Hello, dreamers. I have another busy week ahead of me, and I’m loving every second of this.

My decision to go back to notes on Aquarius 1 has opened a lot of doors to new possibilities within the Dotiverse. Thus, I’ve allowed myself to “write around” a little, exploring and enriching this fictional future I’ve created. And it’s led to some interesting new concepts, which I’ve been working on.

But we’ll start with my most important project right now, which is,

Pioneers

Late last week, I completed work on the Pioneers RDV. After reading through a few sections to make sure I hadn’t disrupted the flow, I sent it off to my best beta reader. It’s in Sara’s hands now.

For those who may be unaware, Sara is one of my closest friends. She’s also a voracious reader, my most reliable beta reader, and without a doubt my biggest fan. Sara was one of the beta readers for the first draft of Pioneers many years ago, and she was the one who advised me to change the title of the novel (it was then called The Pioneer). Since I feel I do so less frequently than I should, I’d like to take this opportunity for all her hard work and support over the years. Randall Holmes wouldn’t be the man he is without her.

Once she’s finished with it (and so long as she doesn’t find anything wrong with it), I’ll begin work on my query materials. If all goes well, I’ll be querying by the end of March. Until then, I wait. I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer.

Dotiverse Projects

Given how many there are right now, I figured it’s best to just group all my ongoing Dotiverse projects together.

I’ve realized over the past few weeks that, over the course of my work with my fictional future, I’ve fleshed out background across three main eras:

The Turn of the Century Era

Spanning from roughly 2090 to 2105. This period begins with the events of my (as yet incomplete) prequel Pathfinder. It covers the spread of humanity across the solar system, the exploration and eventual colonization of the moons of the outer planets, and the first manned extrasolar missions.

The Pioneer Era

Named for running concurrent with the events of Pioneers, spanning roughly 2110-2123. This period includes the events of Pioneers, the Aquarius missions to habitable exoplanets, and the founding of humanity’s first extrasolar colonies.

The Other Earths Era

Named for my planned series of novellas, this era currently spans roughly 2145-2160. It includes the development of humanity’s exocolonies, as well as the colonization of planetary systems in the Ursa Major Moving Group.

As of now, I have projects in progress taking place in each of those eras. This will not only provide me with more material to release either as self-pub works or eventually as companions to trad-pub novels like Pioneers, but also help me to flesh out the Dotiverse. Years ago when I set out on this adventure, I compiled pages and pages of notes on humanity around the turn of the 22nd century, from technology to culture. When I wrote Pioneers, I intentionally ignored Earth, preferring to only give the rest of humanity passing mentions in order to focus on the colonists. As a result, it turns out I know very little about just what the heck the rest of humanity is up to during that period.

To keep things straight, I’ve decided I should focus my efforts on only two eras at a time: one era in which I’m actively writing, another in which I’m actively researching and taking notes. Thus, I’ve decided to focus my writing at the moment on the turn of the 22nd century. I’ve been plugging away at my planned Turn of the Century short story collection. At present, I’m considering releasing at least a few of those stories as novellas. But one way or another, the first pieces will be available by late spring. Keep an eye out for updates. My series of stories about the lives of humans at the end of this century will make for excellent summer reading.

In note-taking, I’ve decided to focus on the Pioneers era. This will work well not only for querying Pioneers, but also preparation for resuming Aquarius 1. I’ve already had a few flashes of where I want the story to go and change. Hopefully, things will continue taking shape over the coming week. Keep an eye out for this week’s “WIP Wednesday” to see how things are going.

Amid all this, I’ve decided to put my planned series of novellas, Other Earths, on the back burner for now. I love these stories, and can’t wait to write them. But right now, I feel compelled to direct my attention on more mature projects. Stay tuned; if I keep going at my current pace, you might still see the first installment of Other Earths before the end of the year.

Upcoming Content

I’ve decided to shuffle my Thursday features around a bit, starting this week. The first Thursday of the month will feature “Sci-Fi Reviewed”, which this month will focus on the Apple TV series For All Mankind. The second Thursday of the month will feature a new monthly piece: “On Writing”, in which I’ll discuss my writing process. That will be followed by “The Cutting Room Floor”, in which I discuss the editing of my work. And the month will end with my popular “Science in Fiction” series, in which I discuss major sci-fi concepts and tropes, and how the modern sci-fi writer can adapt to the latest science.

That said, here’s what’s coming this week:

Tuesday 2/27: “Teaser Tuesday”

So you liked last week’s sample from my upcoming novel Wide Horizon and you’d like to see more? I’ve got you covered. Watch for another excerpt from my upcoming space opera this week, and don’t forget to pre-order your copy ahead of the March 15 release!

Wednesday 2/28: “WIP Wednesday”

A lot about Aquarius 1 is up in the air right now. But one thing isn’t: learn more about the strange new world Karen Hernandez and the crew of the Challenger will be exploring.

Thursday 2/29: “Nothing Human”

Artificial Intelligence: it’s a staple of science fiction. But now, science fiction is becoming science fact, and AI is becoming part of our everyday lives. In this month’s “Science in Fiction”, learn more about the current state of AI research, where it might be heading, and what that means for the modern sci-fi writer.

Friday 3/1: “Flash Fiction Friday”

Catch my latest flash fiction piece, and start your weekend off right with a brief dose of hard sci-fi.

Sunday 3/3: “Self-Pub Sunday”

There’s a big sale going on! Learn more about how you can get copies of Unrealized Realities and Wide Horizon for never-again-low prices in March! Plus, get the latest on my planned self-pub works, including updates on Turn of the Century.

Before I close things out, I’d like to add a personal note. Over the past month, I’ve been watching my readership steadily increase. More views on my posts, more subscribers. If you’re new to this website, or to my work, I’d just like to say thank you. And welcome to my universe. Have a great week, and dare to dream. – MK