Hello everyone!

Well, its been a moderately busy week for me. On a bad side, my oven is on its way out and I need to think about getting a replacement. But I think I've hit my swing again with my writing.

I really don't like the Christmas period if I'm honest, I find it really disruptive and it seems to be that a lot of people don't really get into the 'Christmas Spirit' anymore. The corporatisation of the holiday seems to be taking it's toll on a few people around me and they are really getting bothered by all the pressure and expectations around this period. I think I sort of agree with them. Though there is still a lot of good to be had about this period. I managed to go to my regular Yule Dinner with friends, which was lovely.

It does seem to just get in the way of getting things like length projects being done. There are usually a couple of other things about this period that add to it all as well.

But I might just be getting a little bit of an old codger with the encroachment of middle age.

But I feel the start of the year has brought a freshness of mind and a new start, in a way. I'd like to take advantage of it. Hopefully, nothing unexpected will get in the way to disrupt things as it has done before.

Anyway, I'm still working on a set of fantasy short stories and novellas based on the adventures of a swashbuckling exiled lord and an aging mercenary based on the galloglass. I have the inspiration of some of Robert E Howard's historical fiction based about the mid 16th century like Shadow of the Vulture and his Solomon Kane to blame for that. And also, George MacDonald Fraser's The Steel Bonnets - about the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers.

Solomon Kane by Robert E Howard

The Steel Bonnets by
George MacDonald Fraser

Things are coming along nicely with that. I've the characters and background pretty much sorted out and I'm setting up a couple of stories - a short story and a novella - and should be starting actually writing these during the coming week once I've got some story specific things set in place.

I'm generally feeling pretty optimistic about all of that. Then, once I've got a first draft or two or three done, they can join the stockpile of first drafts to be edited.

I think at that point I really need to start doing just that. Editing. I think part of the big miasma like grump I'd got myself into in the build up to Christmas was partly to do with that. I'd stayed too long on one stage without seeing the end of things, with it possibly being a year or two before I would see the end of a project and have something to show for anything. So I need to rectify that.

Also, again, if anyone has any suggestions for increasing their average word counts, that would be great. I seem to pressurise myself about that and I need to somehow work out how to get my head around all of that.

But now, onto a bit of wargaming. I did take the plunge and get myself a couple of boxsets of Eldar for Warhammer 40,000. I got the codex, a couple of the combat patrols and a fire prism. The codex has already arrived and I'm still waiting on the actual models.

Warhammer 40,000 is something I've sort of had a love/hate relationship over the years. Perhaps its the curmudgeonly encroachment of middle age again, but I keep finding myself favouring the oldhammer or early middlehammer era of stuff. Thankfully, with some of the base Eldar models, they can pass for that period. But I do miss the way that James Workshop used to do things in the '90s. But, it's one of the more popular games out there and it's where 'the cool kids are at', if you'll pardon the parlance.

Eldar/Aeldari Combat Patrol boxset
for Warhammer 40K

Anyway, I remember really liking the Eldar tanks when they first came out with the elegant lines. I think I'll enjoy building and painting them and then can join in with a few games. I know a few folks who play it, so should be fun.

Eldar/Aeldari Fire Prism
Warhammer 40K

I still need to get around to building up my Empire army I got for playing 6th edition Warhammer Fantasy. And the oldhammer style Undead and Chaos armies I got too. They use models cast from the original casts, which is nice to have found out - oldschool minis for modern prices is nice instead of the collectors prices for the originals that you find on Ebay. Its hard to build up an army that way. But once it starts warming up a bit, my modelling room won't feel so uncomfortable for long periods of time. I can then get a few games of 4th and 5th edition Fantasy in.

Anyway, I think that's pretty much everything for this week. I'll post updates as things go and see you all soon.

I'm almost tempted to start mentioning what I'm listening to while I write these posts and the favored beverage while I do so as well, just for a bit of fun. The answer is a Caesar III playthrough by DDRJake and a lovely mug of builder's tea - one of my favourites. Just a bit of silliness, I know, but some little bit of fun nonetheless.

 Hello everyone!

First up, a couple of bits that I've received. First is an RPG book from a Kickstarter that I backed. Its called Fixers from the Floorboards and is by Robert Turk and is published by Wicked Clever. This is a link to their website and the book should be available there in time if you are tempted.

Its a really sweet looking little RPG book, with the premise being that you are pixies looking after a building, whether it is a house or something bigger, like a hotel. It puts me in mind of The Borrowers, if you've ever read the book or watched the film or TV version.

Once I've looked through it properly, like with a few other books, I'll do a better review. But in short, it seemed to rekindle some of my childhood, remembering by being put in mind of The Borrowers.

Fixers from the Floorboards
by Robert Turk,
published by Wicked Clever

I also managed to receive my copy of The Averoigne Chronicles, which is the collected Averoigne works of Clark Ashton Smith. It's the whole lot of the original stories. I'm still working my way through a very solid collection of Averoigne pastiches by Pickman's Press that has some very cool stories in, with its mix of Lovecraftian and Gothic. Again, I'll try to review those once I've finished too.

The Averoigne Chronicles,
by Clark Ashton Smith,
published by Hippcampus Press

Outside of that, myself and a friend have talked about doing a podcast. We need a better talk about it as we've only really spit balled stuff at the moment, but we'll probably be talking about some history - Dark Age of the Saxon and Viking flavour mainly - and some other periods too. We'll also probably be talking about war games and the like as well, like RPG/TTRPG games and other sundry tabletop miniatures games that we like.

That's also spun off into us planning on starting a wargaming YouTube channel that I'll most likely primarily run. There are a few games I'd like to play, like The Woods, Bloodbowl and 6th edition Warhammer Fantasy. I think there are some historical games that my friend would like to play as well, but I'll keep folks updated on that as time goes by. But I can always film warband and army showcase stuff once I've finished, though I am only a 'tabletop ready' quality painter.

