Dire Universe Update | Voices and Mortality

…And I’m back! This will be longer than usual, a lot of pokers in the fireplace, so let’s dive right in.

I guess the first thing we should tackle is the next project. I’ve dithered for a little bit, trying to decide what I wanted to do, and I’ve made up my mind. I will be rolling into Maro 3—untitled as of yet. As mentioned in previous posts, it’s due out next year, 2026. That could be anywhere from eight to twenty months. So, somewhere in that timeframe, that’s my goal. To be honest, it’ll probably come out earlier in the year, and with it only in the first draft, it needs the most attention. I’m about three chapters in, and the process is a little slow, but I’m also being pulled in other directions. With each story, I’d like to tackle different genres/tropes while in my Western Fantasy world, and Maro 3 is no exception. In many ways, it’s a fish-out-of-water story.

Other projects are vying for my attention. I’ve written the opening paragraphs to Maro seven and eight, so I know where I’m headed, at least the start of those stories. Some of the greatest movies out there are either a man vs. nature story, or they have strong elements of that with man vs. man. A few movies come to mind: The Revenant, and Rambo: First Blood—the latter is one of my favorites. I even read/audiobooked First Blood, and it was quite enjoyable, and quite different from the movie, at least where it ends up. That said, I enjoyed both. I think Maro might get a similar treatment.

I’m also still writing in Vol. VII, and I usually tackle that first thing in the morning. I find it easier when dealing with a first draft to hit it early while the creative juices are full. That said, I have cut back on how much time I spend with the story. I’m nearing the end of one storyline, and we still have plenty more to write. Years ago, I wrote one segment of Vol VII, and I’m very happy where it ended up, but now that I’ve changed the timeline of the novel, I’ll have to go back and fix their chunk to make sure it matches. Also, that story alone is half of the novel as it stands right now, coming in at about 110K words. I need to cut where permissible.

My primary focus, for a while, has been the fantasy series and getting it done. I recently had another birthday, and my own mortality is weighing on my mind—being one of those writers who never finishes the series. I don’t want to be a Patrick Rothfuss or a George R. R. Martin; I don’t want to be full of excuses as to why it was never finished; I don’t want to sit on my ass and fail to deliver. I’m one of those people that believes once the author makes the commitment to bring their art into the world, they have an obligation to finish it in a fairly timely manner. What I’d really like is to get the first draft of everything finished, so that if the most unfortunate thing should happen, it’s able to be completed/polished by another and released.

Decimation Protocol, the sequel to Demon’s Fate, has been put on the back burner for now, but it will be coming up next after draft two of Maro 3. And once draft three is done, I will head back to Maro 3 and do its third draft. The third draft in my writing is probably the least invasive and easiest; it parallels the first draft in someways. My first draft is just getting the story down, and a lot of details make it into the story that makes draft 3, the world building of visuals and sensory, easier. But that’s the primary focus, the little details that make the story more robust. This is what that looks like, this smell permeates the place, this is the weather, etc. So, hopefully it shouldn’t be too much of a romp to get through.

And the last project that’s weighing heavily on me is audiobooks. The greatest narrator I’ve ever heard is Steven Pacey—I’ll die on that hill!—who did Joe Abercrombie’s First Law books. To date, early 2025, he’s got nine of them. Well, I told myself if I ever was going to do an audiobook, especially for Maro Prakk, I’d want him to do it. So, I checked into it, and it’s just not financially feasible, not with a price tag of around $5000. But that still doesn’t diminish my desire for an audiobook, so I’m looking into doing it myself. There’ll be an upfront cost, of course, but nowhere near that price tag. I’m currently looking at the logistics of it, learning about the voice-over/audiobook narration world, and seeing if I can do it. The hardest aspect, besides nailing Maro’s voice, would be the narrative part itself. I mean, have you ever heard a recording of yourself? Not sure many people would want to listen to me.

In other aspects, I’m debating shutting down my Royal Road—a platform where people can read some of my work for free—and my Patreon. I’m kicking around the thought, trying to determine whether to the hassle is worth it. We’ll see…

Well, I think that about covers everything going on in the Dire Universe.

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…