The End of Year Post

2022 is drawing to an end, so it is time for a proper ‘end of year’ update. This is not just about looking back, though, but also, perhaps even more, about looking forward to 2023. The past is solidly written in stone, after all, while the future is merely sketched into ever-changing sand. I do know what happened this year, but I do not know what will happen in the next. Therefore, I can and will speculate about it. I do have plans, as that is my nature. I always have plans, captain. (I must keep this one in mind, sounds like a good one-liner for a villain…)

For me personally, 2022 was a rather stressful year — and so it obviously was for the world as well, what with the remainders of COVID clinging on and the war in Ukraine and too many other fires burning to name them all here. This has led to my sabbatical during November and December. I needed the rest and I feel much recovered now after two months of doing just what I want and working on my own fan projects. After all, I plotted and finished two long Star Wars fan-fiction novels and a set of three short stories about the same characters.
From now onward, I’ll be careful to give myself breaks throughout the year, just a week or two here or there for my own projects and for gathering new energy and inspiration. Perhaps I’ll make use of my release months for that — I need about half the month for revisions and editing and can then use the other half for relaxation. After editing, I’m usually very ready for some relaxation, anyway — it’s my least-favourite part of writing and self-publishing.

I may take part of January off as well, even though I’m not quite certain about it right now. I will see what the next days bring and how I feel about returning to “Scholomancer” now. Releases will definitely resume with “The Necromancer’s Notebook”, the second volume of stories about Isadora Goode, in February. My release schedule has shifted by one book like this, which means I already have all the manuscripts I plan to release during 2023 written and do not have to worry about my releases this year. That should also help with overtaxing or stressing myself out.
The schedule for 2023 is as follows: “The Necromancer’s Notebook”, February, “The Lady of the Dead”, May, “DI Colin Rook”, August, “Changing Plans”, November. That’s one set of novellas, two sets of short stories, and one novel.

As far as new projects go — well, I do have plenty plotted out already. I could write one book every month of 2023 (which is unlikely) and I would still have some left over. That is only if I do no plot out anything new — as I certainly will. Therefore, finding something to write shouldn’t be difficult, I have a lot to choose from. There’s a lot of different stuff, too, from my Lovecraftian “The Crew” over the Cultivation novel “Shadow and Sun” to much lighter fare such as “On An Adventure”. I will definitely get back to all of it in time, but I have no order planned out right now. I will write the stories as I feel like it.

I’m sure I caught myself just before I could develop another burn-out. I’ve had one a little less than ten years ago and I’d rather avoid another, so one of my personal goals for next year is not to overwork myself again and accept that I might have to set aside writing for a little while when my life gets overwhelming in other ways, as it did this year. The last thing I want or need is being burned out again and hardly being able to do anything. Burn-out and depression are horrid conditions and having the lighter of them once was plenty already, thank you very much.

To a good 2023, an end to the war in Ukraine and the oppressive regime in Iran, and more focus on the long-term problems of the world! For me personally, I want a calm year without medical or other emergencies and the chance to simply concentrate on my writing and, perhaps, projects like creating 3-book collections of my past stories or my own website. Have a good 2023, everyone!