Year 9 of my 5-10 Year Plan for Overnight Success

by | May 25, 2022 | Checking in | 0 comments

Well, 2021 was a year. Frankly, it was not the year I (or anyone else, safe to say) was expecting, and if I’d bought 2021 at a store, I’d be looking seriously at their return/exchange policy. However, that’s behind us. 2022 is here, and with it comes an update to be 5-10 Year Plan for Overnight Success.

For those who haven’t been watching this series with bated breath, every year on my bookiversary (the publication date of Firehurler, or thereabouts), I reflect on my long, winding voyage toward overnight success. This includes insights into my process, milestones, and plans for the coming year.

Given the state of Earth as a generalized dumpster fire, I kept my 2021 goals modest.

  • Write more of Black Ocean: Mirth and Mayhem (12-16 missions)
  • Re-engage on social media (I hear Twitter is cleaning up its act a little)
  • Get some fresh air

Well, I wrote a bunch of Mirth and Mayhem. Super. Not 12-16, though. That was an optimistic pipe dream that assumed 2021 was going to be a great, feel-good year, filled with renewed creative energy and normalcy. Still, given the circumstances, I’m taking partial credit here.

As far as social media, I did OK. I’ve been getting more organic followers on Twitter, for whatever Twitter is worth. I’ve been keeping my head poked in on the Black Ocean: Galaxy Outlaws group as well. Anyone who reads this blog would love it there. I don’t think there are many other places to engage with Black Ocean fans en masse. The community is getting sizable, and it’s wonderful.

OK. Elephant in room time.

I did not get fresh air.

Well, maybe some, but not on the scale I’d hoped. And I’m not counting just having the windows open in the house.

That said, it’s time to reset and—once again—limit our expectations.

Goals for 2022:

  • Finish Black Ocean: Mirth and Mayhem
  • Make a couple contacts with Hollywood regarding my books and the television-ifying thereof
  • Get buy-in that television-ifying is a real word
  • Revisit that whole fresh air business

So, one stretch goal in there (I’ll let you guess which it is) along with some more modest ambitions.

It is, strictly speaking, improbable for each year to be progressively worse than the one before it. One of these years, things will look better. If 2022 is not that year, we will keep on yearing until the years get it right.

Anyone who is interested in this whole 5-10 Year Plan for Overnight Success can check out earlier entries to see the journey unfold.

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