Deadlines and Video Games

Book three was supposed to be turned in a month from today, but I am behind. It turns out, 2021 broke me a little bit. I turned in book two a week early, but it took a ridiculous sprint to the finish that saw me working long days for over a month straight.

In an ongoing pandemic that was already very stressful.

Looking back at the second half of last year, I was flirting with burnout, though I was loath to admit it. I kept pushing, trying to write book three, and it kept not working, and so I pushed harder, and it worked less, and everything was miserable.

Now, here we are, a month from the deadline, and I’m just under a third through the book. That is Not Great(tm)!! But my lovely agent has already been in contact with my editor for an extension, and it’s the biggest one I’ve ever asked for—two months. Luckily, the schedule had some wiggle room in it, so my new deadline is June. I will remain mostly absent as I work to hit the new date, but I’ll be on Twitter more than the blog.

And I’ve had two good writing days this week, so I think I’m finally getting into the swing of the book after nearly a month of banging my head against a wall. So yay! 🎉

In an attempt to be kinder to myself, I’ve been taking a little bit of time in the evening to play some new games, and I’ve found a couple of gems.

The first new game is Wylde Flowers and it’s an iOS game in Apple Arcade. It’s sort of a simpler version of a Stardew Valley-type game, but with ✨magic✨. It’s beautiful, inclusive, and has truly excellent voice acting. I’ve spent a lot of hours fixing up my farm and getting to know my neighbors. And now I have a chicken! She’s named Pluckers and she’s the best. 💕

The second game is Core Keeper, an early-access game on Steam. It’s co-op, so Mr. M and I are playing together, and if you like Terraria-type games, you should check it out because the gameplay is very similar. It’s been pretty stable so far, even though it’s technically in alpha, and we’ve played over ten hours. Mr. M has a little farm, and I’ve set up a crafting room, so if you’ve ever wondered if video games mirror real life, the answer is yes.

What about you? Have you played any good games lately?

7 thoughts on “Deadlines and Video Games”

  1. Take care of yourself! The last 7 years have been rough for so many people for so many reasons, and the last 3 have only been more intensely stressful. Video games are one of my passions in life, along with reading, and I always feel like they’re underestimated in terms of helping people relax or cope with trauma. I’ll buy the book whenever it goes up for preorder and until then? I can always reread your other books. Which I was planning to start doing with the Rogue Queen series soon anyway. Much love!

  2. This has been a tough time for all of us but especially for those who do creative work. Sounds like you’re doing things that should help. Take good care.

  3. I play water sort. Very low mental commitment. I loved Hunt the Stars. Will happily read the next one whenever it is ready! Last year was brutal and 2022 has started even worse as far as I can tell. Take all the time you need!

  4. Courage 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
    Pandemic and confinement took a toll on all of us, I feel you 😬
    Not been able to try some news games, broke up with my boyfriend late last year and he was the one with the Xbox hahaha
    But we did play Resident Evil all of last year that we were together and greatly enjoyed it, especially the 7 😁 Great story

  5. Take care of yourself!
    I am realizing how much self care helps when you are stressing.
    I will reread Polaris Rising, again, and carry on through the series when I need comfort.
    I recommend it to anyone who is looking for new series, I love it!
    Janeen

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