Hey, y’all, hope you had an amazing holiday. I sure did, chilling with the folks over some pancakes, gifts, and green juice. 🙂 Moving into 2023, I had some insights from the past year in writing, faith, and health.

Writing & Reading

Blade of Dragons

The new draft is finished! I completed it by my deadline of year’s end, and a whole lot has changed—for the better. That said, I’ll need to do one or two revision passes before its second official copyedit.

Here’s a brief of changes:

• The story has three PoVs now: Pepper Slyhart, Tarie Beyworth, and Gerald Highmane. I did this to simplify things, especially for my first book. It’s also trimmed down excessive, redundant detail.

• Heavier worldbuilding. This provides better immersion and an overall science-fantasy feel for the reader.

• Deeper character exposition and emotional depth. This helps bond the reader to the character better. Thanks to Rebecca Adalsair, of whom I’m doing a beta read, for giving me a better perspective on character depth. 🙂

• Removal of certain characters or plot devices. Again for simplicity; some of these tools I’ll save for later books instead, as recommended by my editor.

• A slight shift towards a Christian Fantasy feel. Being an author of faith, the compulsion to include Christ was inevitable. I love planting seeds and Easter eggs in my chapters, so that they may inspire readers in their own lives.

My plans are to—finally, hopefully—get Blade of Dragons published. I’ve no ETA yet, since us writers are terrible with that, hah. Still, it’s only a matter of time. I hope y’all are excited as I am!

Sketching

I’m planning another sketching spree soon. This will help with some new conceptual designs. Pepper Slyhart, Tarie Beyworth, and Gerald Highmane are high on the list.

Reading

I started the Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson. It’s a decent read for an epic fantasy—and I love Sanderson’s work. The way he worldbuilds is unique and fascinating. Other books of Sanderson are next as is the Blood of Kings series by Jill Williamson. If you have any reading recommendations, leave them in the comments below. Gra’cet! (That’s Atläsian for ‘thank you’ 🙂 )

A buddy suggested an excellent book called Move Your DNA, by Katy Bowman. For any of y’all following this blog, you know how important movement is for us busy-folk. I hope to incorporate more ‘movement snacks’ throughout my day going into 2023.

Meditation & Prayer

My meditation have brought a sense of calm, which have guided my journey as a writer. I recite a written mantra everyday, visualizing myself as a successful author and artist. I’ve also considered other starving artists like myself, that God may support them in their journeys. We’re all in this together—one big tribe, one family.

As 2023 progresses, I plan to deepen my relationship with my Creator. To address some internal issues that have lingered with me since childhood.

Regeneration & Health

The year 2020 with COVID was a major wakeup call for me. In the past year alone, daily green juices, salads, and nutrient-dense foods—like carrots, sardines and liver—have showed dividends. Weight has improved, as have energy levels, and my chronic depression and headache are gone. Living an ancestral lifestyle, combined with plenty of movement, has helped a ton.

Gym time has improved my muscle tone, strength, and endurance. I also work a warehousing job, which is physically taxing. It is encouraging to see my body regenerating and doing better than ever. By the end of 2023, I’m hoping to see sizable gains in my constitution.

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How did your holiday go, dear reader? Priming for 2023? Any dreams you’re chasing? Let me know in the comments below. Peace, y’all!