Pine-Fresh Start

Ever since I started feeling better, I’ve been attacking dust bunnies vigorously. I’ve got a ton of writing, editing, and game design to do and more than a few creative projects and trips planned. Not to mention, we’re getting ready to celebrate the fifteen-year anniversary of Dork Stork Press. But, to reduce my stress level and increase my mental productivity, I feel I have to start with a clean house and office. I’ve removed *coughs* several bags of miscellany and I’m almost to the point where, once that’s done, I can dive into that joy of joys — filing.

That doesn’t mean that I’m not working when I’m fending off another Dust Bunny of Enormous Size. While I’m scrubbing and swiping away my messes, I’m posturing mental revisions, so I can put the finishing touches on another Lovecraft tale. (Edit: I’m also forcing myself to write a page a day. Forgot about that!) I was hoping to deliver it sooner rather than later, but I screwed up and then I got sick on top of that. It feels awful because this is a rare occurrence for me, but the way forward is? Forward.

After I get the office sorted, which will likely be either today or early tomorrow, I’ll have a few major projects left to do and a day of running errands. The dreaded basement has… Well, they’re no longer dust bunnies. They’ve morphed and multiplied like tribbles on acid. Thankfully, that’s a joint project. Heh, heh.

I’m about two to three weeks behind schedule, but thankfully, catching up on housework has opened the door to a lot of possibilities story-wise. My fiction, the original sort that’s not based on another property, tends to be more atmospheric. But good ambiance does not a story make. While I have caught myself on a number of occasions, it’s still important to identify a few milestones. I don’t really like outlines persay because in the service of a story something may change. That doesn’t mean I won’t work with them. They can be an immense help. Here, I’m merely talking those occasions where I’ve been besieged by a story and I have to write it down. A couple of guideposts, Conflict with a Capital C, are crucial to reducing revision-time for me. Without a clear antagonist or mystery to chew on, then my rough draft prose makes me yawn. Hey, if you’ve downloaded The Queen of Crows, you’ve “seen” my rough draft!

Hrmmm…maybe I should post another rough draft sample for you. Interested?

Mood: Tired with a side of exhausted.

Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: More bubbles than I care to admit.

Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: House, house, baby.

In My Ears: Evisceration by Carfax Abbey

Game Last Played: Tetris

Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter collection

Latest Artistic Project: In progress!

Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press