Wow, August past quickly. I made an effort this month to knock some things off my to-watch list, and to enjoy my time more. But I still got stuff done.

Writing Projects

Making good progress on Champion Bold and the supplement books. My work from hereon in will be as much about pictures as it will be about text. I need to focus on getting little bits done. I want to publish sooner rather than later, and that means focusing.

When I wasn’t focused on my main project, I’ve done some planning and prepwork for other projects, particulalty The Colonel Lieutenant. I have some idas how to revise that story. And I nibbled at other projects over the course of the month.

September Goals

• Get draft copy of Champion Bold
• Finish one Supplement Book
• Knock five things off my Story Bit List
• Two non-review blog posts

Reading

I finally started and ran through Scott Burtness’s Monsters in the Midwest Series: Wisconsin Vampire, Northwoods Wolfman, and Undead Cheesehead. These books involve citizens of a rural Wisconsin town becoming the monsters they’d only seen in movies. They are horror-comedy, with enough amusing bits to make you chuckle, and enough horror to keep your wary. I liked them, though they’re not my usual read.

Finished the first Dresden Files book, Storm Front. I have to say I’m surprised. I have listened to this book before, but I had forgotten the last two-thirds of it. Finishing it for a second time, I’m unclear how I could have forgotten it. It was really good. I immediately rolled over into book two (Fool Moon). I have six or seven of them on audiobook, so I’ve got my work cut out for me.

September Goals

• Finish one fiction book
• Finish one non-fiction book
• Finish one research book

Movies and Shows

• Star Trek Prodigy (Season 2)
• Expanse (Season 3)
• Echo
• The Mummy (2017)
• Hellboy (2019)
• Warcraft

I didn’t expect to watch three movies in a weekend, but I have a ‘fix the plot’ podcast I listen to and I’d listened to most of the movies I’d seen already, so I knocked a few bad movies off the list. The Mummy was a big let down (overpowered villain and deus ex ending). Hellboy was better, but not by much, which sucked because David Harbour did a good job as the character. Warcraft wasn’t great, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d heard. I actually like it, though it could be a lot better.

I did start and finish Echo, the Marvel show with the deaf character. That was a lot of fun. It did a few things I’m still not sold on, but the action scenes were fun to watch. And it was nice to see a story told not from a western perspective.

September Goals

• Finish either Expanse Season 3 or Prodigy Season 2
• Finish the other one
• Watch one Best Picture Winner
• Watch one other movie
• Finish one started TV show

Games

• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Assassin’s Creed Odessey
• Warhammer 40K: Armageddon

I played a lot in the first week or two of the month, then fell off towards the end. I advanced all three games, but didn’t make a large amount of progress. Which is okay. I got a lot of other things done.

In RPG news, I lost a character in Frozen Flame. It was sad because she was fun to play. but, she also wasn’t very effective. I didn’t do a lot the last few games, and her utility in combat was pretty limited. I’m working to build a better replacement character who can add something to the party.

September Goals

• Advance RDR2 to next chapter
• Ten hours of Assassin’s Creed Odessey
• Ten missions of 40K Armageddon

What’s Next?

I’m focused on book right now. There may be an event in December, and I’m signing up for conventions next year. But for now, it’s all book.

Thanks for reading. See you soon. Cheers!

Michael