On Blogging (non-joke edition)
Really I mean writing in general
The other day I told Farmer Gadda that I’m not a good writer, by which I meant that I’m not good at the practice of writing. I’m a decent writer, I think, but like many I don’t often sit down and actually do the damn thing. Even when I do sit down to write, my mind seeks distraction, and finds it easily.
Ben L. asked on bsky about people’s experiences with writing groups, and I remarked that they would probably be a good idea for me as “I get way more written on my phone or notebooks [across] my lap while at my daughter's weekend classes than at home with my laptop.” I’m not sure if it’s just a context shift, if I’ve trained myself to think of those times as “writing time”, or if being away from the anxieties of home unlimbers my mind. So anyway, I’m sitting in my backyard writing this in my notebook (now transcribing on my laptop). Probably when I want to write while I’m home that’s what I’ll do from now on.
Distractions
As a stay at home dad, or perhaps just a human, there are infinite things to distract me from writing: kids, chores, house repair/improvements, other writing projects, researching something tangential to what I’m writing and tipping myself into a wikipedia hole, youtube, social media, blogs, books, etc. Often I’ll start doing one thing, then decide something else is a higher priority, change direction, repeat ad nauseam. Somehow I do manage to get things done from time to time. I’m not in school anymore, I’m not obligated to write. I get to write, if I want.
Creating Space for Writing
Sometimes I feel like I lack discipline, and that’s not confined to writing. The truth is that I’m not very good at forming good habits. I need procedures, methodologies, I need to build a practice. I want to make space in my life for writing, and not feel guilty for using it. I need to allow myself joy in it. I need to recognize that any amount of writing is a win, because it makes me a better writer, even if it doesn’t result in something I want to share. Hopefully it’ll actually lead to more posts on this blog, and maybe even making some of my adventures available to all of you fine people.
Sometimes people post "State of the Blog" essays, and that's always confused me, but this sort of feels like on of those. More of an affirmation to myself that this is something I want to do than something anyone else will find useful. Hopefully someone does.
Current Works in Progress
Adventures that I’ve run, or partially written, or both: Ogre Fort [needs a better title], ORKS! Island, Solarium of the Sorcerer-King, The Snake God and the Sorcerer, Escape from Boggy Downs, and Botany, Awry! If any of these strike your fancy let me know and I’ll prioritize them!
Upcoming blog posts:
Blog Bandwagon Papal Conclave edition: Fitting Clerics into the Hyborean Age My City Methodology: A Practical Example