I am not meeting my writing goals. I've tried changing the goals and rearranging things but inevitably my creative energy is diverted or clogged or dirty or something that prevented me from getting words on the page. So let's take a look at what I've been doing to see if I can feel better about how I've been spending my time. 

1. I'm a Dungeon Master

I had the intention of limiting how much creative energy is devoted to this. Being a DM is a lot like being a fiction writer. I tried to limit that by using a pre-written adventure, the Curse of Strahd, and also involving a bunch of other authors from my writing group so I could draw creativity from them. Instead we've all poured in our brains into this thing and it's been pretty fun but it's also been a lot more improvisation then when I have DM'd in the past. Having players at the table who are fellow authors has pushed us all, even the non-authors, to think outside the box. It's led to great game sessions with almost no combat but it's creatively draining.

2. I made a Prop

This is the second one of these that I've made based on the guide created by the folks at Punished Props. It's a cheap buy and doesn't take a lot of materials. This one is for a friend, a craft trade for a Sith Cloak that was made for me. I hope she likes it, but it's been filling the time I usually write in. It's done now so I hope I can steal some of this time back. 

3. The blog? 

I don't spend a lot of time on the reviews that make up the majority of this space. They tend to be quick impressions and recommendations instead of in depth analysis. But a lot of times I procrastinate my novel with getting ahead in the book reviews. Writing the blog is fun, oddly fun, and the novel has been not fun. I'm into the final third of the manuscript and it's still like pulling teeth.  

4. Marriage

I just got married. It's been great! The process of getting married was totally draining. We've had all kinds of responsibilities that have been slowly reversing since the blessed event, but it takes a lot of energy to get hitched and then take a transatlantic flight to Ireland. For real it was hard. We still have thank you cards hanging over our head, sorry everybody, so that's a little more energy that's needed elsewhere.

That's enough right. I'm pretty busy. I don't think of these as excuses or reasons not to write but it is a reminder that my day job isn't writing. For me, writing is still a hobby. I would like to be more dedicated but my new family isn't going to starve if I slack off on the word count. Finding the balance is something I'm still struggling with. This third novel has proven to be a real challenge, but having it become a source of stress isn't going to make it come any faster. I've got to find somewhere this hobby and I can live together.