Hello again, dreamers.  It’s that time of year: a time when novelists across the nation gather together to write, connect, and devote an entire month to writing a novel.

This will be my third year participating, and I must admit my first two years met with…erm…limited success.  However, upon reflection, I feel perhaps my greatest failing over the past two years was passing up a golden opportunity to connect; to reach out to other writers, and become a more active, vocal member of the writing community.  I hate to admit it, but, cardinal sin of 21st century writing that it may be, for years I’ve never really seen the importance of reaching out to other writers.  I kept myself apart: there was only me, and the readers.

Then, I entered Pitch Wars.

In every way I’d expected and many I hadn’t, Pitch Wars changed everything.  I was embraced, and soon found myself a part of a concise but deeply valuable network of fellow writers.  Those wonderful people have transformed my writing experience, and helped me feel both more legitimate and more complete.

Now, I proceed into NaNoWriMo 2018 fully intent on using it to connect with more writers, to strengthen the bonds I forged during Pitch Wars, and continue this remarkable journey.

And, of course, to try to write a novel.  So without further ado, I’d like to introduce my NaNoWriMo 2018 project:

The Pioneer

My regular readers will no doubt be familiar with my current work-in-progress.  But for everyone else, a brief introduction:

The Pioneer is intended as the first book in an eventual series, collectively titled When We Left Earth.  Set in 2113, the novel follows the exploits of the Samarkand Expedition, intended to found a human settlement on a Class 5 (Earth-like) planet orbiting the star Phecda.  After spending eight and a half years in transit aboard the colony ship ECV Susan Constant, the five thousand men and women of the Samarkand Expedition are revived, and set about the tall task of learning to coexist with the native biosphere of a strange alien planet.

The story focuses on Randall Holmes: a former ESA (Earth Space Administration) astronaut and the lone survivor of the ill-fated Pathfinder 7 mission to Vega.  Haunted by the experience of surviving on a hostile alien world and burying his crewmates one by one, Holmes signed on with the Samarkand Expedition in hopes of leaving Earth behind him for good.  But on Samarkand, thrust unwittingly into a leadership role, He’ll find a new calling, and set himself on a path that will change human civilization forever.

Now, it bears noting that, as of this writing, Pathfinder is already a 60,000+ word work of science fiction.  But by my estimation I’m only about halfway through my first draft, so it’s not exactly like I’m cheating here (I can probably write another 50,000 words and still not finish with “The End”).  And, after stepping away from my beloved WIP for Pitch Wars, I felt this was a prime opportunity to jump back into my proverbial saddle.

Unlike my debut novel, Wide Horizon, The Pioneer is a work of hard science fiction, firmly rooted in accepted science.  Initially I had feared this would make writing the story more of a slog, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well it’s gone so far.  It’s taken some interesting turns, and I’ve already learned a lot, but I still have so very far to go.

In addition to continuing (or, in some cases, resuming) my weekly posts, I will be posting weekly updates on my NaNoWriMo progress.  Feel free to view, visit, comment, and follow me on this month-long journey of creation and self-discovery.  And, as always, dare to dream. – MK