Writer’s Diary: February 2024 Update

Phew! What a year, am I right? Thank God it’s over!

What do you mean that was only January?

Jokes aside, February is gonna be a big month. A ton of articles I’m excited to write are headed your way. Them, and some big changes to the site itself.

For starters: starting on the 5th, the schedule is gonna change. Gone will be the awkward Tuesday gap. It’ll look a little something like this:

• Monday: movies
• Tuesday: books
• Wednesday: variety hour
• Thursday: games
• Friday: anime
• Saturday/Sunday: none

Now, here’s what I’ve got cooking.

Our Rocky movie marathon carries on. We’ve still got to get through Rocky V and VI. Then we’ll tackle the Creed trilogy. We’re knee-deep in the trash now. Only way out now is forward!

For books, I’m dividing my attention between two entries in some of my favorite series. One is ‘Republic of Thieves’, the third book in the Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch. The other is one I’ve been putting off for a while: ‘A Dance With Dragons’, by George R.R. Martin. Given that both are fairly thick books, however, it will likely take a while. Expect more Lovecraft and Poirot shorts to fill the time until then.

Variety hour is going to a lot of places this month. Firstly, a fun shounen battle rant that I’ve had brewing for a little while. Seeing as it’s the month of love, I’ll be writing a character analysis focusing on the leads of ‘The Dangers in My Heart.’ It’s also the month of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, which means I finally have a proper excuse to write an article about the game’s best character: Barrett. As well as a Best Boss Battles starring Sephiroth.

Game night is going to be just as varied. Firstly, in celebration of Tekken 8’s release, I’ll be writing an article on why the Tekken franchise is so beloved among the fighting game space. Following this, I’ll be reviewing yet another classic Blizzard series, this time focusing on Starcraft 1 & 2. Finally, I’ll be writing an article on the ever-changing nature of Final Fantasy and what it means to be a ‘real’ FF game.

Hey, if other FF fans are gonna throw that term around, then I have the right to do the same. Only I’m going to actually use my brain and think about it instead of just shouting, “*INSERT GAME TITLE HERE* isn’t a real FF game because I don’t like it!”

As for the anime slot, I don’t have much going on there. It’s still too soon to be reviewing most of the shows I’m currently watching, so expect plenty more Berserk. My aim is to finally wrap up Conviction and get us started on the next big arc. Some would argue the big arc of the series: Falcon of the Millennium Empire.

Now, onto the meat and potatoes: my book. In my January update, I promised I’d get back to work on that after an extensive break, and I’m happy to say that progress has been coming along smoothly! In fact, I’m almost done!

Let’s see some numbers, shall we?

• Total words: 193397
• Page count: 372
• Chapters completed: 57 + Prologue
• Parts completed: 4/5

When I say I’m in the last stretch for the rough draft, I mean it! I’m currently writing the final scene of the final chapter, and all that remains after that is the epilogue! Once that’s done, it’s time for editing, and I’ve already got a laundry list of notes on how I’m going to improve it.

Not only that, but I’ve got the skeleton of a release plan! My current goal is to have the draft fully edited by June, and in the hands of beta readers around the same time. I’ll also be going back to Threads of Reality (yeah, remember that?) for a quick once-over before sending it to beta reads as well. Once I’ve gotten some feedback, I’ll take some time to implement it before getting them both checked over by an editor. By then, all that will remain is to commission an artist for the covers, make the books nice ‘n pretty, then presto! We’ll be ready for release! Current goal: have both books out by the end of 2025!

Which brings me to a rather uncomfortable topic. See, hopes and dreams are all well and good. But I’m an American. I live in a capitalist dystopian society where only one thing speaks: money.

So here’s the plan. One: I’ll be experimenting with implementing ads onto the blog. I aim to make them as unobtrusive as possible, so don’t worry; they’re not gonna consume all the screen space. If they turn out to impact the site and your reading experience too negatively, I’ll shut them off.

I’m also now on Fiverr as a beta reader! If you’re in need of creative feedback on your own creative writing, consider checking out my gig! Don’t worry, any advice I’ll provide will be far more professional than what you see here. This blog is just me ranting about stuff for fun; over there, it’s all business.

Now, here’s the important thing: any and all funds made via these means will be spent only on necessary expenses and developing the books. Anything y’all donate will go exclusively to supporting me and my family. I’m not asking you to pay for my copy of FFVII: Rebirth.

The IRS are doing that. Thanks, tax returns!

I especially want to stress that I’m completely open to communications on these points. Any critiques or feedback y’all have for these monetization routes will be heard and taken into account. I don’t want this site to devolve into some desperate online money-making scheme. Truth is, I’m figuring this all out as I go, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

For years, I’ve dreamt of publishing the books I write. Now, it’s time to start doing or dying. I’m either making that dream a reality or I’ll embarrass myself trying.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll even do both.

Thank you all very much for reading, and I hope the month ahead treats y’all well! Until next time!