C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 164

For Those Checking in on Babes

Babes in London was a labour of love for a game that captured my imagination. I wrote it for sheer enjoyment of the setting and I wrote it for the challenge of writing the prehistory for the characters to enjoy, which is one of the unique aspects of the game. When I put it up, I didn't realise I hadn't finished the third act, although the outline is in place. I've noticed your interest - every day for the last week and a bit and then some. Babes a non-earner for me as the company that owned it weren't interested in seeing the module when I queried and they're not open to unsolicited submissions. Because of this, I have had to prioritise work with earning potential ahead of it. Because it cannot be submitted, Babes remains an adventure written by a fan, not officially endorsed or acknowledged, but it is one I enjoyed writing. Because of your interest, I will now look at finishing it sooner rather than later, but I'm not sure it will be completed before the end of the year. I'm still working out my writing schedule, and I can't yet squeeze it in.

The Story Match Challenge—Day 19: July 25, 2015

Up at 0700 with the little one. Breakfast and so forth and then back to the computer. An hour of pfaffing about with Facebook, blogs and email, and then at 0830 I settled to write. The word goal is 2,800 and I rolled 28-The Heights of, and 28-Winter for my title. Should be interesting.
After a stop-start pull that ended around 1330, I had 4,800 words. Went back to it while cooking dinner and ended up with 5,146 words. It was weird, given I was convinced at 2,600 that I wouldn’t go much past 3,000. The tale started out as a Medilo story and reached out to include Odyssey and Miss Delight. Double bonus—I should have never expected it to be simple.So – on to the poems and flash.Done.Story Match Challenge: Complete— The Heights of Winter (science fiction – 5,146 words)Poetry: Complete—3 pieces; 384 wordsFlash Fiction: Complete— 3 pieces; 774 wordsWord Total for the Day: 6,475

The Story Match Challenge—Day 18: July 24, 2015

I woke with a headache, today. I managed to complete another two classes of prep today (and another 1,300 words of study-related matter) before the headache got me and I had to go soak in the tub and then nap. Woke about an hour later feeling much better and did a few chores before sitting down to type before watching Dr. Who with my littlest. The story grew to 500 words in a half hour, and then it was Dr. Who time, followed by a spot of knitting and the bedtime-story routine and then I sat back down to type. A paragraph into it and I remembered I hadn’t posted the last two blogs, so that happened, and then I got back to it.
Tonight’s story is aiming at 4,400 words and the randomly rolled title was 93-Years of and 89-Voyage, so Years of Voyage it was. It’s another story about a recently established colony. Tonight, I will have to listen to my body and stop when it says to, or I will be sick tomorrow, so I probably won’t complete the story, but we’ll see how it goes.Dean talked about the earning life of short storiesand how that earning potential has improved in recent times.I finished at 2,259 words. I seriously didn’t want to stop, but I don’t get to sleep in for however long I need and I’m tired and still not a hundred per cent, so I need to stop and sleep. Poetry and Flash Fiction were not completed.Total Words for Today: 4,527

The Story Match Challenge—Day 17: July 23, 2015

A.M.
Home all day, today. I have one short research essay to complete—which will take 3-4 days to research and about a day to finish the first draft on since we’ve only just started the subject. Not much room for writing, but I will make some time. Let myself sleep in, but will probably work late tonight as I have no classes tomorrow. Very much looking forward to a quiet house and a straight five-and-a-half-hour run at things.To get started on today’s challenge, I took a look at Dean’s blog. He is pretty amazing. Even when he’s had a full day and is tired, he manages to meet the challenge. Today, he wrote about how finding ideas in short stories is like finding unexpected books in bookstores and a little on the place of bookstores in a digital age.Today’s randomly rolled title is: 92-Year’s, and 02-Starfish, which morphed into “This Year’s Starfish”And that’s all I’ve got. School and study took up the day.We’ll chalk that up as another fail – although I did write another two poems AND completed my first assignment two weeks ahead of time AND prepared for the first of four classes. Still getting the balance. This will smooth out over the next couple of weeks.Total Words for the Day: 2,000

The Story Match Challenge—Day 16: July 22, 2015

I did not complete yesterday’s challenge and will not complete today’s, but I will at least nail down the title: 71-Luck Among, and 16-Servants. I am facing the idea that I may just have to accept the reality that a full university load, coupled with home responsibilities and language study means reduced writing until the assignments and readings are done for the semester.I know, excuses, but I have to do the math: I need around 8 hours sleep; School takes 6-10 hours a day for the first three days of the week; house takes around 5 hours; travel takes 2, languages take 1-2. I’m looking at 15-19 hours a day BEFORE I even think of sleep. So far, I’ve carved out an hour in the morning to write, but it’s not my most creative time. Add the writing in and I’m looking at 16-20 hours before sleep. Hmmm…Okay, that’s pretty self-evident, but the week’s not over. I’ll see what’s achievable around mandatory readings and essay writing over the next four, but it doesn’t look good until the assignments are done.Let me think on that, for a little while and think about what to do next.In the meantime, Luck Amongst Servants will be the name of my next short story, which will be aiming at a length of 5,400 words.Dean’s blog makes some very interesting observations on looking at your stories as investment, pricing and approaching writing as a business. Go check it out.Story Match Incomplete.Total Words for the Day: 1,163

Orb Wielder Released on Kindle and in Print-on-Demand

Orb Wielder is now available from Amazon in Kindle format, and from the Create Space bookstore as a print-on-demand mass market paperback and large print in trade paperback.

