kick free of Odyssey & kick free of Mack... just as soon as the mission was done, because how could I turn my back on *that*?
April 2, 2018
PokemonGo Missions: Day 3
I started yesterday, with the following missions waiting for completion. Given my progress, it didn't take me long to earn my first stamp of the day, and the Bronze medal for being a Pokemon Ranger.
Given I was walking by a lake, it was nice to see a fishy - even if it was on the path, and not over the water. Mind you, that goal to make 3 Nice throws in a row, was a LOT harder than it looked, but at least the game let you know when you broke your streak. Also nice to know was that any throw better than Nice - such as Great or Excellent, for example - counted as Nice (given it was better), for which I am very grateful.
By the end of the day, I had managed to walk the 12 kilometres I needed, in order to earn 4 more Snubbul candies and complete Chapter 4 of "A Mythical Discovery". Mind you, I get the impression that the next set of tasks might not be completed so quickly.
Given I was walking by a lake, it was nice to see a fishy - even if it was on the path, and not over the water. Mind you, that goal to make 3 Nice throws in a row, was a LOT harder than it looked, but at least the game let you know when you broke your streak. Also nice to know was that any throw better than Nice - such as Great or Excellent, for example - counted as Nice (given it was better), for which I am very grateful.
By the end of the day, I had managed to walk the 12 kilometres I needed, in order to earn 4 more Snubbul candies and complete Chapter 4 of "A Mythical Discovery". Mind you, I get the impression that the next set of tasks might not be completed so quickly.
Progress Report: March 25-31,2018
Progress was slow last week, due to ongoing issues with my back. Desk time was minimal, and I increased my walking to counteract the back issues (as you can see from the PokemonGo reports). I am sitting and writing this in one of my first pain-free moments for over a fortnight, and will have to adjust my writing schedule to incorporate more standing activity, if I want to be able to continue to write for extended periods of time. This week will be a madhouse as I build a little extra into each day’s schedule so that I can begin the slow process of catching up.
Also, it’s April – and there are several projects on the go, in addition to the usual half dozen.
Progress: March 25-31, 2018
New words produced: 7,615Outlines and Notes: 2,249Words compiled: 0Works completed: 1 ( Dear Tiger: Help Me Find My Sisters )Works edited: 0 Covers created: 2 ( Dear Tiger: Help Me Find My Sisters , The Dear Tiger Omnibus )Works published: 0Works released: 3 ( Memory’s Vampire; Dear Tiger: Don’t Look Back; Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab )Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0Bloggery: 0Hours at Desk—March 25-31: 29 hours 40 minutesHours at Desk—March 18-24: 52 hours 17 minutesHours at Desk—March 11-17: 35 hours 30 minutesHours at Desk—March 4-10: 50 hours 6 minutesHours at Desk—March 1-3: 27 hours 24 minutesFebruary Hours at Desk: 183 hours 50 minutesJanuary Hours at Desk: 180 hours 3 minute
Goal Progress
Publish Fortnightly Goal: The last three releases for April are currently undergoing the editing and formatting process. Three of May’s six releases have been completed and sent to editing, and three more are currently being written. This goal remains on track.
March
April
May (so far):
Short Story a Month Goal: No advances to report. This goal remains on track.
January February March
April May June
Chapter Book a Month Goal: Both chapter books for April have been written and are currently undergoing the editing and formatting process. The chapter book for May has been outlined and commenced. This goal remains on track.
Novel a Quarter Goal: April's novel is completed. May’s novel has been commenced. This goal remains on track.
Publishing 3-Months Ahead Goal: This goal is not yet on track.
Finishing Series-I-Have-Started Goal: No advances to report. This goal remains on track.
Anthology Challenge
No advances to report. This goal remains on track.
Chapter-Book-Collection Challenge
This challenge has changed from publishing one chapter book collection per month in the year 2020, to publishing 12 complete chapter book collections and the individual books in each series by the end of 2020. Currently, Book 6 in the Dear Tiger series has been completed, and will release this month, and the Omnibus, collecting all 6 books in one place, will be released in May 2018. Book 6 of the Rocky/Otherworld Adventure series has been outlined and is scheduled for release in May 2018, while the Rocky Adventures Omnibus will be released in June 2018.
