Steve’s Update 6/13/2021!

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

So where are my projects?

The Way With Worlds series next book – on Natural Disasters – is ready to launch this week!  Then a break as I finish up my novel.  New covers are coming as well and I need to figure how to transition to them.

A School of Many Futures is in final edit! I’ve gotten feedback from one of three prereaders, have my new outline set up, and am editing away.  Expect the eBook in August, print in September, but as time is tight and the world still a little messy, I’ll let you know of any changes.

The Seventh Sanctum rewrite moves ever forward! The core framework and all the non-generator pages are done.  It wasn’t as easy as I thought – because Flask/Jinja2 has lots of helpful functions that threw me off! 

Steven Savage

When Your Thing Becomes Your Thing

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Serdar and I often talk about why we create what we do. These conversations veer into things like the “punk” mindset, artistic visions, and the like. Why do people make what they do, and how can they be true to their vision?

Well, the truth is, it’s not always a straight line or magical revelation. Finding that “you” thing in writing is a journey, one my Way With Worlds books illustrates.

Most of my readers know how they started. I had two books on worldbuilding – the Way With Worlds Books – but wanted to sell more. I got the idea to do six small, cheap books on specific subjects to tie into them and raise interest. After being told I should raise the price to show value, they started selling well.

Previously I thought like a marketer, but now I saw what people wanted. People wanted specialized guides, and my unique “coaching buddy approach” seemed to resonate with people. This realization fired up my writing side.

So I wrote a few more books.

The act of writing the books inspired more books. Reader feedback guided me to pick the best titles. I set the lofty goal of writing thirty of these books, figuring that would ensure sales and be a worthy challenge.

I wrote a few more books, and my motivations evolved.

My drive to help writers and creatives changed. I realized how much good I could do and how much help I could provide. I also realized that worldbuilding helped people think about our world. What I did mattered to people.

I also began to savor the challenge in creating these books. I had to find what subjects people needed to learn. I created a system to help me write them effectively.

I kept writing.

I came to realize how outlandish my goals were – and how much I enjoyed them. Thirty books for a specific audience with specific interests on specific subjects? I was doing something only I could do.

I had started with a simple marketing idea based on a subject that interested me. It had evolved into a challenge, then something outrageously me. As you noticed, I’m still writing.

Our creative journeys aren’t linear, and our creative selves not always apparent. But if you keep creating and learning, you’ll find that work only you can make – and the you that can make that work.

Steven Savage

Steve’s Update 6/6/2021

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Let’s catch up!

Giveaways!  I’m in a giveaway that includes a free intro of A Bridge To The Quiet Planet.

Speaking! Fanime is done, it was great, and I’ll be back next year! Also looking at a few other cons.

The Way With Worlds series gets closer to its next book on Natural Disasters! I got it back from the editor, and plan to format this week, publish the next.

A School of Many Futures re-outline starts this week as feedback comes in!

The Seventh Sanctum rewrite got a bit delayed as I had a busy week, but most of the site code is go – I just need to convert generators and write “oddball” code.

Steven Savage