The Invisible Author

I'm in one of those phases where:
(1) I'm working on lots of projects: the OSRIC Monster Book text, Knockspell #7, monster illustrations, levels for Rappan Athuk, and editing Dennis Sustare's latest module, Tourist Traps.

(2) I am in a hypo-manic condition, which means not much sleep and obsessing on the projects; going to sleep dreaming about cross-hatching and shading, waking up thinking, "Here's a new idea, I've got to get it on paper nownownow!" It also means I keep thinking of new projects to work on, and having to smack those ideas away so that I can keep working away at the existing ones.

(3) All those projects are very long-term toward completion. I have a mix of illustrations from myself and other artists totaling maybe 30-35, and I need to have at least 80-100 in the book because the OSRIC book threatens to have 220 monsters in it. They are all new monsters, which means that illustrations are pretty key. I won't go into why I think illustrations are so key to a monster book, and several people would disagree with me, but from my perspective I want as many illustrations as possible.

(4) Which all told means that I'm barely posting on message boards, and have been neglecting the blog while all this is going on.

That's annoying, since the artist/author's garret is bustling with frenetic and often exhausting activity, but I know that I'm presenting an outer appearance of ... nothingness.

Fortunately I'm used to this, since hypomania is recurrent for me, and hopefully it's not actually damaging Swords & Wizardry, Mythmere Games, Frog God, or any of the other projects that require communication and face-time.

Soon enough. Or at least, as soon as possible. Hopefully some projects will start going into layout in late January, and appearing in March, maybe? Jeez.

Better get back to work...