Onto what I've been up to with my writing.

To be honest, I've had a bit of a time of it this last couple of weeks. I've not managed to sit down and blast through quite as much as I would have liked. That's actually bothered me quite a bit to be honest.

I'm not too sure how to rectify things at the moment and if anyone has any ideas, they'd be welcome.

November is usually the month of NaNoWriMo and a lot of folks can be found, busting their way through many a manuscript, bumping out word counts that would make '70s Michael Moorcock jealous. There are a few things in the month that get in the way for me and I find them quite disruptive. they seem to be things that I can't move or change, so I'm stuck having to deal with them instead of joining in and getting the support and achievement of being a NaNoWriMo participant. Whether I feel like I've been left behind by it all because of those disruptive commitments, I can't quite tell. It seems to happen most years, which is a shame. I think I'm almost depressed because of it, and its hard to shake it off, that I've sort of let myself down by having my time disrupted in such a way, which is disruptive in itself.

Part of the problem could be that its now Winter and there is the build up to Christmas now, which is always very good at stealing away your attention. I'm not sure what to do about it really.

What hasn't helped is that I was most of the way through a fantasy novella, one that is perhaps going to be one of my longest pieces of work so far. I feel like I've ground to a halt with it and I need to revivify my motivation with it, with a number of other stories too. I'd done the Anglo-Saxon setting research to help with this, but it hasn't really worked.

I feel bogged down by it all and just want to return to blasting through stories and i'm finding it difficult to do so, which is just exasperating.

I think another factor in all this, the way I'm considering my writing as a whole is that, what I'd originally planned was to bust through about 170,000 words worth of novellas and short stories, to get all the first drafts done, then work on the re-writes, then all the edits, then getting them beta-read, and so on, all progressing.

The problem I'm finding with all that now is that it's going to be at least a year and a half's work before I have anything to show for my efforts. And that's if everything goes quickly. Perhaps I've hit on something with part of that and soon I'll explain why. 

I'm about half way through doing the first drafts and I'm already bogged down.

I think because I've decided to take the long way about getting a long of stories done is that I don't have the relief and accomplishment of fully completing a story and having it published, I've waylaid that by choice. Where I could have a short story fully edited in a couple of weeks, or a novella done in a month, and out there for the world to see, I'm not going to get that for nearly two years.

I'm a bit unsure how to proceed. Maybe I've already answered myself, that I should just concentrate on one story and get it edited up and sent out there. But is that wise? Is that the way to go?

I'm unsure. If you have read this far and have any advice, it'd be appreciated.

All the best, and stay warm.

 Hello everyone,

Just a quick update. I've wanted to keep this up as a regular thing and this week, I'm finding it hard to think of much to say, I'm afraid.

Something happened during the week that shook me up a little and I feel almost embarrassed that it shocked me and threw me so badly as it isn't necessarily life changing, but it had made be have flashbacks to a time when something similar happened and I was almost made homeless. But I relly do doubt that it'll get that bad. But much of my writing this last week has taken a back seat and I'm having a little difficulty starting up the routine again.

Anyway, I am still trucking through my copy of the WFRP 4th Edition source book: Altdorf, The Crown of the Empire.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th edition,
Altdorf: Crown of the Empire

I have also decided to revisit a book I finished about 20 years ago when I was in my teens called Puckoon by Spike Milligan. Its hilarious! Its one of the few books that I think everyone should read.

Puckoon, Spike Milligan

Beyond that, I'm also still reading one of Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May novels called The Lonely Hour. Its going slowly but I'm progressing alright.

The Lonely Hour, Bryant and May,
Christopher Fowler,

I have also backed a few Kickstarters, all of which are supplements for RPGs. I have a couple on order for Dungeon Crawl Classics and a couple for Old School Essentials. Both are fun games and I love the Dolmenwood setting for Old School Essentials.

One of the books is for an Old School Essentials setting book based around the artwork of Arthur Rackham which is wonderful. The Kickstarter for which you can visit here.

Rackham Vale for
Old School Essentials

Hello everyone!

I'm just writing this before a writing session. But a couple of things have happened during the week that I can update everyone on.

The first bit is that Dan Coghlan is making headway on a novella that he's been meaning to have finished for a while. It involves his elf barbarian - Gwaeloch Irisgarth - going on the hunt for a Master Wizard with their apprentice in tow and getting themselves involved with a city ruin and necropolis system filled with ancient elven undead, including a mummified elite. There are also evil satyrs and rotten dryads to contend with along the way.

He reckons that he could very well be about two fifths of the way through. It's taken a week to get those seven and a half thousand words done, but progress is being made each day. He'd like to get more done each day but has been having trouble with some dastardly migraine headaches.

Thankfully, Dan Coghlan also has a couple of other short stories including the same character under his belt in first draft form and hopes to get them sorted in short order. Those he hopes to send out to some magazines or anthologies when they're done.

After this, he also has another novella planned including a clan of Fimir, another story that may become a novella involving a cannibal hold of dwarves. There will be a short story including a pyramid complex under a city that holds an ancient evil, and another involving a wizard duel after a long night out.

On another note, I wanted to share something that was of inspiration to Dan.

Earlier this week, he received a copy of a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay book for the forth edition based around the Empire city of Altdorf.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4e,
Altdorf: Crown of the Empire

He's a big fan of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and is loving this book. He has the Middenheim book in the same series and is finding  this one much more interesting, even though the Middenheim book is a very suitable book for anyone involved with that edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. He likes how its jammed packed with cults and spy rings, location showcases and NPCs. He says it really does paint a picture of a vast fantasy city.

Anyway, with that all covered, I hope you all are well and enjoy your week.