Courtesy Wizards of the Coast, art by Phil Foglio

I’m still curious about the particulars of a business plan for Blue Ink Alchemy. A serious and strict writing schedule, Patreon, fundraising, promotional work, deadlines… these are all things I’ve burned lean tissue considering. It would be wonderful to hammer everything into place and get that phase of my life completely started. I’ve even considered hitting an open mic night to try my hand at stand-up.

I’d also like to pay my bills and get travel plans together, though, and the uncertain nature of crowdfunding and contract payments would make that extremely difficult.

I’m afraid this will qualify as whining or making excuses, but I have to face hard facts. I failed to put aside a comfortable amount of savings before my move, and I have a great deal of mundane concerns to address, such as rent, auto registration, and so on. And the unfortunate truth is that employment secured through more ‘traditional’ methods is the most efficient way to stay on top of those things, and stow the savings I should have been working on in the first place.

While conducting interviews and hunting down positions I can fill, I’m still hard at work on writing outlines, building worlds, and editing other writings. I have my eyes open for opportunities. I’m still planning and still dreaming. Because while my funding might be limited, my ambitions aren’t. As much as I’m trying to be realistic, I still want it all. And I do, in fact, want it now.