2019 Wrap-Up

Hey guys, I just have a quick question for you. And that would be, WHERE THE FLIP DID 2019 GO????

I mean I know that stuff happened, and months passed. But a whole year? No, no, because I distinctly recall it was just 2018 it cannot possibly be 2020 already. I cannot possibly be mere months away from turning twenty, I mean... I'm not old enough to be twenty.

Okay so I guess since we are apparently going with the ruse that it has in fact been a whole year and we are in fact in 2020 already I better do a proper farewell to 2019 and mourn it and all that and also honor its memory with this little wrapup.

So at the beginning of the year I made a list of goals which you can find here.

Of my life goals I did in fact grow in my walk with God, begin eating healthier and actually lose weight, and I have mostly learned to drive though I still have to tackle maneuverability before I can get my licence. I did not in fact learn Spanish but oh well I didn't actually think I would.

Of my reading goals I really failed quite miserably. 2019 was the year of the never ending reading slump.

And we will get back to my writing goals later and how they panned out but first some other regular life things that deserve mentioning:

• I started this blog
• I got a car :O
• I started taking drawing seriously and actually got better at it

One of my first drawings of the year

My last drawing of the year

• I started painting

My latest paintings with the help of Bob Ross tutorial videos

And obviously a ton of other things happened too, but not all of them bear mentioning.


And now on to the writing updates:

Of my 2019 goals...

I did in fact finish A Winter Grim and Lonely and published it this past January.

I did not really touch A Winter Dark and Deadly unfortunately.

I did write A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils and jokes on me because it ended up being over 150k words long and murdered me painfully

I also republished A Time of Trepidation, Pirates, and Lost Princesses

I only wrote about 40k words in A Matter of Curiosity before I decided to set it aside to focus on other projects.

My goal was to write 500k words, and that was clearly huge and I don't know why I made that goal or thought it was at all attainable I mean seriously...

I did however:

• Manage to write approximately 350k words.
• Edited the snot out of Of Gold and Iron, sent it to two publishers. Both asked for more time to review it. One finally rejected it, I'm still waiting for news from the second.
• I started and then dropped more writing projects than I would care to admit
• Finally decided on the two projects I'm going to work on going into the new year (and it isn't QoDaF despite what my last two posts would lead you and me to believe)
• Wrote a 150k word long book in four short months

But anyway there you have it, 2019 wrapped. My word of 2019 was LEARN and I think yeah... I think I really succeeded in that department.

Anyway tune in tomorrow where I shall list my goals of 2020. And also keep an eye out for two thrilling posts coming over the weekend.

How was 2019 for you? Did you have a word? Do you think you succeeded in keeping your goals? Comment Below!

The Question of Dust and Fate//Meet My Cast

So this week has been crazy busy what work and the upcoming holidays and having to work with the upcoming holidays. I considered not even doing a blog post this week, but I promised you an introduction into my characters from my newest WIP The Question of Dust and Fate and so that is what you will get.

As always the pictures are absolutely not mine, all credit to their original creators and Pinterest.

So like, technically I have two casts, and it is complicated. So I guess I will break them up as cast 1 and cast 2 XD

Cast 1

Eustace, the underpaid nerd

Voted most likely to die//Probably tripped 2 seconds ago//Does not speak sarcasm//We love him anyway

Felice, the assassin in over her head

Code panic//I'm not having a crisis of conscience but I am having a crisis//I'm not saying I'm protective, but if anyone touches you I'll kill them//Just because I don't kill you doesn't mean I like you

Seamus, smooth talking archaeologist

You are welcome for existing//Everyone loves me, I love me//Of course nothing bothers me//Some social cues would be nice

Markus, the hired thug

I wasn't paid enough for this//Has a wit drier than a desert//I shouldn't find that amusing but I do//I only care a little bit I swear

Norina, a woman out of time

I'm not your grandma//Has a plan//It's a good plan//Will screw up said plan

Misty, the treasure hunter

Don't play games when your opponent can play them better//Honestly could care less//Isn't even pretending//I'm just in it for the money

Cast 2

Talbot, the rich kid with issues

My secrets have secrets//I don't play well with others//Let's play a game of whether I am joking or actually insulting you//Don't take it personally if I don't like you, I don't like anyone

Conan, the exiled prince

Prince Broody//Anything you can do, I can do better//I need to be in charge because you will screw this up//I'm perfect and you are peasants

Shasta, the hotshot pilot

There is no way I cover up my insecurities with insults//If only he could love me//Pity that you all have to live with dying//If it is a risk, I'm taking it

Yesrin, the otherworldly ambassador

Don't mess with my peoples//I may be nice but that doesn't mean that I can't hurt you//I will kill you with kindness//If that fails then I always have my magic

Warner, the other mercenary

Loyal to every fault//Oh please//No seriously, please stop//Actually that was kind of funny

Post NaNo Writing Updates

So... November is past. We survived NaNo!!! Well most of us... *cheers from the ditch that I landed in after falling off the NaNo bandwagon*

And now with the writing craze past, that leaves the question... what next? With this year wrapping up and a new one looming threateningly on the horizon, I've had to look more closely at my writing goals and schedules. And yes I have changed some of my purported publishing dates to far more realistic and less stress inducing ones. And so without further ado here is my new estimated publishing schedule (self-publishing only since that is the only one that I actually have control over, I'm still waiting to hear back from a few publishing companies about Of Gold and Iron)

A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils. Shooting for March of 2020, but it could be April or May depending on how long edits take

A Matter of Curiosity. October 13th, 2020- that way it will have the same release date of book one.

A Winter Dark and Deadly. Yes this one does finally have an estimated date :O and that is... early winter of 2021

And then in late fall of 2021 the My Time in Amar saga finally comes to a close with An Era of Evil, Dragons, and Dark Lords

Obviously this isn't all completely certain but these are my goals anyway, and I have at least one other project that I'm hoping to self publish the first book of sometime in the next two years, but I won't say anything more about it until I actually start it XD

For the time being I am working on three writing projects.

Editing A Season of Subterfuge (you can read more about that project here)
Writing Darkness From the Stars (you can find out more about that project here)
And finally the third project is a new one which I guess means that I should announce it.

And so I give you...

The Question of Dust and Fate

I'm sure you are all wondering what is this book and why am I writing it? Well I'm so glad that you asked.

The Question of Dust and Fate is...

A time travel story

That takes place in a fantasy world

That has three different sentient species/races

Has a massive cast of misfit characters

That represent all three of these races

Too many POVs

Is horror

Is also mildly comedic

Is complicated

I don't actually have a blurb yet, but here are the aesthetics

Pinterest

Spotify

I will do a post next week introducing you to said huge cast, and stay tuned for a cover reveal for SoS later this month *screams with anticipation*

How did NaNo go for you? What do you think about QoDaF? Which of these projects are you most excited for? Comment below!