I'm plotting against you...

...I’m an author, it’s what I do.

Or at least, that’s what the slogan on one of my new t-shirts says. I love t-shirts... and cargoes.... and plotting... and apparently ellipsis’ too.

Anyway! I hope that all my lovely readers had a spectacular festive period, and have since recovered from hangovers and indigestion. For myself the end of the year was a time of reflection, thinking on what I had achieved and what I have hoped to do in 2012 (other than watching loads of the Olympics, obviously!) 2011 was generally a good year for me; I finally graduated with my masters (only 9 months late, Brighton!) and began work on the Vinland book while taking over as lead designer for Prophesy of Pendor. Do you guys do the same? How has the past year been for you? What have you learnt? Achieved? What do you hope to do for 2012?

Work on Vinland the book has slowed somewhat since the bustle of NaNoWriMo (explained last month), though I have some interesting possibilities lined up for this year which branch out the franchise. I really want to talk about this now, but I am sworn to secrecy for another week or two but believe me, once things are formalised and official you guys will be among the first to hear of these exciting developments. On the book itself I have reached the 80,000 word mark and while my initial aim was 100,000, I think I will be surpassing that so my latest estimate is around 120,000. Hopefully once my current project has settled somewhat then I will be able to get back to the writing, as Leif and the others are beginning to feel a little neglected.

So in essence 2012 for me, at least at the moment, looks to be another year filled with creative projects which fully test my abilities as a designer, a writer and someone who is self employed and therefore lacking a boss yelling at me. This way of life suits me rather well, I can get things done when my night-owl impulses allow though I do admit the temptation to procrastinate can be overwhelming at times; still it’s nothing compared to the efforts required to avoid this while writing dissertations and essays... this writing I actually enjoy doing. There honestly is nothing quite so thrilling as being able to create worlds and bring life to them through characters you see sketched out as a series of personality traits and watch them slowly mature as the story grows.

(Image courtesy of the Austin Powers films)