I have too many hobbies.
In addition to wanting to be a published writer, I have plenty of other time sucks to compete with this ambition. My hobbies are not exactly run of the mill. Sure, I play video games, but I avoid the MMO trap and could best be described as ‘the casual video gamer’ (odd considering I write game reviews pretty regular these days). I watch anime, but not nearly with the zeal of my early years. I read, but… okay, crap, I read a lot, but that’s not what I’m focusing on. One addiction at a time, kiddos. If I wrote about more than one, this would turn into something resembling a Homeric poem.
I love playing tabletop RPGs. And running them. And cracking open their settings guides. And generally losing myself in the details of their narratives. I’m presently looking at no fewer than two RPG nights per week (One for Rogue Trader, the other for Call of Cthulu/D&D 4th Edition) and I’m also looking to playtest or run one-offs for several other games (The Dresden Files, Gamma World and Pathfinder), or am also otherwise looking into other systems (DC Universe RPG).
This doesn’t even scratch the surface of the mania. I pick up Shadowrun supplements pretty much as they are released. Same goes for World of Darkness ‘core’ books (e.g. Vampire: the Requiem, Mage: the Awakening, Geist: the Sin-Eaters) and for other pet systems too many to enumerate. Between Books and The Days of Knights no doubt see me coming in for the majority of these purchases and could probably confirm the utter madness which is my gaming habit. I’m the guy that the marketing teams at Wizards and White Wolf have in mind when they update their games every couple of years. I’m the sucker who buys.
It’s getting so that I’ll eventually need to narrow all this gaming down if I ever want to get anything done.
It’s like picking which one of your children you’re going to abandon. I appreciate all of them, some more than others. They all bring me joy. But some of these have gotta get the axe.
I’ll admit, it’s kind of awesome to have this kind of problem. I am up to my nipples in game books which bring me a great deal of enjoyment. But I can’t swim through them like Scrooge McDuck does in his Moneybin (papercuts suck). I’m going to have to pick and choose.
I’ve resolved to try and cut back a little. Not to get too committed to anything else but what I am presently engaged in. But, it’s really hard not to. I want to write, spend time amongst social activities that do not involve dice and see my family.
If anyone has tips on surviving a massive time suck, I’m all ears.