The first quarter of 2016 is complete! And that means it's time for mind-numbing statistics. Here's how my writing progress went:
- 1/4: 18,639 words written
- 1/11: 20,211
- 1/18: 27,378
- 1/25: 12,867
- 2/1: 12,656
- 2/8: 9,124
- 2/15: 10,681
- 2/22: 12,580
- 2/29: 8,804
- 3/7: 11,437
- 3/14: 8,496
- 3/21: 11,265
- 3/28: 7,485
That's a total of 171,623 words. Not quite as good as Q3 2015 (where I wrote 208,000!), but it still makes for my second-best quarter yet. So, what was I working on?
- Gear: 45,000 words added. This is a techno-thriller about two cross-country cyclists who stumble upon a government facility in the desert. My manuscript was sitting at 70,000 words last quarter, and I took a break before writing the finale. Now it's done, and will "rest" for a few weeks before I tackle the second draft.
- The Strange Physics of the Heidelberg Laboratory: 40,000 words. This is Book 6 of the Ultimate Ending series I'm writing with Danny McAleese, a Choose Your Own Adventure style series with multiple paths, puzzles, and endings. The series launches this week!
- Sabotage in the Sundered Sky: 52,000 words. This is Book 8 in the Ultimate Ending series, but won't be released until mid-summer.
- Star Trek Brave New Worlds: 8,700 words. My first attempt at fan-fiction, I decided to submit an entry to the Brave New Worlds writing contest. My entry is about Captain Picard sneaking back to the planet Rhysa for some rest and relaxation, when he's discovered by members of his crew. Results are announced sometime this month, though I have no expectations.
- The Ghost War: 9,900 words. A short story about an elite group of soldiers who are continuously refurbished and sent back into an endless war. I love this story, so I'm hoping to be able to find a home for it.
- We Don't Tolerate That Nonsense Here: 9,000 words. Inspired by an episode of StarTalk Radio, this is a short story about a girl who wakes up one morning with unexplainable powers.
- The Watchers: 3133 words. This is a short story I started while flying to Las Vegas, and it's currently sitting unfinished.
- Days Until Home: 6,500 words. This is a weekly serial I'm writing along with Mark Gardner and Greg Dragon. New chapters every Wednesday! Check it out here.
This was a fun quarter because I took a break from my Tales of a Dying Star and Books of Bathyly series' to work on some small projects. Ultimate Ending is really fricken fun to write, and Danny and I will be releasing books every few months. Working on five separate short stories was also an enjoyable change of pace, though I'm anxious to get back into my other books.
In addition to that, I also received feedback from beta readers on Spore, and made edits based on their recommendations.
So what are my goals for Q2 2016?
- Write the first draft of Tales of a Dying Star #6.
- Write Ultimate Ending #10.
- Write four more chapters for Days Until Home.
- Write two short stories for submission.
- Submit Spore to agents.
- Edit Gear and send to beta readers.
I have a few other projects waiting in the wings to complete (namely Book #2 of The Books of Bathyly, and a standalone novel titled The Information War) but the above are the big ones on my list. Even then, it's going to be a very busy quarter, so I don't expect to finish all of the above.
That's it! Cheers to another successful writing quarter.