Looking around my toy/wargame room on Sunday, I was stuck - for the umpteenth time - by how untidy it had become over recent months. After some further deliberation I decided that rather than put off sorting it out - again - I'd seize the nettle and actually have a go ... and that is what I have been doing today.
I suspect that I am not going to finish today, but I plan to do as much as I can and complete the job as soon as I can.
I suspect that I am not going to finish today, but I plan to do as much as I can and complete the job as soon as I can.
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThat is one of those jobs that you always feel better about when you have finished it - with the added bonus of not only securing valuable brownie point from the management but also occasionally finding something you had forgotten about!
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
DeleteI must admit that it is not my favourite activity but it needs to be done ... and as you predicted in your comment, I've found several things that I had 'mislaid' over time.
All the best,
Bob
Mine gets worse and worse,I'd better grasp the nettle too.
ReplyDeleteTradgardmastare,
DeleteThere is something cathartic about having a big sort out. I couldn't say that I'm enjoying it, but I seem to be making slow progress.
All the best,
Bob
Bob
ReplyDeleteMy bookshelves got into a right state over time - books two and three deep, lying on top of one another falling off the edge all that sort of thing. My wife suggested I tidy them but I couldn't face it. So she did it.
Obviously this was a disaster as, largely, she arranged things by size and colour. but even I have to admit the end result was aesthetically more pleasing than it had been.
Anyway recently, doing some writing, I found myself with twenty or thirty books piled around me at the PC as references. It seemed obvious that I should use the opportunity to complete a functional tidy of the bookshelves to replace the previous aesthetic one.
So I did a couple of days ago and now I stop and sigh in admiration as I walk past each day!
Worth it in the end...but it did take the best part of a day.
Cheers
Andrew
Rumblestrip (Andrew),
DeleteIt is going better than I had hoped, but it is still going to take me at least another day. Once complete, the room should look a lot tidier and I should be able to find what I need easier and faster.
I think that allowing your wife to rearrange your books was extremely brave. I suspect that mine would have used the opportunity to prune my collection!
All the best,
Bob
PS. What were you writing about?
Bob
DeleteI must admit to having been inspired by your ability to write a book in (what seems like) twenty minutes so I collated a number of scenarios for the eastern Front 1941-43, wrote a few more, made them generic in terms of rules and put some history in and, all of a sudden, there it was - a book!
So I am now (mentally) struggling with working out how to publish it as efficiently as possible - least additional work for the greatest number of channels. So hardcopy and PDF through Amazon, Lulu, Kobo et al and Wargames Vault. I suspect working that out is more of a challenge than actually writing the thing (which did take me more than twenty minutes, however)
Cheers
Andrew
Rumblestrip (Andrew),
DeleteI have had a lifetime of writing ... and I am still learning my craft! I have found that writing a blog every day has helped me to hone my skills considerably.
I'll be interested to see your scenario book when it is published. Even if I don't use scenarios 'as written'' I find that they give me lots of ideas.
I chose to go with Lulu.com because it is the publisher that John Curry (of the History of Wargaming Project) uses, although I understand that Amazon offers the same sort of service. I'd suggest that you have a look at what all the possible options offer you as an author. Good luck with getting your book published.
All the best,
Bob
Bob
DeleteIt was an interesting process.I started with about 40 or 50 pages of material which I had already written and which was to form the core of the thing. At that point I judged it to be 70% complete - a bit of editing and an intro and outro and it was pretty much done...then I started the editing...
After several days of cross checking facts, tidying the presentation, writing some new scenarios, rewriting others and sourcing maps I could use, the thing was 60 or so pages and I judged it to be 40% complete! There's one of those unnatural laws that states that as soon as you've done what you think is 90% of the task, probably about the same amount actually remains. For the last fortnight I thought every day it was within two days of completion - I'd do a day's work and invariably there appeared to be around two days worth left.
Anyway done now and being proof read. Once I've worked out how to publish it I'll send you a PDF.
Cheers
Andrew
Rumblestrip (Andrew),
DeleteJudging just how long it will take to write anything is always difficult ... but judging by the time most builders etc., estimate it will take to do a job, I think that writers are in good company!
I thought that I was a couple of days away from finishing LA ULTIMA CRUZADA nearly two months ago ... and soon realised that I wasn't. As you say, you do a day's worth of writing and seem to end up having as much - if not more - left to do than you did at the start of the day.
The biggest problem I have is actually stopping, and saying to myself 'Is doing any more going to make it better in any way' I'm better at doing this now than I used to be, but I still find it difficult to walk away and draw a line under a project.
All the best,
Bob
Courage young Cordery. En avant!
ReplyDeleteConrad Kinch,
DeleteI'm doing my best ... but keep getting distracted!
All the best,
Bob
A job worth doing- although before and after photos are called for.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Pete.
Pete.,
DeleteYou might get an 'after' photograph ... but not a 'before' one!
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteThis is off-topic, but I wanted to let you and your readers know that a copy of Morschauser's book is for sale (fairly cheaply) on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/How-to-Play-Wargames-in-Miniature-by-Morschauser-1962/311981717531?hash=item48a38f381b:g:QqAAAOSwhKZZ5P8f
Best regards,
Chris
Chris,
DeleteThanks for the heads up.
I already have a somewhat battered copy, but I'll take a look just in case this is in better condition.
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteI have not a great deal to tidy up- I'm steadily working on my only miniatures project for Colonial MARS- I'm about 20% there on the figure side of things...my Gaming books occupy one shelf in my study room- and that is about it. In the past I have managed to sell off all loads of my Collections- armies, books and rules..at one stage I had reached 60 projects in total...it does us good to de-clutter...thing is -I've just about gone too far! Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson,
DeleteI know that I really should rationalise and downsize my collections ... but I'm not quite ready to do so yet. My wife and I are thinking of moving home in the near future, and I will need to downsize and rationalise then.
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
DeleteWhat I've really found now in later years is how rewarding it is to concentrate all your efforts on that one main Project which up till now has escaped me....hard to do just one Project - though certainly it is worth it in the knowledge of time. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson,
DeleteI wish that one wargaming project would suffice, but I need at least two if not three. I intend to complete my 25/28mm Napoleonic project, continue to work on my 19th century Colonial collection, and to get my Eastern a Front/Great Patriotic War project started.
All the best,
Bob
If your clean up is naything like mine it will start well, but you find something that you had long forgotten and the sidetrack will begin, possibly even a new project - more mess!!
ReplyDeleteBob Kett,
DeleteI must admit that I've found several things that could easily have diverted me from my task ... and almost did!
All the best,
Bob
That's a "lot of kit" Bob!
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exile FoG,
DeleteIt is ... but it represents over fifty years of my being a wargamer.
All the best,
Bob