Yearly Look Ahead - 2023
Another year behind us, with a new one on the horizon.
Hey there folks, and welcome to my Yearly Lookahead, formerly titled my Yearly Wrapup. On a functional level, there’s no difference in how they work, but I’m hoping the title change adds a level of clarity to their intent. In fairness, putting my plans for the year ahead in a blog whose title openly focused on the past wasn’t the most obvious of places for people to check. That’s also why it got shoved back a bit, launching in the new year it looks toward rather the one it remembers.
That said, there are certainly a few points of 2022 worth making note of. On top of publishing Noble Roots (Spells, Swords, & Stealth #5) and Posthumous Education (Fred the Vampire Accountant #8) I was able to finish writing both 5-Minute Sherlock #3 and Villains’ Vignettes Volume I. I even had time to get one of the novellas from Villains’ Vignettes Volume I posted as a Sneak Peek for my Patreons throughout December.
In a very special note, my decade long Choose Your Spooky Outcome came to a close this year. That’s noteworthy for an abundance of reasons, not the least of which is that you collectively chose to end it, and you did it with flair. I’m still sorting out the details of what to do with that tome; though I do want to release it as a full book, finding the right presentation will be key.
Convention wise, I had an excuse to return to Vegas, help successfully pull off our third Authors & Dragons Con (Speaking of, here’s tickets for 2023 in Portland), and attended my first ever Dragon Con! As many people warned me it was massive, though a great experience overall. I’m excited to head back in 2024.
Then, of course, we had Shingles the Movie. While unfortunately life didn’t allow me time to get out and visit during the filming, I knew several of the A&D cast had an awesome time visiting the set. Shooting the movie was a big highlight overall, and I know we’re all super excited about the release coming in 2023.
A fun year indeed, but as we all know, it’s already in the rearview mirror. Now is the time for 2023, and that means it’s time for some goals! For newer readers, I don’t set New Year’s resolutions, instead I set objectives I want to accomplish in the year ahead. There’s an aspirational component to some, like the TV/Movie Deal, but hey, there’s always a chance.
1. Publish Villains’ Vignettes Volume I: Kind of a given since it’s already written and just needs a bit more polish. Still, a goal is a goal, and this is one I feel pretty darn confident in pulling off. There will indeed also be an audio version of this, though I obviously won’t know the timeframe until Tantor has the book. This is one I’m really excited about, both as an new outlet for smaller stories set in the Villains’ Code world, and for the individual stories themselves.
2. Publish 5-Minute Sherlock #3: Despite being written, this one is slightly less of a lock, as it’s my Audible Original series. For anyone unaware, that means Audible acts as the publisher for those books. It means I get awesome covers and excellent editing, however unlike the titles I produce independently, these are part of a greater catalogue. Publishers have to coordinate their numerous releases, so there’s always a chance it could get pushed past 2023. That said, I would call it unlikely, given that we’re starting the year with a rough draft already done.
3. Write Villains’ Code #3: Those who keep a close watch on my Series Status page will know that technically this one has already kicked off, though there is certainly still a lot to go. This one is only listed as a writing goal for 2023 because the size of the Villains’ Code books means production takes a while. On top of the writing itself, huge books need longer for edits, which I do multiple phases of. That’s actually part of why I started integrating the Villains’ Vignettes into the series, as it allows for releases in that world between the larger undertakings.
4. Write Fred #9: For clarity, I’m only slotting this one as a write, not a publish. While I’m certainly open to the idea of getting Fred #9 out the door in 2023, until I see just how long Villains’ Code #3 takes, there’s no way of knowing how much time I’ll have left to work with. With a handful of months, I could hopefully get it written since the Fred books are a shorter series. Editing and release would be a much higher hurdle though.
5. Write another Patreon novella: Nothing specific in mind here, I just had a lot of fun doing the Sneak Peek in December and I think it’d be enjoyable to do again. We’ll see when time allows, but I think over the course of a year I can swing a spare 20,000 words. And speaking of the Patreon…
6. Update the Patreon: This was, in truth, intended to happen at the end of 2022. Several weeks of Covid exhaustion will knock a lot of plans askew, however. Thankfully, I got some balls moving early, and hopefully this one can be accomplished before February. Stay tuned for updates on that front!
7. Do more conventions: I’ve been slowly getting back out there since the pandemic, and I’m hoping to add a couple more in 2023. Outside of Authors & Dragons Con and Dragon Con, I’m also already booked for Readers Take Denver at the end of March. That’s all that’s locked in for now, but I’ll update my Event page as soon as new plans are set.
8. Throw a safe and awesome Authors & Dragons Con: We had an amazing time with everyone last year, and this time we’re doing it in downtown Portland, one of my favorite cities in the country to visit. I am super-excited for this one, especially because we’re changing things up a bit to have a more dynamic schedule, with surprises I think our listeners are going to really enjoy. Not to mention, a screening of Shingles The Movie with the writers themselves. It’s going to be a great time, hope you all can make it!
9. TV/Movie Deal: We’ll close out with the usual pie-in-the-sky ambition, though with how quickly studios keep hoovering up superhero properties, maybe someone will eventually want to try a narrative focused on a guild of pragmatic villains. We can always hope!
Hope you’re all having a wonderful start to the new year! Let me know what goals you have for the year ahead in the comments.