Day: August 6, 2023

Do you ever feel like you’re just killing it? Locked in? On a roll? I often wonder what moves people in and out of that zone. After returning from GenCon I find myself super excited to get back to work and get all of these projects done so I can get more. It is an incredible sensation to want to work in order to get more work. The closest parallel I can find is that feeling of busting your butt in practice in order to earn more reps—I.e. more practice and the opportunity to play more.

in the sense of writing, the ‘play more’ translates to more books and better chances to create solid fiction that sells. It is a wonderful feeling to see someone pick up a book you wrote (or wrote in) and enjoy it. You can only get there by writing your ass off though.

The parallels between sport and writing are not lost on me. This is largely because I seek out this framework to organize ideas in my head. My playing days are long over but I still think that way and still recognize the urgency that Play creates. When you write with urgency you are more likely to be successful.

I feel that now. I feel like I need to get this done and get ‘more reps’ in order to improve and be able to put out a product that people enjoy. I cannot speak to why all writers write, but I write to be read. The more I put out increases the chances that my worlds and my words reach someone.

Some Thoughts:

1. Working on multiple and very different kinds of projects at once has me thinking a lot about structure.
2. I know shit about structure. I thought I did. I don’t. That is a great first step.
   

Well, the best 4 days in gaming is over for me. Indeed I did have 4 as we started on Wednesday, and are unfortunately missing the splendor of Saturday night. Next time. Definitely next time. GenCon is a community. It is a friendly place that wants everyone to be included and everyone to have a genuinely good time. In fact, when I was waiting in a lobby for a meeting last night a family called me over and asked me to join a game. They wanted a fifth and I was nearby. This morning a couple offered to drive my partner and I to the convention, because we were standing there waiting for an uber. These are the kind of people that populate the GenCon community. These are the people who are there to play games, have fun, and make connections.

I was fortunate enough to make a ton of connections this time around. I managed to meet several of the writers I’ve worked with or admired over the years and they are all super chill and cool. I felt like one of them. Heck, we even did signings together. I’m not ready to say I am in their class (I am not prolific enough by far) but I am ready to say that I need to take the next step and put real focus on my words and be the writer I’ve been saying I want to be for decades now.

The truth is time is sand slipping through your fingers. It took me half my life to get back to GenCon. The things that happened in between constitute an entire existence. The journey to get back here was incredibly hard and full of moments that define me. However, I’m here now. I am at the table and I want to eat. I want to write more and more. I believe I have stories to tell. The connection to that storyverse is real and it will ascend again.

Some Thoughts:

1. In the process of enjoying the con, I have rediscovered my joy of RPGs. Next year I’m going to get some game time in alongside the wonderful time I will spend with the writers and the happiness of inviting my partner deeper into this world.
2. Meanwhile, it felt good to be a part of a world that was not entirely focused on anime and football. That daily reality does not nourish me in the least. It is in fact harder to be creative in such a dead space.
3. On the other hand, I do have an office where I can occasionally hide…