I’ve been doing a bit of introspection the past while. Maybe it’s natural, being a new year and all, and it is something I do from time to time. I do it as a self-improvement exercise. I look at what I haven’t liked in the past while and try to see what my role was in it. Perhaps I was too laid back or maybe I was too intense. Did I make the most of opportunities or did I let self-doubt intrude.

I won’t say that it always works but I do believe the process keeps me moving in the right general direction. It’s one of those things that is never a single iteration either. I try to do it whenever I seem stalled in my life. You might even call it “whenever I get into a rut”.

To bring it around to writing, I did a personal review about two-and-a-half years ago. I wasn’t published, I had very little in the way of a publicly facing identity and I really seemed to be floundering. I truly wondered if I would ever be successful.

I decided then that I needed to be more outgoing as a writer. I needed to meet people and start being more outgoing in my activities. I blogged, I began podcasting and I went to conventions. I was more focused on my writing and was more serious about getting my work out there.

I’m still nowhere near where I want to be, but I now know I will make it. I have a handful of short stories published or in consideration, I have my first book contract and I have two decent podcasts to my credit.

I have made another step forward in my journey to being a better, more rounded person and successful author. Now to identify the reasons for some of my other “Ruts” and work my way out of them.

It can only lead to good things.

Personal Update

I was on Flying Island Press’ “Galley Table” last night. It is always fun to be involved with that crew. I’m going to have to get some more work written for them and get my yearly subscription to the e-magazine too.

GalaxyBillies is now scheduled for a January 26 release on Podiobooks.com which I’m VERY excited about. I have seven episodes loaded with thirteen to go. That should be complete early next week. I still need to get my End-of-Story show done. That will happen once all episodes are up.

I’m also working on my (secret) collaboration project and I will be pulling GB together for book edits in the next couple weeks.

Have a good one.

Tags: edits, Galaxybillies, improvement, irreverent muse, Michell Plested, personal, podiobooks, revision

I’ve been suffering from low energy and motivation levels for the past couple weeks, but I never thought it was this bad. How bad is it? Well, it’s obviously bad enough that I FORGOT to post last Wednesday. That’s only the second time since this site was started more than two years ago.

What the hell? And to make matters worse, I only just realized it.

All I can say is… well there really isn’t anything I can say, is there? So here is my Wednesday post a couple days late.

I’ve actually been going to bed early the last three days. Part of that is because, as I’m driving home, I’m having trouble staying awake. Never a good thing in rush hour traffice. I haven’t been writing or reading either.

Time to pull myself out of this skid. Holidays won’t be coming any too soon, let me tell you.

I guess I need to set a few goals for myself for the next couple weeks so here goes:

1. Finish reading Geist and do my audio and text reviews of it. Put them everywhere.
2. Finish reading Cinco de Mayo and put review up for Edge’s “Christmas is Coming” effort. I was asked to do this only a couple days ago.
3. Finish preparing “GalaxyBillies” for Podiobooks and get the end-of-story show ready. This is going to take a bit of effort, not to mention recording with a few people, so it could run into the new year.
4. Write a short story for 20Spec. I have the idea in my head already and have given it considerable thought so it should flow reasonably well.
5. Get back into writing my NaNoNovel (AKA Top Secret Project).

That’s enough goals for the next two weeks, I think. What are you planning to do in that time?

Personal Update

Fingers are crossed that my pirate story for VG Ford is accepted. If it isn’t I have a secondary market in mind but I would love to be part of her anthology “Spells and Swashbucklers”. We will see if it fits or not.

Tags: Cinco de Mayo, Edge Science, Galaxybillies, geist, nanowrimo, podiobooks, podiobooks.com, vg ford