A few months ago, Weebly ran an overhaul of its web-creator user interface.  For the most part, this was a large improvement.  It made it so it was easier to mix different types of media on a page and made the formatting tools much handier.  Unfortunately, one noticeable step backwards was in assigning categories to blog entries.

Before, there was a list of the categories I had created on the right-hand side of the screen.  Next to each category was a checkbox.  After writing a blog it was a simple matter of check the boxes next to the categories that I though applied.  While adding a new category took a step longer than it should, it was not enough of a problem that it demanded an overhaul of the system, but that's what happened.

Instead of a check list, I now have to go to the left side of the screen, scroll to the appropriate menu and then use a drop menu to assign categories ... one at a time.  The process is cumbersome and time-consuming, and so I haven't used it for a few months.  Unfortunately, that means that I can't find entries that I am looking for easily.  Plus my categories are now missing my more recent entries.

If I had the time or the patience, I would go back and put categories on my previous blogs.  Nah, I'd rather play more Skyrim.

Over the course of this week, I keep finding myself in positions where I can't write anything down, but I have fantastic ideas ... for stories, for games, and for this blog.  By the time I get situated so that I can write something, the ideas are gone, leaving only a faint residue to tickle the back of my brain.  This is more frustrating to me than normal writer's block, where I try to sit down to write and force myself to be creative.  Rather than facing a blank slate, I had something worthwhile and lost it.

Our minds are such complex and funny things.  Moments of forced idleness, such as riding in a car, allow are minds to wander and make the wonderful connections that we would love to reach for when we try to write.  Yet, when forced to actually do the work, our minds come up with every possible excuse to avoid the heavy lifting of writing.

I know this is why many writers carry around a writer's journal with them.  That way they can jot down their inspired thoughts soon after they occur.  I keep one next to my bed for this reason.  I find, however, that when I attempt to carry one around, the ideas tend to be even more illusive, waiting for a moment when I don't have a pen or can't use a pen to show themselves.  This game of mental hide-and-seek is not that amusing for me anymore.

Oh well ... they probably weren't that great of ideas anyway ...

One of the biggest problems that I've encountered with playing Dungeons and Dragons as an adult is scheduling.  Especially when including more than one household, trying to find time to get together is quite a challenge.  Some of my ongoing adventures meet only a couple of times a year (usually during summer break) with gaps between sessions of several months (sometimes nine).  This makes keeping track of what the party has done and plans on doing a bit difficult.

When Google Docs became available, one of my friends created a shared spreadsheet where he could input the experience points and treasure that we earned.  Since it was a spreadsheet, he also made it so it calculated an even share for each character.  He later added in a place for notes on the adventure and even a tab for players to put down something about their character's description.

These "adventure journals" have been a tremendous help as we have gamed through the years.  Recently, we have even used them to share maps, images, notes, etc. rather than have the DM provide copies to everyone.  While it still means passing around computers (or tablets) to those who don't have one, it also makes it so players can access the images from home if they want to give them a closer look.

I have a shared the adventure journal that I created based on my friend's original design.  While I have included a link here, I have also put one on the Home-brewed Rules page of this website.  I hope you find it helpful.

I remember being blown away by the Franklin Covey presentation where the presenter took a pile of rocks, gravel, pebbles, and sand, and then asked a volunteer to fit them all into a plastic container. When the volunteer started with the sand, the rest wouldn't fit, but when the rocks were placed in first, everything fell into place (with some liberal shaking). I have since seen this idea replicated by multiple organizations (usually with adding water—and sometimes beer: “There's always room for beer.”), but the analogy still holds true. The rocks represent the important things in life (our family, our dreams, travel), the gravel represents our obligations (our job, family commitments), the pebbles represent our leisure or down-time, and the sand represents our day-to-day emergencies. If we only focus on the day-to-day stuff, we can't fit in the parts of our life that are more important; however, if we focus on, and plan for, our dreams, we can fit in everything (or almost everything) else.

My school, at the time they sent us to this presentation (which, by the way, was the second-best professional development session that I have ever attended), also purchased Franklin planners for the entire staff. I loved using mine. It was while using mine that I wrote two of my screenplays and the lion's share of my novel while still juggling my multiple obligations. When I was at my best, I would check it every night (usually while watching an evening show), filling in my accomplishments from the day and writing in my tasks for the next. It made me more aware of how I was using my time.

Unfortunately, due to financial issues, I stopped purchasing the yearly inserts and then stopped using the binder. I have tried using different apps since then, but to much lesser effect. I know that I shouldn't need to use a specific product to accomplish what is essentially a simple idea, but there was something about the format and quality of those pages that made using it more pleasurable (and that made me feel guilty when I didn't use it).

Truthfully, I have been a bit adrift these past few years. My time is being filled with pebbles and sand. I haven't worked on a major piece of writing in several years. I need to take better charge of my life again and stop merely reacting to events as they occur.

… I think that I might be talking myself into getting another year's insert.