With a New Year before me, the potential for creation feels endless. Unfortunately, each year is more fleeting than the last. The only way to ensure success against such forces is to set goals and strive to reach them before the last sand in the hourglass of yet another new year falls.
I normally release my “New Year, New Goals” blog earlier, but I was overtaken by inspiration and busily pursuing those very goals. So, what are they?
Universe of Brand J. Alexander Goals for 2023.
My focus for 2023 is to complete book 3 of Guardians of the Tide, Whispers of the Shadow Sea.
I wanted to keep the momentum after the recent release of Song of the Rising Deep, so I dove immediately back into the world of Nix for the sequel. I am currently about 20k words into the first draft. But that 20k has spawned about 10 to 15k more in notes, dialog, plot points, and character arcs for the next two books, plus a prequel.
Whispers of the Shadow Sea is a major turning point in the series, and a reasonable halfway mark to help me estimate the final series length. With my current series outline, I believe it will only take another two books to complete the series, bringing the total to 5 once finished. This does not include the short story prequel that I have outlined.
I am confident that, barring any significant life events, I can complete Whispers of the Shadow Sea before the end of the year. But I also want to challenge myself to even greater heights.
With every page I add to Whispers of the Shadow Sea, the path to the series finale grows clearer. I can see the direct line of events leading up to it and the threads that connect them. So I plan to just keep going once I complete book 3.
My dream would be to finish drafts of Whispers and the final two books by the end of the year so that I can begin prepping them for a rapid succession release. It’s fairly ambitious. However, every page I do beyond the completion of Whispers of the Shadow Sea is a step toward that end, even if I don’t achieve it all.
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As every year, my continuing goal is to establish connections with my readers, whether through my books or through our online interactions. Communities are valuable to Indie Authors, and I eagerly invite you to join mine.
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