I just added a new plugin to the site: Snap Preview Anywhere. Just hover your pointer over any link on the page, and you can now see a preview of the page it leads to. Pretty snazzy.

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (IAMTW) just launched a blog, to which I plan to contribute. In the meantime, you can read the posts of my fellow writers Lee Goldberg and Jeff Mariotte, with many others to come.

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.

This is just in the gestation stages still, but a Aldo Ghiozzi of Impressions is heading an initiative to start a Free RPG Day in the vein of the hugely successful Free Comic Book Day. Here’s hoping it’s an idea that gains some traction and does some good.

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)

This effort is still in its infancy, but the people behind Wikipedia have started Wikiversity designed to teach people about all sorts of topics. One of the coolest sections is the School of Game Design. There’s not a lot up there yet, but at least someone’s taken the time to stake out the territory on which to build.

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!

I know, it’s been quiet around here. I’m out of town this week, working on a secret project in an undisclosed location. I’ve been hammering away at other bits and ends in the evenings, too, which hasn’t given me much time for posting here. I’m on my way home tonight, though, so I should be able to chip in more next week. Hope you all have an excellent Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend!