2017 was . . . an interesting year. Aside from
the dumpster fire, I went from four years of reliable, steady work to juggling chainsaws.
Don't misunderstand me. Before Torment, I had no work at all, and our enormous family was slowly hemorrhaging money. Torment was literally (in the literal definition of literally) a Godsend, and although freelancing has been bumpy as hell this year, the connections I've made in the last five years are the only thing that has made any of it possible.
So! Looking back at 2017:
1) Torment was released. Not unlike
the first one, sales have been unimpressive (so I hear; it's not like I see any financial reports), but the critics love it as do most of the people who have played it.
If history is any indicator, we can expect its successor to be the next crowd-funded success in another fifteen years.
2) I worked for Nexon . . . and now I don't. I realize now I didn't talk about this much on the blog, but yeah, I was doing game writing (and a little design) for a prototype for Nexon which the high-ups ultimately passed on. They not only passed on the prototype, but also the whole team, which unfortunately included me. But hey, I got paid for several months and had time to write on the side, so I ain't complaining.
3) I became a professional editor. I have begun editing for both
private clients as well as the online editing firm
Scribendi. The combination of these has made for steady work (private clients aren't always there, but they pay great and are super fun; Scribendi is always there).
When I started, I was somewhat hesitant about my editing abilities. I knew I had great attention to detail and a lot of experience with plotting and world-building, but I felt like there was a lot I didn't know about the editing world. Now, thanks in part to Scribendi's training courses, I super know what I'm doing. I edit. I'm an editor. And I love it.
4) I started streaming. Thanks to the magic of the internet, I've been able to play games I've been meaning to play, hang out with my family, and meet other gamers all at the same time. Streaming is a lot of fun, and I expect to keep doing it for a while. (I wish I could do it more, but making money on streaming is a lot more work than advertised.) If you'd like to join us, I stream most Sundays
here or you can catch up on previous streams
here.
As wacky as this year has been, I'm pretty happy with the state of my life. Torment was fun and amazing and I regret almost none of it, but I also essentially ignored my family for four years with a single credit to show for it. As a result, I learned
important things about freelancing that have resulted in me making more money (or "enough" money, which really is better) with less time.
With that, here's a quick look at what 2018 might look like:
It starts with a lot of work. Like
too much. But it's all awesome work, and some of it might lead to more work, and most importantly it means I don't have to worry about money for a while, which is always nice.
Cunning Folk. I've been talking with publishing folks about a book that long-time readers
will recognize. I recently read my first draft and . . . yeah, I definitely wrote it a long time ago. There's a lot of dust to blow off it, and a lot of pieces that need a writer more experienced than past-Adam was, but there's also a definite possibility to publish some version of this book. I'm looking forward to that.
Blogging. Perceptive readers will notice that I've posted regularly for six weeks in a row now. Will this return to the glory days continue? Stay tuned to find out!
Streaming with my parents. My parents come to visit us a few weeks every year. This year, I'm going to see about introducing them (and myself) to a little game called Portal, and you can watch the fun.
Sea of Souls? The outline's on the editor's desk. We'll see.
Post-Apoc Ninjas? Also on editors' desks, but keep in mind it's been there for a while.
Gamebook? There are some unknowns here, so I can't say much about it. More news when there is news. (But, man, is it fun to write!)
So how are you all? Highlights from 2017? What are you looking forward to in 2018?
