Blog No. 215
Here we are on the other side of a year (my busiest one yet). It’s been a slow and steady slog with nary a misstep. Once again I have managed to write a post a week for the whole year. This makes number four in a row, and number three with out a flub. It’s an accomplishment not often desired and even more rarely achieved. Still, when you set a goal, no matter how unimportant it may be, it’s a good feeling to come through in the end. I didn’t let myself down. At least not with the blog posts. In fact, I managed to have my best numbers of the year! Most views (by a little bit) and most visitors (by a ton)!
As with most things, I made several boasts at the beginning of last year that turned out to be half truths and gorilla dust. I was still unsure of the future of this blog at the time. I’m getting to the point that it’s starting to just be that thing I do every week. As my life stands, it fits the routine, and a routine can make miracles happen. So, I expect the blog to continue as it is for some time. The website still may change. At the moment, the current limiting factors are money and time (in that order). I’d love to have a shiny new web site, but this on is serving it’s current purpose so it’ll be around a while still.
Adventure Worlds is another matter. There are lots of things up in the air regarding the state of things on that front. The blog portion, the publication portion, the website. Things over there need more attention than I’ve been giving them, so maintenance is passed due. It’s coming to the point that changes and decisions are going to have to be made. There is still time for that, though, so for now it’s going to grind forward in it’s current state. I have too many other things on my hands.
I still haven’t changed my tune on resolutions, but I’m starting to get the new year fresh start thing. Nothing is stopping me from making changes whenever the need arises thought (like cutting out pop on a random Tuesday for a while, for example). It was a good place to put my flag in the sand and declare that Pilot would not take more time however. With a rushed epilogue and a last big day of writing, I did manage to get that jerk finished. The first draft came in at 82 050 words and it took me twelve full months to complete. Now it gets to take the slow train to edit town.
I’m already hard at work on the Anthology story (along with a bunch of other catch up stuff) so I’m not freaking out about getting the second draft done. I want it (and several more) to continue in the background, and I am dedicated to getting the whole draft system down, though. A long edit is new to me, so I don’t want to rush it. Pilot isn’t going anywhere, so plugging away makes sense, for now. I want to get to a new novel in the second half of the year, so I’ll reevaluate as I go and learn to juggle more things.
To drag on with Pilot for a moment longer, the whole fiasco took on a life of it’s own and became the central theme of my 2016. It took eight more months than my original plan and doubled in size. I’m good with how it worked out, but now I get to take what I’ve learned and improve. Next time (probably starting in June) I want to write 90 000 words in six months. Lets see where that one goes later in the year.
That leaves me one year later, still with a single book, and none of my very own. So, I’ve got to work really hard to achieve my yearly goals (see last week’s post for details). That should be rectified in that amalgamous June blob, if I keep things going. The motto of this year is last year but better. Take me successes and lose the failures. Fine new, exciting way to fail. Blame Netflix less and podcasts more (for example). All those fantastic events will continue too, so get ready to read about every mundane detail. The first one this year is the By The River Poetry and Prose on Wednesday the 18th. So I’ll see all of you there. Thanks again for another full year of support and looking forward to the future with me. The future is now!
Ben Van Dongen 