2021 Wrapup
Another pandemic year in the bag, as we once again hope this will be the final one. And this is a year that definitely did not go to plan on some accounts. Despite that, there were still several events and accomplishments worth celebrating, as well as balls that got rolling on future projects.
On the book side, I daresay this was my thinnest offering since I started writing. We had Fred #7: Out of House and Home release over summer, and my Christmas Shingles Holly’s Jolly Christmas earlier this month. Audio versions of both are either out or in development, while the Graphic Audio of Fred #7 is due out in early January. For those who haven’t followed the Discord/Brodeo episodes where I talk about what I’m working on, most of this year has been spent on Spells, Swords, & Stealth #5, which went spectacularly over my estimations for length. Now that’s not inherently a bad thing, I wrote a longer book because I wanted to tell the story as best I could, which ended up taking a good chunk of pages. While it is in edits now and should be out in Q1 of 2022, all that extra writing means there wasn’t time to get it properly prepared and out this year.
In a related topic, one of my major 2021 projects actually went on behind the scenes. While it wasn’t the sexiest bullet-point, my #3 from last year’s Wrap-Up was to rework my schedule. As part of ending my blog as a regular features, I’ve been changing up my writing schedule and how it is allocated to various projects. The goal for this was two-fold: build a pace that was sustainable for the foreseeable future, and structure my projects to come out at a more consistent pace. On the first front, I can say it’s been a big success. Mixing up my workflow and adding in occasional days for free-writing has helped keep me fresh and from hitting slowdown points. How well it works on the scheduling front remains to be seen, it will take around two years for everything to be setup as intended, so fingers crossed for more stable output moving forward.
Then there are the non-writing feats to celebrate, such as the third overall and second in-person Authors & Dragons Con. We had a lot of fun getting to see everyone who came out, and sharing our big announcement of Shingles: The Movie. Which I still cannot believe actually funded, you magnificent maniacs. I can’t wait to see the film, and you can expect to hear a lot more about it through 2022. In fact, you can expect a few surprises in the year to come, as a few other balls started rolling this year. I can’t speak about those yet, but damn do I wish I could. Keep an eye out, this year has some very fun things in store.
But enough of mysteries and dwelling in the past, time to look forward to the future! For new readers, I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions, I make New Year’s Goals that I want to accomplish. Some, like the TV deal, are more aspirational, but I do make an effort to hit them all. So what does 2022 have in store?
1. Publish Spells, Swords, & Stealth #5: It might be obvious, yet it still needs to get done. Given the size of this thing, it will need a bit of time with the editors, but things would have to go catastrophically wrong (knock on wood) for it not to be out in Q1 2022. The upside to all that extra time is that this is far and away the biggest of the SS&S books yet, and I think folks will really enjoy it.
2. Publish Fred the Vampire Accountant #8: Another I don’t expect is a surprise, as I’ve tried hard to keep Fred annual as much as possible. That’s the perk of being one of my few short series, and why I feel confident this one can be written and published next year, even with the extra time some steps are currently taking.
3. Write 5-Minute Sherlock #3: Like Fred, these series have shorter entries, so this is another I feel good about being able to complete as planned. The only reason this one is a Write instead of a Publish is that 5-Minute Sherlock is an Audible Original series, and Audible acts as the publisher. That means I have to be worked into their release schedule, putting date of publication out of my hands. I’d love to see it release this year, and would certainly say it’s possible, just not an element I can directly control.
4. Work Ahead: Much as I love writing my huge books, I’m not big on the way they tend to break up my release schedule. With an eye on eventually getting to Villains’ Code #3, one of my main goals with the new schedule this year to build a genuine buffer. Previous attempts have succeeded, only to have it burned up by the massive projects, so the goal for this one is something that can be sustained.
5. Shingles The Movie: It might have been funded in 2021, but Shingles The Movie is going to be a big part of my 2022. It shoots in the fall, and hopefully releases by winter. We are so freaking excited about the script, director, and just the chance to have this exist at all. This is one you can expect to hear a lot on as the year moves forward.
6. Safely Host Authors & Dragons Con Charlotte: I love our cons, I really do. If you’ve seen me there, it might not come through because I’m usually running around from one thing to the next, but even as busy as it keeps me its one of my favorite parts of the year. Getting to see my friends from the podcast, and to greet familiar faces while meeting new ones. I really hope we get to host the next A&D Con as planned, but no amount of fun would be worth risking anyone’s health, so we’ll have to hope for the best and see how the year goes.
7. Movie/TV Deal: Amped as I am for Shingles: the Movie, this one is a tradition that I’m keeping on the blog until you see a true blue Drew Hayes book featured on the screen. And honestly, I might not even take it down then. After all, I do have a lot of different worlds at this point.
Alright everyone, that is it for the 2021 Wrapup. As usual, if you have goals of your own you’d like to share, sound off in the comments! It’s always a treat to see what everyone out there is working toward in their own lives.