Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I last updated this blog (about a year and a half, in fact!) A lot has happened in that time. I'll cover some of it here and some of it in later blog posts, but to start it off I've rebranded the blog a bit! I'm now using my author name, Bradley Woods, and linking to that account instead, because guess what: I've published my first novel, Unbounded!
I've mentioned that I've been working on it a few times now, and a little while ago, it was finally released:
I've worked really hard on this, and you can read it here!
A quick synopsis:
Everyone dreams of being able to fly. What if you could have that power, and fame and riches to go with it? Would you take it? Even if it came at a terrible cost?
With only a thousand born per generation, Fliers have been revered in human society for millennia. They are provided with every comfort and offered highly-paid positions of power. That power, though, has a catch. All Fliers die before they turn 40 years old.>
In 2036, teenagers Lindsey Tescher and Derek Stalden have lived in luxury ever since they were revealed to be Fliers several years ago. But just before their high school graduation, they uncover a dark secret that challenges everything they thought they knew about the world’s Fliers. To survive the consequences of their discovery, they must journey far from home and endure harrowing hardship, unraveling painful secrets of the past. And in the process, their struggle to find the truth of who Fliers really are might just change the course of history.
I'm also working on my second novel, which is a separate story from Unbounded. Writing one novel has really taught me a ton about how to turn an idea into a polished book. Hint: it involved a lot of editing. Seriously, if you think your first, second, or third draft is good enough, read it again or get a beta reader, because you will need a lot of edits before you're done. Nothing's perfect, but the more you write, the better your writing gets. You'd be amazed at the things a beta reader might catch that you as the author would miss, and every time that happens, another writing tip gets added to your toolbox the next time you sit down to write.
My toolbox still has plenty of room to grow, but it's fuller than it's ever been. I've honed my skills, and this next book is going to be even better.
Of course, not all is well in the world. Between the last time I wrote a post and now, this guy reared its ugly head:
I'm not going to say too much on this, because let's be frank, the novel Coronavirus is all that's in the news these days, but needless to say it's been devastating to so many and is still running rampant throughout the USA and in many other parts of the world. I'm lucky enough to be relatively safe and sound, but being isolated from friends and family has been tough. Still, as far as global pandemics and recessions are concerned, I'm doing pretty well. My heart goes out to everyone effected by this thing. Let's work hard to beat it together. Wear a mask and social distance, people. If you can save even one life by doing so, you've done good.
I have more content coming soon, including looking forward to the new Dresden Files book, Brandon Sanderson having lectures on writing for free on YouTube, and a whole host of other stuff I've missed. But for now, stay safe, and stay well. It's good to be back!
Signing off,
-- Bradley