Back From Hiatus

I’m a tinkerer by nature so when I see something that isn’t working exactly as I want, I try to fix it. My writing “career” as it currently stands, needed a little examination to see if it needed some improvement. It did, but as I discovered, not in the ways that I originally thought. I’ve adjusted keywords, updated descriptions, rewrote blurbs; all the usual things to get the stories noticed.

As I updated, it occurred to me that I was spending more time adjusting what was already out there instead of the one thing that was most important: writing and releasing new material. Stories have limited shelf life and after a while, no amount of effort will improve them after a particular point. They run their course and have to be let go in favor of new material. That’s just the way of things.

I’ve read that a following doesn’t truly start until at least the fifth book and since Lights and Shadows is my fifth book before I jump back into The Parallax Trilogy, I take heart that although my current sales are less than stellar, I’m on the right path.

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Progress and Parallax: Darkfall

Today has been a day fit for The King of Procrastinators or Insanely Ambitious Overachievers…you make the call. I woke up early, got some coffee, settled in with Scrivener opened to Lights and Shadows, Parallax: Genesis, this blog, and a new project: Parallax: Darkfall.

I know, right? Planning a THIRD project?

The feeling seemed right, because once I looked in Parallax’s original story notes, I found a lot of items that I wrote up when the Trilogy was just one really big storyline. People, Places, and Things that didn’t end up in Parallax, but would work very well in either P:G or P:D. So, they got moved and the skeleton for the third book was born.

You’re probably scratching your head thinking, “But Wally, that doesn’t sound like procrastination at all. In fact, it sounds like you’ve been pretty gosh darned busy.”

Well, I did take 2 hours and 40 minutes to watch an animation someone did on YouTube of the Titanic sinking in real time. Totally unrelated to my writing projects, but pretty cool.

Then I worked on the Series Bible I put together ages for a proposed series that would pick up after the Trilogy ended. Same Pratt and DuBois, only new adventures out in Deep Space. Yada yada yada…heh.

Lights and Shadows? Glad you asked. In a roundabout sort of way, I’m working up my enthusiasm to dive in and make some progress on the story. You know, for a story that was supposed to kill some time while I relaxed in preparation for P:G, it’s become a big deal on its own. I’m all over the creative spectrum today and I’m loving every minute of it. This stuff is supposed to be fun.

Enough rambling for now. My Muse is whispering in my ear to get things moving again. Have a great day and Happy Writing.

Four Books, Three Different Universes

While I was working on The Book Redesign Project, I took a moment to analyze what I’ve created thus far in terms of where they fit in their respective story universes. What I discovered was interesting, but not surprising in retrospect.

Corona, The Three Safeties:

Both of these books exist in The Falling Stars Universe (Falling Stars isn’t finished yet, but I have every intention of knocking it out one of these days. It’s one of those books that I always wanted to write, but have been delayed for one reason or another. A lot like how Parallax evolved to be.)

Vessel:

It occupies its own pocket universe, one that I’ve thought about revisiting but have shied away from because when your choices are War and War, it doesn’t leave much wiggle room. Apologies if I’ve inadvertently given out a plot spoiler.

Parallax:

The Flagship novel that established its own story universe. I’m working on the first of two sequels, Parallax: Genesis, as part of an overall book trilogy that I am thinking of expanding into a new series that will pick up where Parallax: Darkfall (as yet unwritten) leaves off.

All of these books are currently available through Amazon.com in both Kindle and Print formats. There is a link to my Amazon Author Page in the “About” Section of the Blog.