So far, this full-time writer thing has been … weird.

Several people warned me that it would take a while to catch up on sleep, and they weren’t wrong. I’ve been sleeping in a bit and feeling surprisingly tired in the evenings. I’ve even crashed for the occasional nap.

I’ve gotten a bit of writing done, roughly at the same pace I’d been doing before. (I’m up to 11K words on Project Bob.) I’ve also started chipping away at various chores and errands and home maintenance things. Part of my brain is grumbling that I haven’t made more progress on the new book, but I’m trying to cut myself some slack this first week. This is a recovery and transition time.

It’s also the last week before the kids go back to school. Starting next week, I’ll be alone from the time I wake up until mid-afternoon when I head out to pick up my daughter. I suspect that will make a big difference when it comes to being able to focus on writing, or whatever else I need to work on.

Without the structure of the day job, I’m working on putting together my own schedule. I’m hoping my days will look something like this:

• 8 a.m. – Wake up. Grab breakfast.
• 8:30 – 10:30 – 10 hour/week freelance opportunity. (I’m still waiting to see if this works out, but if it does, it would be a nice, small, steady paycheck to supplement the other writing income.)
• 10:30 – Noon – Writing! (Or grocery shopping and other errands, when needed.)
• Noon – 1:00 – Lunch.
• 1:00 – 3:00 – Writing!
• 3:00 – 3:30 – Pick up my daughter.
• 3:30 – 4:30 – Writing!

There could be evening writing work as needed, and weekends as well, but if this works out, it means I’m getting 3-4 hours of writing time every day before stopping to make dinner.

I’m also planning to start exercising again in the evenings. I started with 20 minutes on the exercise bike last night. If I can get back into the habit, it will help the depression, the diabetes, and just get me back into better shape overall.

Other things I need to figure out:

• Making time for socializing and getting out of the house.
• Making sure the housework and such doesn’t devour all of my writing time.
• How much to try to work in the evenings and weekends. (I know I want and need more time to relax with my family than I’d been getting before.)

It all feels a bit surreal right now, and it will be another week before I start to have anything approaching “normal” full-time writer days.

But I already feel more rested and less stressed than I did a week ago. So far, so good!

My first Monday as a full-time writer!

The Hugos and Worldcon are over, and thus did the internet see the Eighth Plague of Post-Hugo Pontification. Some declared victory, while others declared victory for totally different reasons, and lo did they yelleth at one another over whose “victory” was bigger.

But on the fifth day, a lull did fall upon the web of the wide world, as rational and informed people of all nations looked down in agreement and unity. For generations of canine tribal war paled in the face of one simple truth:

This was dumbassery most epic. Most epic indeed…

ETA: Good gravy, there’s more, and this one wants to bring in the FBI!

I invite fans on all sides to finally come together as one to ask, “Dude, seriously?”

Because wow…

No blog post today. All of my social media energy has been drawn into a conversation on Facebook about respecting people’s gender identity.

600+ shares and several hundred comments later, I’m still dealing with comment management and a little bit of bigot herding.

Seems like an awful lot of argument over a post that basically comes down to, “Hey, if folks could treat other people with respect and common courtesy, that would be great.”

German zine Der Zauberspiegel invited Brad Torgersen, Adam-Troy Castro, Lou Berger, Wayne Borean, and myself to write about the Sad/Rabid Puppy phenomenon. Those essays went up yesterday. The English translation of mine is here, or you can read it in German.

Links to all of the articles are available in English or German.

Shocking nobody, my article (in English) has already drawn its first troll…

August 28 will be my last day as a full-time state employee, after which I get to transition into my full-time job as a writer. I’m excited and eager and impatient. I can’t wait to have more time for writing various books and stories and other projects.

It also scares the hell out of me.

I’ve felt the stress and anxiety building as I get closer to Q-Day. Some of it is completely irrational. Significant life changes are always stressful. Even good changes.

There’s also the rather long list of things I need to take care of at work before I leave, a list that keeps multiplying like gremlins in a hot tub. Everything from documenting my work and processes to finishing out various projects to making sure my family’s insurance will transition smoothly from my coverage to my wife’s.

There’s the financial side of things. I’ve done as much as I can to prepare for the change to our income. I’ve got things like the on-publication payment for Fable: Blood of Heroes, the D&A for Revisionary, the mass market payment for Unbound, and the hardcover payment for Revisionary all coming in over the next six months or so. But in the long term? We’ll see…

Then there’s the Imposter Syndrome lurking in the wrinkly shadows of my brain. “Oh, sure. You did pretty well when you were working a day job and putting out one book a year. But do you have what it takes to make it as a real writer?”

Imposter Syndrome is a jerk. I hate the idea that some people are “real” writers and other people aren’t. I’ve been a real writer for twenty years. But the fear is completely irrational, and this feels somehow realer. It’s another step up on the ladder, and that means another opportunity to fail.

It’s also another opportunity to succeed. It’s the chance to branch out and write new things, to put more energy and focus into my writing career and see what comes back.

I believe this will be a very good change for me and for my family. Hopefully for my readers as well. I’m excited about it, and I’m counting down the days. I’m particularly looking forward to waking up on Monday the 31st, looking at my clock, and then rolling over and going back to sleep. I’ve spent the past week and a half doing worldbuilding and outlining a brand new fantasy novel, and I can’t wait to start writing the story. I love that I’ll have more time to write, and could possibly get this written and submitted so much faster than my usual one book/year pace.

But the fear is there too. It probably always will be. If there’s no fear, no risk of failure, I figure that means I’m probably not reaching high enough.

Nine days and counting…

Over the weekend, author and artist Mari Kurisato started making a thing.

I’m not sure about her choice of subject, but I’m fascinated by the process of creating visual art. Turning a blank page/screen into a recognizable portrait or image is a kind of magic.

Plus, you know, this first layer made me look purple, which is awesome 🙂

I turned grayscale in Stage Two. For the rest of these, you can click for a larger image.

But then the purple returned, along with a Star Trek reference! 😀

Also, I disagree completely with her claim that she’s not an artist. She so is, and anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong. So there.

(I believe she’s correct about not being a doctor, though.)

Wait, how did this get in here? Why, it’s Kurisato’s book Guns of Penance, described as “a fast-paced erotic techno fantasy that’s one part Mad Max, one part Kill Bill, with a dash of Delta of Venus.” The book just happens to be available as a free Kindle download today.

Yes, that was a hint.

This next image intrigued me. Specifically, the layer named “hyperbeard.” I’m not sure what a hyperbeard is, but I want one!

We’re getting closer, with more background details.

And here we have the finished image, complete with Smudge!!!

I immediately made this my Facebook icon, because why wouldn’t I? I’m in a purple leather jacket and I have Smudge, two things that make me happy.

I loved watching the evolution of this portrait, seeing the new layers of color and detail. And I’m both flattered and honored that she chose to create this. Thank you, Mari!

PS, Aha! So that’s a hyperbeard!