Carpe Blogiem: Author, Patreon, and Blog Highlights – January 2019

Authorial Highlights

• Work began in earnest on project SNO-51. No more dribs. No more drabs. I’ve set myself a work schedule and so far I’ve stuck to it. There have been difficult problems here and there, but I’mve averaging about a 1,000 words per day just on this alone. There are some things I’m leaving blank till the first revision, but I’m at the stage of “gotta make the tools to make the tools” in game design and that can really suck. A week ago I hit the “I need a wheel” stage of development (not a literal one, mind) and I couldn’t (metaphorically) figure out what a circle was. It hit me hard and I ended up going to S. A. Fisher my sometimes-mentor and he basically said “This is garbage and this is why its garbage – do better. I know you can do better” By some magical circumstance I did. If you want to keep track of how this project is going check this thread for Twitter.
• I began brainstorming five non-GURPS project for another company with my writing partner J. Edward Tremlett. Side note: Tremlett and I make a damn good team. I wanted to continue that beyond Pyramid so I got him involved in this project after I was approached to write it by myself.
• I currently have three outstanding contracts (one newly signed): SNO-51, the GURPS Monster Hunters item, and a non-GURPS item I’m going to call “Calypso-4.”
• I’m looking over some old notes for possible Pyramid articles to see what I can use for a book; everything else is going to go to the blog or Patreon.
• I have 86 Pyramid article worthy topics in various stages of completion (though at least first draft worthy for 3/4 of them). Separating them is remains difficult and I’ve only lightly gone through them this month.

Blog Highlights

• Posting continued at a pace this month. At least two a week – though I want to get up to three RPG posts and maybe one post that is fiction – some kind of web serial perhaps? Still thinking on it.
• DESIGN SPECS FOR HEADERS, MY KINGDOM FOR DESIGN SPECS FOR HEADERS.
• I haven’t written any more on my Chronicles of Ceteri Primer – but that’s been because of me, not anything else. I’ll be making sure I finish up the series this month.

Patreon Highlights

• Patreon remained on track for January. Still releasing them to schedule.
• I had a patron ask me to create a high ($50!) tier specifically so he can get it. There are two slots open that high (if you are interested in throwing money at me) and I opened up the $20 tier for up to allow another two slots there.
• I lost three patrons, gained two, and broke a goal. I’m pretty happy with that overall. I know that the changes I did regarding fiction haven’t thrilled everyone – but as I’ve said elsewhere I’m not ditching RPG stuff for fiction. I’m diversifying. RPGs will never leave this blog, but there is room for fiction. I’m going to make room in the separate spaces that are available, not by carving up room from the RPG-blog-space.
• I changed up my patreon page in several ways – mostly removing benefits/goals related to Pyramid and revamped it to allow those who want to patronize me (and there were a few of you) to get some fiction out of the deal.
• I put out my first Fiction Special on Patreon this month and I’ve kind of had few comments on it.
• Still considering how to make use of Patreon’s new system for releasing tiered pledges. I’ve used it a bit, but there is something I’m missing and I need to figure out what.
• I have created a Patreon schedule (read about it here).
• The voting for which past Patreon Special that gets released is still ongoing. Are you a patron? Have your voice heard!

Miscellaneous Related News

• The home repairs continue and my writing time remains way less than what I’d like. 🙁
• I have gotten myself better organized and I’ve been folding my writing into blocks so I can work on more projects at once. I’ve tried this before with other apps and gimmicks. This time I just created a schedule in excel and went with it. It works way better than I would have thought.