[ugh...once again I am late in getting this up on the blog, as Saturday's events stole me away from the ol' laptop. Ah, well...pressing on]
As I was starting to write in yesterday's [note: Friday's] reflection post, 2021 wasn't a bad one for Yours Truly. I published a book. I wrote three adventures (nearly finished re-writing a couple more). Participated in a couple of challenge/contests. Ran my own challenge/contest (which should be leading to a new charity book, hopefully soon). Played quite a bit of AD&D. Found time to blog. Kept the family alive and COVID-free and went on a couple nice, long road trips.
I did lose one dog, but the other seems to be holding it together okay.
Last years resolutions were numbered at three: get healthier by losing some weight, publish a book, play more AD&D. Well, I got two of those things done (*sigh*) which is still a LOT better than my accomplishments in 2020 when I went 0-for-14. Such "success" undoubtably calls for celebration and even more ambitious goals for the new year. So, off the top of my head:
- Publish Year of the Rat (in PDF if not print)
- Publish Cry Dark Future (any way possible)
- Publish ONE adventure (and have it reviewed)
- Complete the draft of a NEW book
- Run a live AD&D game for folks outside the fam (COVID permitting)
- Get down to a weight that doesn't necessitate me buying new snow pants
That's, what, six? Surely I can accomplish six things over 12 months (one every other month), while still maintaining the "usual life" stuff (including blogging...I want to blog at least a couple-three times per week).
Looking over the archives, last year's blogging was pretty good. I had an especially good (I think) series going last September discussing my views on "fundamental D&D." Note, that's not fundamentalist D&D, but rather the foundational thoughts on what I consider to be essential truths about the Great Game. For those who missed them (or forgot about them), I provide a couple links for perusal:
Although, I think there's a lot of juice in most of those September posts. Oh, and here are a couple-three more on specific topics that help explain my stance on specific topics:
[that last one is a bit all over the place, but the second half is solid enough]
I put up these links because there's been a bit of stir recently over POV conflicts within the "OSR community" (I cringe a bit at that term). I have to say these dust-ups over different approaches to design stir me but little at this point. That being said, it feels to me like things are settling down just a bit...and that I see as very positive. We have tools for building and it's (generally) better to build our own villages and towns - places welcoming of visiting strangers (if a little peculiar/different) - than fortifications and entrenchments for waging war against each other.
[sorry for the weird analogy...we are entering our third day of A&A play and I have military operations on the mind]
My own "village on a hill" is one that I look forward to cultivating in 2022.
Mmm. I appear to have burned the coffee I was reheating on the stove...perils of a microwave being on the fritz. I'm going to leave off now and go make some fresh (though, knowing me, I'll certainly drink the burnt stuff, too), and leave folks to their own, hopefully enjoyable, days.
However, I just want all my readers to know that I am sending up a fervent prayer that ALL of you are staying healthy, happy, and safe at the moment. That you have people in your lives that love you, and that you find some time for joy and laughter amid all the pain, stress, and uncertainty we deal with every day of our lives on this planet. And even more, I pray that we (me, included) can find ways to share our love, laughter, and creativity with others in a fashion that uplifts us all.
Best wishes to you and yours in this New Year.
: )
I feel like I have been waiting for Cry Dark Future forever. Crossings my fingers it really drops in 2022.
ReplyDeleteI hate to over-promise and under-deliver. But keep those fingers crossed!
DeleteWhat the heck is wrong with Seattle? School is closed, doctors are closed, stores are closed, and no one has picked up the trash in weeks. And all because it's raining or something? There isn't even real ice on the ground it's just slush.
ReplyDeleteThings are mostly back to normal this week. The issue with Seattle public schools is probably one of liability (they don’t want some kid slipping on slush and cracking their skulls). Same with Seattle Parks (my kid’s soccer practice was cancelled). Everything else, though, is “biz as usual.”
Delete