Pravda - The Journal October 3, 2004 Deadlines Day and nothing's finished as predicted. Mad Donna now running at a little under 54,000 words. I can't believe Bill King writes 2000 words a day on average. On the bright side I feel my writing's improving as I go along. Now I just daren't look at the early chapters in case I want to re-write them. I figure out some stats for Skinnies in Starship Troopers as a break from Mad Donna. They look like they'll be kind of fun but desperately need more troops entries than 'Skinny with Constrictor rifle.' September 26, 2004 This week's quarrying has produced a new set of engagement rules for Starship Troopers, Air combat rules and units for same and another 5,000 words for Mad Donna. Not so bad in a week which included my dear departed gran's funeral (she made 92 and was a lovely woman, we'll all miss her), followed by trying to fit inherited heirlooms into our already chaotic household. Also my editor at Black library was very understanding, 'just send the Chapters as you finish them,' he said – a momentary but very welcome reprieve. September 19, 2004 Deadlines looming and I spend twenty minutes making a handy little map for ww2 online air navigation. Fun, but not very productive. Check word count for Survival instinct, its running at 44,000 words with less than two weeks until deadline. I need 26,000 more words in 11 days and I have to work on Starship Troopers as well. I'm screwed :( Later that day... Woot, 2000 words today! I am still screwed, just less so. September 6, 2004 After some prat-falls and confusion over meeting times (not mine I hasten to add) I hook up with Jervis Johnson and Matt Keefe in Nottingham's very quaint Ye Olde Trippe to Jerusalem (yes it really says that on the sign) – a place which has been proudly serving intoxicating beverages to psychotic world travelers since the crusades. They're both very keen to have me do consultancy job on BFG 2.0, continuing work I began late in '03 when I was still with GW. Woot! Says I, I'm very pleased to be able to keep a hand in BFG's development – it’s the one thing I can really point to at GW and say, 'that's my game.' They also try to tempt me with some Epic work, which is a boon because I really like the new edition of Epic even if Big Pete does persist in beating me at it (though I got a draw last time. A DRAW!). The first supplement they'd like me to do is Eye of Terror lists – Black Legion, Cadians, Ulthwe Eldar. Meh. My ardour cools perceptibly at the thought of reiterating the Eye of Terror campaign yet again. Verdict: still in negotiation. Sometime in Early September Well, it's almost 4 in the morning again and I'm forced to conclude that starting up Red Star Games has certainly forced me to push my boundaries like nothing I did at GW, it's tough working solo a lot of the time. On the other hand it's great to test your boundaries, and find that they extend further than you thought they did, they actually go a hell of a long way it turns out. Main thing is I get to do what I love, which is writing shit. :)