Development Diary #16: On Finishing and New Beginnings
2018 was simultaneously one of the best and hardest years of my life personally and professionally. There were so many setbacks, emergencies, and deaths in my family that I’m surprised I got any work done. While I could talk at length about these crazy events, I know you’re not here for that.
You’re here because you love great stories just like me. And you’re probably also wondering when more of my stories will surface.
First, if you haven’t read anything from me yet, you can try me out by reading two of my free short stories. I’ll send them to you for free. You can do that here: http://www.jimwilbourne.com/free
CONTINUA:
On Christmas Eve, I turned in the latest revision of my forthcoming epic fantasy novel.
I completely reworked the story and, unsurprisingly, the story grew to be even more epic than I’d originally envisioned. As much as I’d love to noodle around with it some more, all creators have to step away from a project and call it complete. For a story never truly lives—is never fully realized—until it is shared with others.
That said, I’m so proud of how this story has grown from the seed of an idea from my youth and into an entire universe (or planet, at least). Continua is a brand new story world that can support hundreds of novels on its own. And the very first of those stories will stand as the minimum viable creativity for all of my stories going forward. I can’t wait to out-write myself as the scope of my storytelling ability expands.
The novel is currently being checked one last time by my editing team before it’s ready for a broader beta read and, finally, editing.
At some point in the next couple of months, I’ll need about five people to give it a beta read.
You’ll have a chance to actually affect the story and change its direction for the better before it’s finalized. I’d love to make it a larger group, but it’d be impossible for me to work with more than 5 readers at this point.
I’ll let you know how you can become one of the five in a later update.
OTHER EMERGENT REALMS PROJECTS:
As you may know, I’ve working to bring more than just Continua’s story to the world. While working on other projects slows how fast I can release my first Continua novel, working on other projects feeds my creativity, making my master project even better.
Eszailha
Eszailha is the world I’m helping my writing partner A. H. Serrano develop. Like Continua, the world is massive. It takes much of its inspiration from manga and Japanese subculture while keeping a foot firmly planted in western, high fantasy traditions. The first novel in the world of Eszailha is currently in the editing stage, and we’re now working on the second novel in the first trilogy that Emergent Realms will release.
The Triangle
Emergent Realms is also working on completing the first “season” of superhero fiction novelettes. These stories are fast-paced and fun to replicate the feeling of watching a few hours of TV. This story world is very different from Continua, but it’s still a type of story that Emergent Realms is interested in sharing with the world.
Super Secret Project
Finally, Emergent Realms is working with Sterling & Stone to bring you a story within one of their book series. I’ve been keeping this project secret for a long time as it has been pushed back twice over the past year, but it will finally start development in 2019. I still can’t say much about it, but it’s a project that presents a brand new challenge for both Emergent Realms and Sterling and Stone. As soon as I can share more, I will.
TL;DR:
You have been incredibly patient with me, and you don’t know how much I appreciate that. Some authors crank out several novels a year, but I’m not that kind of writer. I’m on working on several projects that I’m pushing down the pipeline to bring you fiction you’ll love. The wait is almost over.
Here’s to 2019.