Also, it’s April – and there are several projects on the go, in addition to the usual half dozen.
Progress: March 25-31, 2018
New words produced: 7,615Outlines and Notes: 2,249Words compiled: 0Works completed: 1 ( Dear Tiger: Help Me Find My Sisters )Works edited: 0 Covers created: 2 ( Dear Tiger: Help Me Find My Sisters , The Dear Tiger Omnibus )Works published: 0Works released: 3 ( Memory’s Vampire; Dear Tiger: Don’t Look Back; Dear Tiger: I Like Your Lab )Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0Bloggery: 0Hours at Desk—March 25-31: 29 hours 40 minutesHours at Desk—March 18-24: 52 hours 17 minutesHours at Desk—March 11-17: 35 hours 30 minutesHours at Desk—March 4-10: 50 hours 6 minutesHours at Desk—March 1-3: 27 hours 24 minutesFebruary Hours at Desk: 183 hours 50 minutesJanuary Hours at Desk: 180 hours 3 minute
Goal Progress
Publish Fortnightly Goal: The last three releases for April are currently undergoing the editing and formatting process. Three of May’s six releases have been completed and sent to editing, and three more are currently being written. This goal remains on track.
March
April
May (so far):
Short Story a Month Goal: No advances to report. This goal remains on track.
January February March
April May June
Chapter Book a Month Goal: Both chapter books for April have been written and are currently undergoing the editing and formatting process. The chapter book for May has been outlined and commenced. This goal remains on track.
Novel a Quarter Goal: April's novel is completed. May’s novel has been commenced. This goal remains on track.
Publishing 3-Months Ahead Goal: This goal is not yet on track.
Finishing Series-I-Have-Started Goal: No advances to report. This goal remains on track.
Anthology Challenge
No advances to report. This goal remains on track.
Chapter-Book-Collection Challenge
This challenge has changed from publishing one chapter book collection per month in the year 2020, to publishing 12 complete chapter book collections and the individual books in each series by the end of 2020. Currently, Book 6 in the Dear Tiger series has been completed, and will release this month, and the Omnibus, collecting all 6 books in one place, will be released in May 2018. Book 6 of the Rocky/Otherworld Adventure series has been outlined and is scheduled for release in May 2018, while the Rocky Adventures Omnibus will be released in June 2018.
National Poetry Month: Day 3
Written for a collection due for release at the end of the year, and shared in honour of National Poetry Month:
A Mystery of the Smiling Swamp
Written on April 3, 2018, for the February 11 entry of Another 365 Days of Poetry, this fantasy piece is themed with trolls and swamps, and the mystery of a vanished hero.
On the shores of the Smiling Swampthe trollman came and sawthe livid roiling waters looking like Hell’s maw.In armour made of dragon hide,he came and contemplatedthe way the waters boiled and shook,until his curiosity was sated.The Smiling Swamp, a beast untamed,a wild land no one controlled,the troll knight stretched, his mind made up.He’d never wanted to grow old.He stood upon the shore and roared,his voice a rolling challengethat echoed through the swampy sward,forshadowing the trollman’s war for a land to be avenged.Blood flows green in the Smiling Swamp,but it flows red as well,and the gas that gives the marsh its name,has no colour and no smell.Some say the troll knight vanishedeaten by that hellish land,and others say he conquereda tiny portion of its domain,but no man has ventured past its banks,to find the truth within,to see if the trollman vanishedor if those new nightmares are his kin.
A Mystery of the Smiling Swamp
Written on April 3, 2018, for the February 11 entry of Another 365 Days of Poetry, this fantasy piece is themed with trolls and swamps, and the mystery of a vanished hero.