EBook Cover


When Liralee buys an orb from the Shawl Lady’s stall, she opens a path to another world, for the orb is not just a pretty glass ball that impresses her friends; it’s a symbol of power that produces magic for enchantments. And it’s wanted by two warring kingdoms and a sorcerer with plans of conquest. When strangers try to take the orb, and her friends gather to aid her, Liralee begins an adventure that could end in disaster or victory. The choice is hers.

Large-print paperback print-on-demand cover Mass market paperback print-on-demand cover

The Story Match Challenge—Day 15: July 21, 2015

Day 15: A.M. Before
I was up later, 0500, this morning and did not sit down at the computer until 0515. Still only about an hour for story writing. I didn’t finish yesterday’s story challenge and today’s looks unlikely, since I will be out of the house for around 10 hours and will come home to chores and the need to sleep. This challenge is very educational for teaching me what my limits are while I’m still combining two lifestyles, but at least I’m learning what they are, while still pushing the boundary. On his blog, Dean talks about the importance of commonsense when making a living as a writer.A.M. StartToday’s short story goal is 3,200 words, which I probably won’t make, but I can make a start. For the title I rolled 75-The Magicians and 33-Plains, which became The Magician’s Plains or The Plain Magician.Challenge Results – FailStory Match: Partial— The Plain Magician (sci-fantasy; 1100 words)Total words for the day: 1,100

Poetry Challenge - Introducing the Acrostic Forn 6: The Multiple Acrostic Type 3

Another variation of the multiple acrostic occurs when a single acrostic is used to form each verse of a poem, rather than just forming a single verse.

Soon to be gone we flyTo destinations beyond our skiesAround the moon and through the starsRivalling explorers who once moved by sailSuns still guide them on their trailsHardships can be just the sameIn lack of food and water, and creatures unnamedPassengers go along for the rideSons and daughters, full families, all know the worlds they reach will their dreams decide.
Subtle is the engines’ humToo muted by the metal floorsAn all-surrounding bone-deep thrumRunning through our very coreShall we ignore it, let it beHow the sounds of our lives ringInstead of traffic, winds and seasPerpetually we are kept company, by the starship’s humSee how we fly
See how we fly, amidst our hopesTowards our dreams, that age-old tropeA change is as good as a holidayReality might otherwise choose to have its waySee how we fly, through void night-deepHauling our way past wonders, in a leapInto the great unknown, where man, at least, has never flownPerhaps we’ll find we’re not aloneSo far from the world on which our species was born.
Why don’t you give it a try? Try writing at least one acrostic for each day of this week. You can find out more about how to write acrostics from the following sites:
http://www.kathimitchell.com/poemtypes.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrostichttp://poetry.about.com/od/poeticforms/g/abecedarian.htmhttp://classiclit.about.com/od/literaryterms/g/aa_abcedarianpo.htmhttp://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/acrostic/http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/acrosticterm.htmhttp://www.edu.pe.ca/stjean/playing%20with%20poetry/Hickey/acrostic.htmhttp://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-an-acrostic-poem/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/puzzles/acrostic-puzzles2.htmhttp://classroom.synonym.com/explanation-acrostic-poems-2019.htmlhttp://www.poemofquotes.com/articles/howto-write-an-acrostic-poem.phphttp://kingpoetry.com/murder.htm

The Story Match Challenge—Day 14: July 20, 2015

Day 14: A.M. Before
I was up at 0430 this morning as I had an 0730 bus to catch for university. After updating the blog and pfaffing around for a little bit, I checked Dean’s progress on his challenge—another short and another confirmed novel start. Also, some good advice about writing what you love. I now only have 1 hour and 10 minutes left to write in. Better get to it.A.M. StartTitle randomly rolled this morning: 75-The Magicians and 51-the Silk Road. Well, crap – that one required a little research. I took a quick look and discovered lots of desert, camels and two more routes—the Southern Silk Road and the Silk Road by the Sea. This is definitely something I will revisit. With no time to research further, I decided on a fantasy and had 956 words down before I had to get into the before school routine for my littlest, and leave for my own classes. Poetry and flash fiction are scheduled to be written on the bus.Results:Story Match Challenge: Incomplete— The Magicians and the Silk Road (fantasy – 956 words)Poetry: Complete—3 pieces to be transcribed from notebook; wordage unknownFlash Fiction: Partially complete—2 pieces to be transcribed from notebook; wordage unknown

The Story Match Challenge—Day 13: July 19, 2015

I got stuck into the university prep yesterday and got no writing done—that was a mistake, and not just from the point of view of this challenge. I will have to do better. Today is my first day and my first lecture is in 4 hours. I have an hour and a half to write as I head into challenge day 14.

Now, I’ll get to see what is possible during semester. Story Match day 13 was a total bomb.