I have been having really good days for the most part.

How do I define ‘good’ days? Why… I’m glad you asked.

Lots of writing, of course! (I’m kinda surprised you didn’t guess that, but I digress.)

On July 12th, I finished Colfyr, the second story in my new Shepherd Security Services series. I love how it turned out… but… well… except for one glaring example, I always love how my stories turn out. If I’m not happy with my story as I write it, I keep circling back through it until I find out why and fix that.

Colfyr was kind of a big boy. 113,410 words. When I exported it to Word format for my awesome go-to editor, Word said it was larger, but Word counts all my scene dividers as words, whereas Scrivener (the software I actually use to write) doesn’t. The Shepherd came in at 97,341 words, but that’s how I like it. Successive books in the series should be larger than or at least roughly equal to the series starter.

In other news…

My sleep schedule is holding firm, which freakin’ unbelievable to me. I should be asleep right now (9:19pm), and I’m yawning like a fool. But I wanted to get my weekly update posted. I know I haven’t been too good about making a weekly update, but that’s one of the things I want to work on… now that I actually have progress to share.

So far in July, I have written 48,411 words. Yes… you read that right. According to accepted industry definitions, I have written a novel’s worth of words this month and in just the first 20 days, even. I have a few misses in there, too. It would be even higher without those.

I wish I knew what clicked for me to finally start meeting this goal I’ve had for so long. I really, really wish that.

But I don’t.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that it was the perfect confluence of events. The South Dakota trip. Starting the processes work with my new writer friend from Canada. Even the therapy I’ve been going to. I’m sure all this and more played a role in finally unlocking whatever held me back.

And not being held back anymore is an awesome feeling. I love looking at July’s Writing Log… and yes… I will absolutely share that at the end.

After I finished Colfyr, it took me a few days to figure out what I wanted to write next. Tribunal, the story that follows Hyperion, was a very strong contender.

However…

The looks one of my best friends has been giving me in recent months convinced me it was high time to start the Draco Investigations series that inspired the shared world I’m calling the Draco-Verse in the first place. And that’s just what I’ve done.

I am a hair over 10,000 words into Denver Devastation, the first title in Draco Investigations. Once I finish it, I absolutely have to go back and write Tribunal, because events in it play a role in Witness This, the second title in Draco Investigations.

Now, sure… I could write Witness This without going back and writing Tribunal, but I like the idea of having it to refer to so that I (hopefully) minimize the risk of continuity errors.

After I write Witness This, I’m a little up in the air on what I’ll write at that point.

I haven’t forgotten that I still want to circle back to Drakmoor for one more quintet to round out and finish that story, but that will probably be a 2025 project.

If this steady writing I’ve been doing actually becomes a thing, here in a few months, I’ll be able to sit down and plan out a writing schedule I can claim in public that will help people know what I’m writing and when. I really like the idea of doing that.

All right. I’m really yawning a lot now, so that means it’s time sign off. I do not want to wake up and find QWERTY stamped into my forehead.

I hope the days treat you and yours well.

Stay safe out there.