You can read the rant or listen to Episode 43. Or you can both.
I’m late getting this out because life was busy yesterday. We started making tamales all afternoon in order to get ready for Christmas Eve. Yes, that’s a thing. And a post like this is something I like to do, many to clear my own thoughts.
So what happened this year? Not as much as I would have liked. It’s another that I didn’t get a single published on OBS. I’ve barely kept the blog alive. Real life and the day job still keep things interesting but not in a good way. Throw that in with the nearly monthly dumpster fire that is social media. It’s like crap why bother? I really have felt like after messing with work stress and life stress, why bother even deal with the crap online? But there is hope for next year. I’ve trimmed both Facebook and Google Plus contacts way down. And with the announcement that Google Plus is going away it makes things a lot easier. And with many folks (including myself) moving to MeWe, I’m rebuilding connections and finding even some new folks that I hadn’t really interacted with before. And then of course, there was the rise of Anchor podcasts. I’ve jumped into that too and am really liking it and glad I started doing it.So that pretty much sums up 2018.
What’s the plan for 2019? Lots. Maybe even too much.
Get some stuff up on OBS: I’m nearly done with the first editing pass on Skarynth. That’s my setting supplement for Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells. I wanted to have done by now but I think a safer bet would very early 2019. I’ve got five other projects in various stages of development. I’ve got no definitive schedule but that is one of those things you get to do as a little one man show. I can work on things as I feel and when I feel passionate about what I’m writing. I’m also planning a reviving the Gazebo Gazette. That’s my own little E-zine that’s mostly content based posts from the blog neatened up and put together in one handy PDF.
The Blog and The Podcast: Well, I need to post here more often. That’s all there is to it. I need to get my creative brain back into action. The podcast will continue on it’s weekly schedule and pretty much stay them same. It’s take me a while to get my voice and figure out what I want to do and how to do it, both content and technical wise. I’ve thought about the sponsorships and the podcast subscriptions available through Anchor. I’m still on the fence about those. I’m much more likely to start a very simple Patreon to help back both.
Social Media: Like I said before, I’ve trimmed down my contacts list massively but unfortunately I also haven’t interacted as much as I would like. I’m on three Discord servers and I hardly go there. There’s multiple communities on Facebook and Mewe that I don’t post or even comment in but I belong. This isn’t about pushing blog posts, a podcast or a product. It’s about missing out on potentially making new friends.
Now for the downside. For the past few years, I’ve picked myself and said, “Cheer up. Things are going to be different and better next year.” And well they aren’t. So that’s why this time next year, it will be time for some really deep reflection. I mean how often can I say that and finally learn that maybe I’m wasting time and money.