The Forty Weeks
Year 1
What are The Forty Weeks?
The Forty Weeks is a major writing endeavor that I am starting today, with an official story release day on 31 March 2024 that will conclude on the final Sunday of the year.
The reason for this is to first challenge myself as a writer in the hopes of succeeding and improving my skills in an art form that I am passionate about. Another reason for the project is that since completing the first draft of my novel series and just before I started, I've been inspired by many stories. So I had the great idea to release a story every week from spring to the end of December 2024.
What to expect during The Forty Weeks?
During The Forty Weeks, I will showcase a range of stories across the fiction genre, possibly some non-fiction works, and poetry. Some of the stories will be a part of the challenges presented by Vocal that I chose to participate in.
The stories will either be stand-alone/one-off tales or a part of a series consisting of two or more parts.
I will also provide links for the stories in a series within the story. A small write-up about the inspiration for the story will be provided at the end of each (Once for a series at the end of the first story). For stories that have a vague interpretative meaning, a statement of explanation will be written on my interpretation of the story.
What are some of the stories?
There are stories of dragons and hostile worlds. Some stories touch on themes of love and loss. Those who choose to participate and read throughout the weeks will be pulled into the world of the characters as they confess their innermost feelings, unearth secrets of their worlds, combat evil, and conquer obstacles before them or die trying.
Here are a few names and brief descriptions of stories that I am most excited about:
The Dragonfall Series
A story about a young boy's journey to restore balance to a home he hasn't known at the behest of a dragon he finds himself bound to.
The Bradford Culling Two-part Series
A story about one woman's struggle to survive in a world no longer suitable for her kind to settle.
Untitled Series
A story with a lesson of selflessness and respect with a protagonist that is at first elusive and strange and transforms into a figure of profound power and beauty.
Daybreak and Nightfall
These two pieces can be read as standalone stories but derive a deeper meaning when understood together about gain and loss.
Lovers Lilies
A tale of two lovers and a love that endured through time.
The Forest Edge
A poem about the wonders of things that lurk in the night.
Goals for the year?
Aside from The Forty Weeks, I also have a few goals for this year that I will be working toward
Write 4-5 screenplays based on stories released this year
Complete a round of editing on the rough draft of the first novel
Write the draft for a children's chapter book
Publish children's book
Hire an agent to sell screenplays
Participate in NANOWRIMO 2024 to complete the first draft of book two of the novel series
Conclusion
A very busy and ambitious year for me. Those goals will extend until next spring, unlike The Forty Weeks. I also welcome my newborn son in June so I'll be very busy for sure. I don't know what to expect from the next year but I wanted to do something that is aligned with the future I am creating for myself as a writer.
I am aware of the constraints I might have on time-based on life and other variables that might present over the year. This year is about greater effort. The same mindset I applied for writing my first novel, I'll apply for the next year, to do a bit every day, and whether or not I post a story all forty weeks and achieve the goals stated, success will lie in the effort to complete them.
Hope you all enjoy.
Thanks for reading!
++++++++FIRST STORY++++++++
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Comments (12)
Congratulations on Top Story! You've set some ambitious goals for yourself. Best of luck!
Dope! I can see the heart and dedication behind each and every word! Big ups D.D. I hope this year brings you everything that you wish to achieve! Congratulations on fatherhood too!
My focus is on quality, not Quantity. I aim to write one really good story every month. Some months I can knock it out in a few days or even a week or so. Most months take me most of the month. In my experience, Real Life takes over much more than you expect it to and takes more energy and time than You'd like to admit. While your goals are commendable and very ambitious, I think you'll find very soon, not realistic. Not to discourage you from aiming big, We all do, But temper it with the realities of life. Once your boy gets here in June, Sleep will be a distant memory, and every spare minute will spent either sleeping or taking care of him. Basically, you'll be in survival mode for the first six months, If you get any serious writing done after June, when he comes, I'll be surprised. I speak from experience and have had four kids back in the day. So I know what's coming. My advice is to lower the bar of success, Any writing is good writing, and aim to work on one project every week,, If you can get a story up and out, fine if not, Don't sweat it,
Congratulations D.D. on your top story!
Congrats on Top Story!🥳🥳🥳
Subscribed!
I cannot wait to read the upcoming stories! You got this!
Pretty packed year you will have may God help you to reach your forty weeks with flying colours and congratulations on your top story 🥳🎉🎇
That's a busy 2024, good luck!
Best of luck. You sure are going to be busy!
Now that is a full plate! I look forward to seeing what you come up with. And a special congrats on the upcoming birth of your son!
Sounds like a great & ambitious plan, except for one thing. There are only 30 days in April.