March was productive. I continue to work on my projects, advance each of them as they come up (some more than others). I knocked out quite a few shows and movies. Overall, it was a good month.
Projects
I’ve added several thousand words to The Colonel Lieutenant, and solved several plot issues that I’d been worried about. The big challenge now: to get the big end-of-book campaign done in a short enough word count. My goal is to get the book done in under (or close to) 150,000 words. If it looks to exceed that by too much, I’ll look at cutting it into two books. But I’m hoping I don’t have to do that.
I did something with Orcfyre I probably should have done a while ago: I ripped it apart. I took what I had from the several drafts I’ve done through and ask myself three questions: What do I want to keep? What do I want to get rid of? And what do I want to add? Then I threw out the outline and came up with a new one, something considerably shorter and easier to write. This new story will be much easier to process, but hit all the same points I want it to to set up Book 2. Will it work? I don’t know. But I feel much better about it than I did the previous outline.
My other projects are working well. I got some new book recommendations to add to my 1st Minnesota research collection and they’re adding a lot of valuable information. Dress Reds and Resurrection are both coming along nicely. And I came up with some solutions to issues with Contrition and Retirement that give me a better idea of how to write those stories.
So, a very good month.
April Goals
- The Colonel Lieutenant: Get to 100,000 words
- Orcfyre: Get to 10,000 words in new outline
- 1st Minnesota: Outline 1st Book, get to 10,000 words
- Other projects: Keep working and writing
Books
- War and Peace (Fiction, Audiobook)
- Seven Basic Plots (Research)
- Mr. Lincoln’s Army (Non-Fiction)
- The Measure of Magic (Fiction)
- The First Volunteers (Research)
- Second to None (Research)
- Ashen Light (Fiction)
I sat down to read Ashen Light, the second book by Ian Young, a friend of mine from local conventions. This book was great; a science fiction detective novel, with elements of space exploration, corporate BS, and system hackery. It was even better than his first book. If you liked Blade Runner or Asimov’s robot detective novels, you’ll like this one.
I added several research books to my pile, all regarding the 1st Minnesota. They’re going to be very helpful in writing that book, but it also means I’ve added several new titles without having finished the previous ones. Oh, well, it happens.
April Goals
- Finish Two Books (any type)
Movies and Shows
- Starfleet Academy Season 1
- Stargate SG1 Season 1
- Foundation Season 1
- How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action)
- The Naked Gun (2025)
- Wake Up Dead Man
I finally sat down and finished Season 1 of Foundation. The show ended on a strong note. It took a while to get there; an enjoyable route, to be sure, but one where all the twists kept me from finding my footing. By the end of season 1 I was there. I’m liking the show; the aesthetic, the casting, and the story. I’m excited to see where it goes.
The first of three movies I watched this month was the live action How to Train Your Dragon movie. This was a decent movie. Not a great departure from the animated film. The only big difference was the world building; it gave more history and lore to the background and characters. So, glad I watched it, not missing too much by not watching it again.
Then I watched The Naked Gun remake from 2025, with Liam Neeson. I was worried, because the original trilogy was something I grew up watching, so it’s very dear to me. This new edition held up. It was hilarious, almost the entire way through. Almost. The ending wobbled a bit for me, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment. I ended up watching it again the next day.
And finally I saw Wake Up Dead Man, the third Knives Out murder mystery movie. This one follows the murder of a priest in rural New York, and it is probably the best of the three movies (though maybe not my favorite). This movie continues to switch up the type of mystery, bring out a stellar cast, and keep me guessing as to the truth of the killer until it’s revealed.
April Goals
- Watch three movies
- Finish three seasons
- Start a TV Show that isn’t science fiction
Games
- Surviving Mars: Relaunched
- Star Trek Voyager – Across the Unknown
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- Hogwarts: Legacy
Did not finish any games or goals this month. Did play some, but when I had time to sit down, I was usually writing. I’m playing a second game of Across the Unknown to see what I can do differently. Picking through the rest.
April Goals
- Finish one game
- Start another game
Coming Up Next
I have a table at Minicon, April 2 to 5, though the authors are only there the 3rd to 5th. I’m taking the 2nd off to recover from a rough few weeks at work. Then I’ll be at Quantum-Com 4, May 15th through 17th.
Minicon 59 – April 2 to 5, 2026
Doubletree Bloomington.
Quantum-Con 4 – May 15 to 17, 2026
Crowne Plaza Minneapolis, Plymouth