Don’t Wait, Just Go For It

This week I’ve been thinking a bit about goals. In my stressful day job, having goals is important. But at the same time, not all my goals are grandiose or awe inspiring. Sometimes, my goal is to get enough sleep or read a few more pages in the books I’m currently reading. (Yes. I said books. I tend to read a few at a time.) In the background, I have some larger goals such as maintaining the income stream of my day job or one day being able to use my writing as a decent income stream. Another big goal of mine is figuring out how to conquer my reaction to stress. Writing in this blog each week has helped with the last one.

In fact, I think writing in general has helped me with my stress and my goals. For years, I wrote stories, but never did anything with them. I had goals of getting them published, but never put together a plan. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Sometimes, it works out, but not always. Once I wrote down my goals and stretched myself to reach them, I was amazed at what I could do. One year ago I earned by blackbelt in karate, a huge goal of mine that took years. After earning that I decided I was going to devote more energy to writing good books and placing them on Amazon.

As I have worked toward that goal, I’ve felt better prepared to face the challenges of my day job. When times get stressful, I have my writing to fall back on to calm myself and remind myself of what I am capable of. Even though I’m constantly working to write better and better, I’m not a full time author. Writing science fiction and fantasy is fun. I’ve designed my goals so that I have to work to reach them, but they can be reevaluated and adjusted. I don’t need added stress outside my day job.

Whether or not we notice them, we all have goals. We all have things we want to do or become. Sometimes, we wait for the right time. Sometimes, we wait for outside approval of our goals. I suggest not waiting. As we wait, life passes by. Instead, make a plan and act on your goals and be patient. No matter the outcome, we’re better for having worked at improving.

My next book, Dissonance, is close to being ready for my beta readers. Being a time travel story, I’ve had to work it out so that it is not too confusing for a reader. I find myself making small adjustments to previous chapters as I read through them. It is a sequel to Resonance, which has surprised me with how many pages are read on Amazon Kindle Unlimited. Dissonance is available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle until September 3, 2021.

Check out some of my other books, which are available on Amazon Kindle and paperback.

My most recent book, an epic fantasy titled, A Map, a Mage, and a Sacrifice, was a fun book to write. It is set in a world with limited technology, but where sacrifice is a necessary element to magical power. The greater the pain and suffering, the greater the magical power generated. The few mages in power use voluntary sacrifice of the citizens to generate power they use to protect and defend the empire. But their rule may be coming to a close.

If you’re looking for a science fiction story, try my book The Promise of Dust, which takes place in a cloud city floating in the atmosphere of Venus. Or Progenitor’s Legacy: Deceit, which takes place many years in the future on a world that orbits a red dwarf and has been reached by humanity in their search for the alien progenitors who seeded the galaxy with nano machines.

If a young adult science fiction is more to your liking, check out my series This New Earth, that starts with Demons of a Dead World and Secrets of a Dead World.

If you are looking for a young adult fantasy, check out my book The Threads Unbound.