It is cold outside. I've had to de-ice my car three times today and I live in the, mostly temperate, English county of Gloucestershire. My world is usually quite tame and placid. I can shut the weather away and settle down in my cosy apartment and write.
But out there something stirs...
It may be my imagination. I have this notion that the familiar environment I spend my days in is not all that it seems to be.
What if things were just that little bit different?
Of course I write science fiction so I am allowed to think in weird, wonderful and potentially strange ways. Some days I am migrating across dry grasslands, tracking mammoths with my fellow tribesmen. Other days I am locked in combat with ancient Roman gladiators or commanding my star fleet in the heart of a immense interstellar conflict.
All I need to do is write it all down.
My day job is fairly standard. I go to work. I eat. I pay the mortgage. I go home. I go to sleep. Finding time to live my alternative lives is sometimes rather hard. There are a few improvements I need to make so I can satisfy my imaginative compulsions.
I need to write daily. I don't do this currently. It is a failing I will correct. I believe that storytelling is a craft that has to be practised regularly. The brain has to be trained and re-trained to perform at its best. The effort has to be focused. Writing each and every day is not just about building up the word count but rather providing the writer with more opportunities to learn how to improve. It is discipline I lack but will strive to achieve. Wish me luck.
I also need to balance work and play. I work hard but modern life is stressful. I need to enjoy my hobbies and follow my heart with my writing. I am thinking that maybe I should try more adventurous avenues such as writing for the gaming industry. Not something I have done before but could be a good thing for me.
Exercise is important. I need to be fitter, stronger and more determined. I view creative writing a bit like sport. The mind and body both need attention. I have started to run again.
And finally I need to find time to be quiet. Day dreaming is vital. Let the brain rest and regroup. Stay fresh.
So 2015 is going to be busy. I have my plan and I am going to stick to it. I hope to publish some more short stories and make progress on some of my existing projects as well as start new ones. Above all I intend to work harder than ever before but also have more fun.
That last bit is the most important.