On the shores of the Smiling Swampthe trollman came and sawthe livid roiling waters looking like Hell’s maw.In armour made of dragon hide,he came and contemplatedthe way the waters boiled and shook,until his curiosity was sated.The Smiling Swamp, a beast untamed,a wild land no one controlled,the troll knight stretched, his mind made up.He’d never wanted to grow old.He stood upon the shore and roared,his voice a rolling challengethat echoed through the swampy sward,forshadowing the trollman’s war for a land to be avenged.Blood flows green in the Smiling Swamp,but it flows red as well,and the gas that gives the marsh its name,has no colour and no smell.Some say the troll knight vanishedeaten by that hellish land,and others say he conquereda tiny portion of its domain,but no man has ventured past its banks,to find the truth within,to see if the trollman vanishedor if those new nightmares are his kin.
PokemonGo: Day 2 Mission
So, the PoGo Mission continues. Yesterday I started with three special missions, and on Chapter 2 of "A Mythical Discovery". Given that it was still the Easter Eggstravaganza event, that third goal didn't take long to get out of the way.
To earn my second sticker, I caught my third fire pokemon. That grass-based reward? That's a special pokemon that arrives for you to catch. In this case it was a cute little Magcargo with some very nice stats.
The day started out with heavy mist, so I shouldn't complain about the fire pokemon being around.
That double-up of Field Missions had me concerned. Sure, I had to do two raids for my Special Mission, anyway, but I wanted to know if doing one raid would count for both Field goals, or not. I was pleasantly surprised to find the first raid counted as completion of each separate Special Mission.
The other good news was that is still counted towards my Special Mission goal. Of course, I then had to go hunt down some more pokestops to spin, so I could find more Field Missions.
When I next "spoke" to Professor Willow, I saw that I had already achieved one of the tasks, in that I already had a silver Kanto medal. I wondered how that would pan out - not too badly, I discovered, because I got the reward straight away. And the next special mission wasn't too long arriving, either.
It was the Field Mission, I received after that one, that was going to cause a problem. You see, I can't throw a Curve ball to save myself... and I spent another 20 balls proving that this wasn't going to change anytime soon. 3 Great Curve Balls IN A ROW was not going to happen. I wondered what to do, and then I noticed that FIELD missions have a little trash can on the far right-hand side. (Special Missions do not.) I was able to erase this field mission and spin up a new one to replace it.
It's nice to know that, if you're faced with an impossible task you could change it - at least, if it's a Field Mission. I'm dreading what might happen for a Special Mission. By the end of the day, I'd completed 8 Field Missions.
I had the following tasks left, when I finished Day 2.
To earn my second sticker, I caught my third fire pokemon. That grass-based reward? That's a special pokemon that arrives for you to catch. In this case it was a cute little Magcargo with some very nice stats.
The day started out with heavy mist, so I shouldn't complain about the fire pokemon being around.
That double-up of Field Missions had me concerned. Sure, I had to do two raids for my Special Mission, anyway, but I wanted to know if doing one raid would count for both Field goals, or not. I was pleasantly surprised to find the first raid counted as completion of each separate Special Mission.
The other good news was that is still counted towards my Special Mission goal. Of course, I then had to go hunt down some more pokestops to spin, so I could find more Field Missions.
When I next "spoke" to Professor Willow, I saw that I had already achieved one of the tasks, in that I already had a silver Kanto medal. I wondered how that would pan out - not too badly, I discovered, because I got the reward straight away. And the next special mission wasn't too long arriving, either.
It was the Field Mission, I received after that one, that was going to cause a problem. You see, I can't throw a Curve ball to save myself... and I spent another 20 balls proving that this wasn't going to change anytime soon. 3 Great Curve Balls IN A ROW was not going to happen. I wondered what to do, and then I noticed that FIELD missions have a little trash can on the far right-hand side. (Special Missions do not.) I was able to erase this field mission and spin up a new one to replace it.
It's nice to know that, if you're faced with an impossible task you could change it - at least, if it's a Field Mission. I'm dreading what might happen for a Special Mission. By the end of the day, I'd completed 8 Field Missions.
I had the following tasks left, when I finished Day 2.
