Age 50 Accomplishments

It’s my 51^st birthday!

It feels like a good day to share some recent accomplishments. I had an eventful year at age 50. I took a couple of online classes related to being an author. I moved my blog from Wix to a WordPress site. I joined a new writing community.

I also started my novel Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake, the sequel to Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western. And you know what? Last week, I finished the first draft. I wrote it in less than six months, and most of that writing took place over the last two months.

Once I finish the first draft of a book, I have to set it aside for about a month before coming back to it. I’m already aware of a lot of things I need to change and fix in this current novel, which makes me eager to get back to it. However, the book and I need a short time apart so that when I get back to it I can look at it with a fresher perspective.

With the book set aside, though, I still have plenty to do.

Currently, I have the basic ideas for my next two books. The very next one I’m going to write, once Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake is almost ready for publication, is the third book in this series. It will be titled Bodacious Creed and the Frisco Syndicate.

The novel after that will start a new series but will be set in the same world as the Bodacious Creed novels. I’ve done some major brainstorming for both of these books. By the end of the month, I plan to have a basic outline for each.

This week, I’ve also been filling a Google Sheets file (can you ever fill a Google Sheets file?) with blog post ideas. If you have any writing questions or other things you’d like me to address in a blog, feel free to let me know in the comments.

I also created portraits for three of the main characters in the Creedverse: James Creed, Anna Boyd, and Jonathan Johns, using techniques I’ve covered in previous blog posts.

This technique is a lot like casting actors, and these three were tougher to cast than other characters in the series. I’m pretty happy with the results, though. These are now in my series bible, which you can check out here:

The Creedverse on World Anvil

Note that what readers see is just a small portion of what I have on the site. Most of the information is private. I aim to avoid spoilers! The point of the site is to serve as a repository of information on my fictional world that helps me keep everything straight.

Oh yes, here are those pictures of James Creed, Anna Boyd, and Jonathan Johns.

Have a great week and stay safe. Long days and pleasant nights.

“We accomplish things by directing our desires, not by ignoring them.” ~ Anonymous