Writing Update: Plans for 2017!
Hi, folks! Well, it’s been a little while since I wrote one of these, but I thought it was about time for me to outline where I’m at with my writing, what’s new and what’s old, and what my plans are for 2017. Let’s do this!
Okay, the first thing to mention is that I’ve been experimenting with some slight tweaks to ‘the schedule’. I’m not going to go into huge detail here, but basically ‘the schedule’ is my name for my approach to creativity, a system which basically ensures I spend all of my free time either writing, tidying up or doing ‘computer stuff’.
It’s a very OCD system with many, many rules, but the upshot is that these new tweaks are designed to make sure that I spend more time writing – and slightly less time at the computer or tidying – and that the initial results are looking good. It has the potential to boost my written output by 50%!
I should also mention Discordia, which is the tentative working title of my next album. It’s the third album of original music that I’ve worked on – all written, performed, recorded and engineered by myself – and each of my albums are exactly 72 minutes long, the maximum amount of time you can fit on a CD. Discordia is currently up to 66 minutes, and so I just need to record a few more songs and do some extra dubs on some existing tracks and then we’re good to go.
When it comes to books, my next release is likely to be Subject Verb Object, an anthology of new writing. It features contributions from 21 different authors, and so most of my time has actually been spent orchestrating it all. That said, it’s coming along nicely, and we’re currently going through our last round of edits. Unfortunately, Pam Harris – my editor and partner in crime – has carpel tunnel, and so everything’s currently on hold while we wait for her to get better. Get well soon, Pam!
After Subject Verb Object, I’ll be looking at releasing Driven, the detective novel that I’ve been working on. At the time of writing, I’m literally finishing off a couple of bonus scenes to sit alongside the main story line, and then I’ll need to carry out my own edits before it goes over to Pam. Driven should be out in Q2 of 2017 and will be followed by Netflix and Kill, the second book in the series, in late 2017 or early 2018.
Meanwhile, I have some old manuscripts to dig back through, including Oceanus (a book of poetry based on the story of the Titanic) and The Lexicologist’s Handbook (a reference book for writers and people who like unusual words).
That’s all happening at the same time as me working on new stuff, including two new ideas for novels that I have. The first is called Greebos, and is a fictionalised account of growing up in Tamworth in the early 2000s. The second is called Meat, and follows the story of a group of slaughterhouse employees as a mysterious disease leads to the facility being quarantined.
And there are plenty of other things going on, from new marketing efforts to freelance and commissioned writing projects, new books that I haven’t started but might finish before the end of the year, and other exciting opportunities that could quite literally turn my life upside down.
So there you have it – that, in a nutshell, is what I’m up to! Of course, there’s loads of other stuff happening as always, so be sure to sign up to my mailing list or to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for further updates. You can also check out my current releases on Amazon. I’ll see you soon!
