Summer Update 2024

Updates have been overdue, so here they are.

PODCAST

While I am proud of the work I did on Tricky Fox Tales, and even though I basically have Episode 2 done, I'm not going to continue it. I like Scum and Villainy, but doing it all by myself isn't that fun. It feels too much like novel-writing to do it alone - it takes the same type of concentration and solitary work, and honestly, if I'm going to do that, I might as well keep working on the novels.

I was talking to Adam of the Force Majeure podcast the other day about it, and it just feels that part of my personality has been shut down without doing the podcast in its traditional form. I feel like there's two types of creativity that I like to do: the slow, methodical type that I improve upon until I get it as perfect as possible, and then absolute improvised chaos. I haven't had the second in a while.

You're probably wondering where Matt is. There's nothing super interesting about it - he's just busy. But believe it or not, it's been about 2 years since we've recorded together, so I guess it's time to try something else.

I have two people going to do a couple of guest arcs coming up, set in what would've been the Season 5 timeline. We'll see how these mini-arcs go.

I'll also be re-starting CORUSCANT IS CRACKING. However, I am going to have to be a lot pickier with the quality of audio people bring to the table. I know that limits how some people can participate, and I'm sorry about that. But I also can't let it go. The amount of effort I had to put in to make some of the other episode audio listenable was significant, and I still wasn't happy about it. So if you don't have at least a Yeti quality mic, I don't think I'll be asking you to join in. Sorry again.

As I play with new people, I'll be looking for someone to do longer stories with. Maybe a whole season worth, or maybe just these mini-arcs, we'll see.

This is admittedly a lot harder than it would've been a few years ago. I've lost touch with a lot of the SWRPG community. I don't know the new people, and I don't know where to find new players who have the RPG skills, the performance skills, and the same comedy and story sensibilities I have. But I guess the only way to find them is to start looking.

WRITING

Not that anyone is waiting for it, but I decided to finish Jane book 3. It has taken me a long time to understand what it is I needed to write for it, but now I feel like there's this nice golden thread laying on the ground and I just need to follow it. I've been working on it bit by bit over the last month and I'm happy with it so far. I'm definitely working the cobwebs out.

Which has been kind of a generic theme for my life lately. My leg is about as good as it was prior to my injury (which wasn't great, given how out of shape I was) so I'm actually starting to be more active, physically. I'm training my Kung Fu and Tai Chi forms, which I haven't done consistently in years.

I also know I need to restart the Persona 5 Fan Fic. Those poor readers keep getting stuck in line.

I also know I need to really restrict my content input these days. I've been watching a LOT of TV lately as my kids and I went through A:TLA and LOK. It was an incredible experience to do that with them. I've also been watching the Bad Batch and just catching up on stuff. I need MORE of that and less mindless scrolling on my phone, which really has become more of an issue than I realize.

I need quiet space for my mind to wander. I'm getting better at taking the time for it. Summer is always an excellent season of reset for that.

I've also been looking more into "Slow Productivity" again. I think I need to read the book, because I recently heard an interview with the author and he talked about the concept of "seasonality" and I felt validated. I've felt that way for YEARS, and it's nice to hear that there's some validity in it. I need to think about it more.