Being a game developer has some interesting effects on how I deal with my other hobbies.  One of the hobbies that takes the biggest hit in terms of getting my regular attention is writing.  Now, you may be asking, Wait, I thought you were a writer?  Shouldn’t you be doing this most of the time?  Well, you’ve got me there.  Yes, I am qualified to call myself a writer since I have published at least ONE book, with a real publisher (or so I tell myself).  However, it seems that in order to be a “real” writer, you have to keep publishing and that’s where I kinda fall in a hole.  I am also an Ichthyologist but I don’t study fish that much, any more.  Not that I don’t want to though.  No matter though, it’s not a major concern of mine at the moment.

What I do know is that my constant exposure to creative works, such as making games and being surrounded by the game industry provides me with too many shiny objects to maintain a direct focus on any particular writing project.  Sure, a good writer understands self-discipline and motivation but I can’t really say that I am much interested in the self-discipline thing any more.  I spent a good deal of my life associated with the military and para-military type organizations and self-discipline has run its course in my psyche.

So, between working on a bunch of short story project, a never-ending or developing novel outline, and helping out all of my “real” writer friends — I manage to plug along day-to-day, dabbling in various past-times and accomplishing only milestone of minimal importance to me.  With a bunch of new games on the horizon with a strong potential to suck me into the realm of getting nothing done, I see a lot of imagination time but not a lot of writing time.  I guess we will see how that works out.

Then, there’s always my paying job.  The never ending grindstone of making video games for licensed properties.  It’s actually amazing my creativity hasn’t been found on the side of the road somewhere next to an unfortunate Opossum or other slow moving pedestrian.