Sometimes I slip smaller assignments in between the larger ones. There are days when tackling another novel seems daunting, especially when I can polish off a magazine article in just a day or to and savor that sense of accomplishment. For instance, I just turned in an article for an upcoming issue of The Escapist, an excellent online magazine. It’s mostly about video games, but the editors aren’t shy about crossing that boundary when there’s good reason. Tabletop writers like Allen Varney, Will Hindmarch, and Mur Lafferty appear in its virtual pages too, and they and the other writers generally do a fine job.

By way of another example, one already published, check out my review of Laser Dolphin for Manifesto Games. It’s apparently been up since November, but if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s still fresh to you.

I’ll be at the GAMA Trade Show again. It’s still in Las Vegas, but this year at Bally’s in April. I’ll probably have to zip in and out of the show, but I’m giving two seminars there on Monday, April 23. If you’ll be at the show, I hope to see you there!

Monday, 11 am–Noon:
Getting Your Game Published
Come learn how to submit your games to publishers and get them published. Discover the obstacles you may face in getting your game on shelves, and discuss strategies for overcoming them. Explore the option of self-publishing your game instead. (Skyview 1)

Monday, 2–3 p.m.:
Career Freelancing
Getting your first game, book, or article published is only the first step. To keep from being a flash in the pan, you need to educate yourself about how to turn your hobby into a business. Learn how to set up your business, act professionally, pay taxes, and get that next gig—and the next and the next and the next. (Skyview 1)

I’m posting this from the regional bus depot at O’Hare, tapping into the internet via the Hilton Hotel across the street. Man, I love the internet and my wireless iBook. All that and my 1-gig thumb drive filled with portable applications made my trip so much easier than it could have been.

I had a wonderful week on the road. I made many new friends, saw lots of old ones, did some very cool work, and learned some new things too. Sadly, my flight to Chicago got delayed last night, enough for me to have to reschedule my trip back for this morning, but I took advantage of it to impose on my hosts’ hospitality a bit longer and had a wonderful evening.

Now, of course, I have three deadlines to hit on Monday, including one that landed in my lap on Friday afternoon. Thankfully they’re all short, so I should manage it at night after spending some much-needed time with my wife and kids. Wish me luck!

On a happier note, my wife and I finally made use of the certificate for a free week’s stay at a resort. We won it back in November in a raffle held to raise funds for Kids’ Fun and Drama (KFAD), a local organization that introduces children to singing and acting. Our son Marty joined this past fall and acted in his first play, Oliver! During the intermission, they held the drawing, and we won the big prize.

So, later this year, we’re off to Costa Rica. Neither of us has ever been farther south than Matamoros, Mexico, so this should be a real treat.

My friend Luke Johnson reports that he’s been made editor-in-chief of Wicked Fantasy Factory, a new roleplaying game publisher. I don’t know anything more about it than what it says on the site, but I like the emphasis on action and fun. Best of luck to Luke in his new venture.