frustrated_writer_by_photonerd88-d3gobx6As any writer will admit in those rare moments of complete honesty, most of us are terrible procrastinators. I believe this is a function of the mind designed to keep us creative types from going completely bonkers. We tend to have more ideas than we can ever hope to bring to fruition and struggle to focus on one thing long enough to give it life. Getting comfortable with this somewhat depressing reality and learning to master it is key for a writer (or artist of any ilk) if they strive to be prolific.

Looking at my many folders with scribbled story ideas and themes, I am struck by the fear that I am already headed down the path of utter confusion and project paralysis. So, in an attempt to bring order to my universe of story concepts, I have whittled them down to a set of candidate projects for 2014. My overarching goal for this year is to publish two novels and complete the SOLITARY novella series.

My candidate projects for 2014 are:

  1. THE WATCHERS OF UR: LEGACY, the final book in the trilogy. This will complete the story arc with Kavan, Azrael, Marco and the rest. Once completed, I plan to bring all three books together in a big omnibus print edition, and I’m even looking into a hardcover boxed set. Stay tuned.
  2. THE SECRET WORLD OF MARA DUFFY, a psychological drama about a teenage girl with a secret. As she tries to navigate the world of high school, a dysfunctional family, and her strange dreams and lapses, an awareness of true evil in her midst urges her to fight for the ones she loves.
  3. BLACK FRIDAY, a thriller about a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that stun America and strain the resources of our government. While intelligence and military leaders focus on the perpetrators of this heinous crime, one CDC investigator believes there is a deeper more sinister plan in play and he must act to prevent a disaster that could bring the United States to its knees.
  4. HOMEWORLDS: A HISTORY OF HUMAN CONQUEST (working title). Using the 26th century universe I created for the WATCHERS series as the endpoint, I want to go back to the beginning and tell the story of mankind’s colonization of the solar system. I can’t think of any series that tells this story in its entirety. My goal is to create a series of novels that capture the human drama of man taming the most hostile environments as he competes for resources and struggles to make places like the Moon, Mars, Venus, and the moons of Jupiter suitable homes for humanity. Like the stories of Westward Expansion from the 19th century, these colonists will need to conquer the unknown and their fears to ensure a future for their progeny. These stories will be full of interesting characters, political intrigue, action, war, and an exploration of the limits of the human will. I’m excited about this project.
  5. THE LETTERS PROJECT (needs a good title). I have recently taken possession of more than 350 letters exchanged between my great-uncle and great-aunt from 1938-1945 while he was in the army and serving in WWII. The story that plays out through these letters is a very private glimpse into the struggles of a young couple living in a world gone mad. I need to do something with this but need to do it just right. More thought is needed here…
  6. AN AMERICAN FAMILY (working title). My great-grandfather Michele Leonardo came to America in the 1890’s with nothing but a useful skill and a dream. Over the next 75 years he became a successful self-made business man, survived two world wars, the Spanish Flu pandemic, the Great Depression, and raised a family of 18 children. The story of my family is so compelling and chock full of interesting characters that I’ve known since I was a child that I would one day write it all down. But the task seems even more daunting today that it ever has. This could easily take up my writing schedule for two years.

What do you think I should work on? I’d love to get your feedback.