2013 was a very significant year for me. Family-wise, it was the year my daughter was born and the year that I lost two grandparents. It was also the last year I would live in China since my wife’s immigration visa was recently approved and we plan to head back to the US in early 2014.
On a literary level, 2013 was a monster year, the first full year that I’d been in the writing business. It was the year I completed Black Sun which I had begun in 2012 and wrote Indelible, Scorn, and volumes 1, 2, and 3 of The Jerusalem Chronicles. I also wrote 90% of the first draft for Cyn, which I plan to finish in a couple of weeks. Only Black Sun and volumes 1 and 2 of The Jerusalem Chronicles were released in 2013 so that means I still have two full-length novels (soon to be three) and a short story locked and loaded and ready to be fired at the world.
But am I going to kick up my heels and wait for the excess inventory to get cleared out before picking up the pen again? Heck no! In 2014, I plan on completing Cyn, then moving on to my next project, Beast. I will also write at least three more volumes of The Jerusalem Chronicles. And I can’t promise anything, but after Beast is finished, I will begin my most challenging and ambitious project yet, a historical epic called Nikolai the Penitent, though I can’t say whether or not it will be finished in 2014.
So this means that 2014 is going to see my catalogue expand by at least four novels and four short stories. There are also other projects that I am involved in but those are hush-hush for now. You’re going to love them though, trust me. And since I will be in the US and not on the other side of the world, I will be able to move beyond networking via the internet. I plan to start visiting bookstores, going to release parties and conventions, meeting authors, editors, agents, publishers, and start doing the footwork that is necessary to become a successful author.
2012 was the year I strapped myself in, 2013 was the year I revved the engine, and 2014 will be the year I hit the road. I’m ready to take my career to the next level but the focus as always will be on my writing. More than fame, more than money, I want to be known as a good writer, and the only way to reach this goal is to keep writing. I know it’s going to be a lot of work but I’m really looking forward to the future.
It wouldn’t be fun if it were easy, right?
Maybe it doesn't count because I'm your mom, but you were born to write. You stood out in writing from the age of seven years old. I'm proud of you, Mark, and excited about your journey. You're right, it won't be easy. There are other qualities necessary to succeed in any worthwhile venture in life. Remember that, take heed, and you'll reach the mark.
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