I have so many projects to work on. I’ve started and abandoned projects all my life, from small crafts to entire novels.
I’m tired of not finishing what I start. I have many projects of various kinds, so I’ll break them down into categories.
First, Music.
Music project 1: I was once part of a project to create a fan-made game, specifically to help with the music. That project fell apart, but I was able to complete some songs while part of it. That was the last time I wrote a song using any kind of software, and it was over ten years ago.
So, I have a few other projects that I’d like to work on. The first is a “soundtrack” to a book that I’m writing. I don’t have a name for this soundtrack but I’ll call the project “Adventures on an Airship”, as the book is mostly about an adventure on an airship. I expect it to have at least one song per chapter, if not more.
Music project 2: The second music project I have in my head, but which I haven’t started, is a tribute to a favorite videogame. I want to get a song on Overclocked Remix, which requires multiple iterations and attempts and submissions before getting approved. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I was once involved in the community there around the same time that I was helping with the fan-made soundtrack, but I haven’t visited in a while.
Music project 3: The third music project I would like to start is a playlist of Celtic-inspired songs. That is, I don’t want to just arrange existing songs, but actually write some of my own instrumental songs in that genre.
Now on to writing projects.
There are many of these, but I’ll start with the novels. I’ve completed NaNoWriMo three times in the past, but it has been over ten years since I did it. I’ve attempted a few times since then, but I didn’t finish the books.
Writing Project 1: The Plague of Neljan Joen (working title)
It’s a story set in a world where magic is created using art, music, poetry, sculpting, and any other type of art. The setting is a nation inspired by Norse vulture, but with steampunk elements. Unfortunately, I never finished the outline, and I got only a few chapters into the book.
Writing Project 2: The Witch of Caelestia (working title)
The story is in the same world as the above title, but some generations later. It’s about a young woman who goes on a journey to improve her skills as a musician at the capital city, but she is pursued by those who have discovered her true identity as a Steward, one who keeps safe the sources of magic for their respective nations.
Writing Project 3: Welcome to Synad City (working title)
This is a cyberpunk-esque story that I started with the 2023 NaNoWriMo challenge, but which I didn’t get very far into before changing course to work on the next project.
Writing Project 4: Bespoke: Spirits of the Ancestors (working title)
This is the project I started after stopping work on the one above. It is a murder mystery/thriller that takes place in a fantasy setting based on late 19th century Europe. I got the outline pretty well hashed out, but only got a few chapters into the novel before stopping.
Writing Project 5: The Disembodied God (working title)
I started this novel about ten years ago. The setting itself has evolved to become a Dungeons & Dragons homebrew setting, so I doubt I’ll ever finish the novel I was writing in this world. But, I do like the concept and may use it in one of my other settings. Or adapt the idea into a 5e campaign.
Writing Project 6: The Relic of Iestry (working title)
This novel is my most promising of any that I’ve worked on recently. Or, rather, it is the one that is furthest along. It’s about a young man going on an airship adventure to find a treasure, and the challenges he and his new friends face along the way, and the trauma of his past that he has to overcome.
Writing Project 7: Apotheosis
This was my first attempt at a novel as a teenager. The world I built for it has changed a lot over the years and inspired other worlds. I still would like to take the basic outline of the original book and write the story somehow. But that feels like a long term goal.
Writing Project 8: Graphic Novel
I haven’t decided which world I want to set this in, but I do want to try to write a graphic novel using AI images that I then send to graphic artist to clean up and edit. The writing would be all mine. I like that I can storyboard using MidJourney with a consistent art style and consistent characters, so this is really an experiment with getting better with MidJourney.
Game Projects 1 through 7 are 5e supplement books I want to write in some of the settings for my novels. These include campaign settings and adventures in those settings. I may add to this list as I come up with more ideas or more worlds.
Game Project 8: My friend wants me to help him with a video game that he has wanted to make since we were kids. He has requested my help, but I haven’t learned the software necessary. In this case, he wants to use Unreal Engine, and it is supposed to be a metroidvania style.
Game Project 9: My brothers want to make a game in Unity, possibly a game sort of like Stardew Valley. I could help with the music on that, but I would probably also help with some other aspects like quest design and writing.
On to drawing projects. I don’t have many of these, since drawing is still a very long process for me, and because I draw from reference more than imagination.
Drawing Projects 1 through 6: Maps. I have so many maps to work on for my various stories and worlds. Maps 1 through 6 are specifically for some of the continents from Venador.
Drawing Project 7: Auros World Map. I want to hand draw a map of Auros, one of my worlds, but it is not high on my list right now.
Drawing Projects Ongoing: I really just want to practice taking AI images that I generate then trying to recreate them in GIMP using my new digital drawing pad.
So there is a summary of my projects. I have many, probably too many, and if I’m honest, not all of them will ever get finished. But I do plan to finish some of them. And I hope that blogging about them will bring some measure of accountability and a sense of progress.
I hope you enjoy my journey with me.
-Zed