Workshop Wednesday - A Year of Writing

Where in the world did 2014 go? I mean, really. It's just gone. Poof. I can't believe that tomorrow begins 2015. I see quite a lot of writing on my horizon. 2015 is going to be a year of words for me, I feel sure. I'm delighted. Perhaps addicted, obsessed. What have you. There's so much to do in the coming months, and I can't wait to share it all with my wonderful readers.

But for today, the workshop topic is all about reflection. I'm looking back at 2014, its words, and learning from my mistakes and minor successes.

God Love Her came out in February, and it was a long time in the making. A rewrite of a much-earlier story, it is actually the book that has sold the least copies for me. Sly and Layla's was the first love story I wrote, and though it needed massive revision, and ultimately, a total rewrite, it's one that I hold special. I'm not sure it will ever be widely-read, but that's okay; I feel like I learned so much about writing during the years I carried it with me.

"Things" was in July, a quick short story to bridge the second and third Russell volumes. This was such a fun piece. A bit of fluff. I hadn't thought about doing a oneshot in an official capacity like this before, but it was well worth the effort, and it's inspired a second Russell short, "Green Like The Water," that I'm hoping to have out in January.

Keeping Bad Company was September's release, and in addition to indulging my ongoing love with Sly and Layla, it gave me a chance to decide if I really wanted to write a story dedicated to bikers. I'd written that sort of thing before, but thought I was done with it. Turns out, I wasn't. Which leads us to...

The behemoth. On a bit of a whim, as I grieved for my dearly departed dog, I wrote the first three lines of Fearless. What was supposed to be an idle side project quickly took hold. I released Part I because I wasn't sure anyone would read it in the first place, and didn't want to spend months on a hopeless project. I was stunned by the reaction, and 256,000 words, and four months later, Fearless has become the launch pad of a whole new series.

In retrospect, I think Fearless was the thing I was always building toward. My work has become steadily more outlaw this year, and so far, 2015 is shaping up to be counterculture-friendly too. I hope to release at least 2 more Dartmoor novels this year, and who knows what else will pop up along the way. There's a long road ahead with these Lean Dog boys, and I for one couldn't be more excited to get started.

I want to take a moment to say a huge THANK YOU to my truly wonderful readers who continue to  inspire and encourage me. Your support is appreciated more than you know. I am your humble servant.

Happy New Year! A toast to the old, and to the new, and the adventures it promises.