A March Update from the Writing Desk
Cause, ya know...I should.
Hello friends,
I wanted to take a moment to give you an update on what’s been happening behind the scenes here at Life of Fiction.
Over the past couple of months, my presence here on Substack has been quieter than usual. Some of you noticed—and a few even reached out to check on me. I truly appreciate that more than you know.
The short version is this: I’ve been dealing with a few health issues.
Nothing catastrophic, thankfully, but enough to slow me down for a bit. I’ve had some trouble with my eyes and my hands, which as you might imagine… makes writing and working at the computer a little tricky.
For some reason I’m not able to sleep well, which affects everything else.
The good news is that things are looking like they’re going to be okay. We’re working through it, adjusting where needed, and I’m steadily getting back into the rhythm of things again.
And in the meantime… a lot has been happening.
The Advanced Worldbuilding Course
One of the biggest highlights recently has been the response to the Advanced Worldbuilding online course.
Honestly, the feedback has been phenomenal.
Writers from all over have been sharing how the material…and especially the trigger-based system…has helped unlock ideas and remove creative blocks. Seeing other storytellers use the tools and techniques that grew out of the original Advanced Worldbuilding guide so many years ago has been incredibly rewarding.
It make my heart smile to point out to writers how incredible their minds ARE…and help unlock such incredible creativity.
Hmmm.
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned that You Are MORE Than You THINK You Are….right?
At least once or twice, anyway.
It’s always a strange feeling when something that started as notes and personal systems from my journals begins helping thousands of other writers build their own worlds.
That’s been one of the real bright spots this year.
Refining Life of Fiction
You may have noticed that Life of Fiction itself has been evolving.
I’ve been quietly restructuring parts of the site and the content flow so readers can find things more easily—whether you’re browsing on desktop or reading through the Substack app.
The goal is simple:
make it easier for people to discover the stories, explore the lore, and move naturally between them.
Stories remain the heart of everything we do here, and the system around them is meant to help readers discover the larger world those stories belong to.
This kind of cleanup work isn’t always visible on the surface, but it makes a huge difference in how people experience the world of Life of Fiction.
Current Writing Projects
Behind the scenes, the writing desk has been… busy.
Alongside Ascension, the second book in the Chronicles of a Hero series, I’ve also been working on several other projects:
Expanding the world lore and field material
Building the Infinite Creation Codex framework to organize characters, cultures, locations, and artifacts across the world (see the new ‘world’ tab in the menu).
Building and putting into play a Fiction Reader Engine. A very specific way to connect all the content created for LoF to provide multiple entry points of interest for discovery.
Getting the second ‘Stella and the Bear‘ children’s book completed with my darling wife (only 3 years behind).
Developing a new Trigger Architect™ workbook
That last one has been especially fun. The workbook contains over 700 trigger questions, drawn from decades of my personal writing journals and creative notes. The goal is simple: give writers a tool that generates ideas faster than writer’s block can shut them down.
If you enjoy the worldbuilding material, you’re going to like this one.
Writing with Wendell Again
The project many of you are waiting for most is, of course, Ascension.
I’ve been spending a lot of time writing with Wendell again, continuing his journey after the events of Choices, the first book in the series.
The plan right now is to finish and publish Ascension around mid-2026.
There’s still a lot of work ahead, but the story is moving forward well and I’m excited about where it’s going.
Wendell has a habit of getting himself into trouble… and this book is no exception.
A New Direction for Publishing
Another big change behind the scenes involves how I’ll be publishing and selling my books moving forward.
After a lot of frustration with some of the policies and treatment of authors on Amazon, I’ve been exploring alternatives.
Right now I’m looking strongly at Vervante for printing high-end collectible books and possible Kickstarter campaigns. However, I’m still looking for a print on demand option and fulfillment selling books directly through my Payhip store.
For independent authors, owning your storefront and having control over how your work reaches readers is a huge relief. It also allows me to keep things simpler, more direct, and better aligned with the Life of Fiction ecosystem.
More details on this will be coming soon.
Hopeful Audio Solutions
Another possible tidbit of good news is I discovered a microphone that may (and I stress ‘may’) help me deal with the loud environment I can’t control.
I’m crossing all fingers AND toes on this one.
Over the years, I’ve collected thousands of dollars in mics, and all of them are literally perfect for me…IF I had a sound booth.
I do not have a sound booth.
So this is especially for Hyrum and a few others who rely on audio…we could have a winner here.
We will see.
It’s an expensive gamble, but I’m willing to take it.
If the gamble pays off, then I will officially be working on audio and audiobooks as a second priority.
BOOyah.
Oh, and the OTHER audio news, is that Ezra and the GEAR GIRLS have made contact and want to push forward to record more music. So cross your own fingers on that one, it’ll be fun to have some new tracks from your #1 favorite gnome girl band!
Looking Ahead to Summer
As we move toward summer, I’m genuinely excited about what’s ahead.
Just had a great podcast chat with Simon K Jones . Turns out he’s exactly as cool in private as he seems in public. Really enjoyed talking with him and will be nudging him to do it again very soon.
There are new stories coming.
New tools for writers.
More lore from the world of Chronicles of a Hero.
And hopefully a lot more time spent sharing the creative process with all of you.
Thank you for being here, for reading, and for supporting this strange and wonderful journey of storytelling.
More soon.
— Jaime
That course is the real deal. It's kicked my creative juices so far into gear, I've knocked myself out of the fantasy genre... for now.
For real though, this course feels like a natural continuation of your book. You went from explaing why stories are important to why ideas that make up the stories are important. The trigger questions, at least in my experience, are best in small doses with lots of time for contemplation. Because, hoo boy, you're gonna need it.
Keep it up, Jamie. Take care of yourself. We’ll all be here as things improve!