What I’ll Write Over The Next Months … Years … Decades (Becoming an Author #3)

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I never really made a big plan. When I decided to write 1,000 words every day, I just started — and whatever idea came to mind first, I worked on.
This, as it turns out, was not the best approach. Some ideas I abandoned halfway through; others I finished but chose not to publish because they didn’t work well as standalone novels.

I quickly realized that having a plan isn’t just important when writing a single book — it’s essential when you want to write multiple books every year.

I have dozens of series ideas stored in my swipe file. They all look intriguing, but I know I shouldn’t start them all at once. Instead, it makes more sense to tackle them one by one.

My plan for now is simple: focus on a single series until it’s finished.

In that series, I’ve nearly finished editing Part 1. I’ve already written first drafts for Parts 2 and 3, and I’m currently writing Part 4. Overall, I’ve outlined at least 20 parts, which will eventually bring the series to a satisfying conclusion — or at least a conclusion that I personally find satisfying, tying together the major plotlines that start in Part 1.

The series is called 17, named after the main character.

It’s a crime-thriller-action story in the spirit of Bond, Reacher, Hunt, and Holmes, where the protagonist solves a new case in each book, while a massive conspiracy unfolds across the entire series. I’m blending in elements of conspiracy theories, aiming for a tone that is dark but also has moments of fun.

Whenever I need a break from the series, I’ll work on a standalone novel — not a new series. Just a single novel, perhaps in the sci-fi, mystery, or western genre, something different to refresh my creative energy.

The only other major project I’ll allow myself is a lifelong work I’ve been outlining for years: It began when I watched Disney mishandle Star Wars and HBO rush Game of Thrones to an unsatisfying end. I started thinking about how I could do it better. The result is a sci-fi opera I currently call The Eye Sees It All.

This will be a lifelong project — something I want to build slowly, one page at a time. Honestly, I have no idea how large it will eventually become.
Unlike the 17 series, where I can already estimate that I’ll be able to publish multiple books each year, I might only manage one book for The Eye every couple of years — if that.

So, my loose publishing plan will be:

  1. A 17 part
  2. Another 17 part
  3. A standalone novel
  4. A part of The Eye or another 17 part

That’s the current goal.

If I can successfully set up the system that I have in mind, new books will be out every March, June, September, and December.

I think it’s possible. Hopefully, I’m right.

I’ve Created My Contact Page With Another Plugin

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I recently looked into creating an author page on Goodreads. Many authors whom I like have their own. Readers can ask questions about writing and specific books on there, which is cool. It’s basically a social media platform for writers and readers to connect.

One of the requirements to get an author page on Goodreads is to have a website with a contact form. So I set up a contact form on this website.

It was a bit annoying to set up the mail that sends the message over to me, but I think I figured it out in the end. Everything else was easy to do with a plugin called Contact Form 7.

Coach Red Pill’s Videos Will Always Be There

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When I first came across Coach Red Pill, I didn’t like him. He seemed like a con man trying to cash in on a trending topic—“the Red Pill”—which was gaining popularity back in the day. But as he grew on YouTube, his videos kept popping up in my recommendations, and eventually, I gave him a second chance.

Somehow, he grew on me. With each video I watched, I found myself liking him more. Even when I disagreed with him, there was usually something valuable—or at least entertaining—to take away.

When I heard he died in Ukraine, it felt strange. I’d never met him, and he had no idea who I was. Still, it felt like losing a friend. I had spent more time watching his videos and listening to his thoughts than with actual real life friends. Until his death was officially confirmed, I kept hoping it was just another internet hoax. People will say anything to go viral these days, so maybe—just maybe—someone had reported his death without checking the facts.

But sadly, it was true. Coach Red Pill (Gonzalo Lira) is gone.

He once talked about his kids. He had them later in life and was afraid he wouldn’t be around long enough to give them the life advice he wanted to share. That was one of the reasons he started making videos: so his advice would be there for his children when they needed it.

And in that, he succeeded.

His content is still available—for example, here at the CRP Archive, where you can find 436 of his videos.

Imagine his kids knowing that, in a way, their dad is still around. Of course, they’d rather have him back for real. But having him live on as a sort of digital version is as close as you can get once someone is gone.

I’d love to do the same. When I die, I want to leave behind thousands of articles, hundreds of videos, and dozens of books. I want family, friends, and everyone else to be able to look me up whenever they want—to learn from my mistakes, my successes, and my ideas, to get inspired, to laugh, and to think.

RIP Gonzalo Lira.

Write Better Books | Read Better Stories

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I don’t consider myself the best writer in the world – though I should be number two, right behind J.R.R. Tolkien.

Jokes aside, I know a thing or two about writing well. And I’m always learning more about how to write better. Just yesterday, I stopped reading two books by authors I won’t name. I quit because both books bored me to death. They were written in a childish way, had characters I didn’t care about, and the plot went in an uninteresting direction.

Both books were bestsellers, written by big names in the industry. That means not only did millions of readers buy and enjoy them, but they were also edited by seasoned professionals.

Still, I didn’t like them – and I did something I rarely do: I didn’t finish the books.

Over the years, I’ve read thousands of books, more writing articles than I can count, and watched hours upon hours of YouTube videos from writers offering advice. Through all that, I developed a better writing style—and an eye for good writing. This eye made me stop reading the two bestsellers – they were simply not good enough for me anymore.

Looking at my early days of writing as a hobby, I’ve come a long way. Today, I sometimes laugh and sometimes cry at my first attempts at writing. The last pages I wrote yesterday, though, are good. Compared to the two bestsellers I quit on, they are awesome.

But what made me write better? And what made me realize bad writing?

I believe it’s simply reading as much as possible. Developing from writing badly to writing not so badly anymore is a process. Sure, writing every day helps. But consuming good writing is the main engine behind that progress.

If you want to write better too, I highly recommend reading better books – and also reading more. Over time, you’ll discover authors you love, genres you enjoy, and styles that resonate with you. Naturally, you’ll start imitating what you’ve read. You’ll “steal” what feels good to you and omit what is bad without even thinking about it – it just happens instinctively. Before you realize it, you’ll write something that makes you proud and let’s you boldly claim that it’s way better than this other author’s bestseller book that you couldn’t finish.

The best part of it? Doing it like that makes learning not feel like work—it actually feels like a lot of fun.

  • Athletes watch other athletes
  • Filmmakers watch films
  • Painters study classic art
  • Musicians listen to music
  • And writers learn by reading

I try to read as much as I can. On average, it’s a book and two to three comics/mangas every single week. I’ve also made it a habit to watch a movie or an episode of a show daily, to learn from that form of storytelling.

Of course, you still have to apply what you read by hammering your daily word count into the keyboard. Just reading without writing anything won’t make anyone a good writer. But if you only write and never read, there’s not much you could apply. Consuming stories exposes you to good and bad storytelling. And the more exposure you get, the more you can identify what’s good and what’s not.

So, the first rule of writing better books is simple: Read and watch better stories.

I Hit 10,000 Subscribers on YouTube

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Today I reached a big milestone on YouTube: 10,000 subscribers.
It only took me six years to get here—some makeup influencers manage that in six days. But hey, they say it’s about the journey, not the destination.

If you haven’t checked out my channel yet, it’s all about graphic design, photo and video editing, coding, and a bit of AI. I create tutorials for both Adobe and open-source programs, and I document my personal learning projects—like using AI to make comics or diving into new programming languages.

I remember exactly when I started: January 2019. I wanted to learn something new and maybe build a side income. I saw a few people on YouTube doing Photoshop tutorials and thought, why not? I could improve my Photoshop skills, practice speaking English, and pick up some video editing along the way.

Fast forward six years, my English has improved a lot, my Photoshop skills are bordering on advanced, and I’d say my video editing is at an intermediate level. I’ve also explored the world of AI, which was an unexpected but exciting bonus. And I’ve tried open-source alternatives to Adobe that I probably never would’ve looked at if I hadn’t started the channel.

As for the income stream… let’s just say there’s plenty of room for improvement. The money I make covers the cost of the software I use to make my videos and leaves a bit of spare change for books and vide games I rarely play.

Back when I started, I had high hopes: 1,000 subscribers in six months, 10,000 in a year, 100,000 in three, and eventually a million.

Yeah… not quite. Growth was slow and sometimes painfully so from day one. For a long time, nothing happened at all.

What kept me going was the fun and the drive to keep learning. That’s what’s kept me going for six years, and that’s what will keep me going for another six. I don’t really expect to ever hit a million subscribers—heck, even 100K seems far off—but I’m deeply grateful for everyone who joined the channel. Wherever it goes from here, I’m happy to find out without any expectations of hitting it big.

Thanks to everyone who’s subscribed—and welcome to those just jumping on board. Onwards to a full decade on YouTube.