End of year audit and hopes for 2019 ~

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As followers of this blog know, at this time each year I do an audit of what I achieved this past year, pegged against what I said I wanted to achieve – and I set out what I hope to achieve the coming year.

How did I go? I did some, didn’t do some. Here’s what I wanted to achieve in 2018, and what I did achieve –

  • PGS the movie will release globally and be a success.
    Yes it was released and yes it was / and is a success.
  • Jennifer and I will travel and help market and promote the film.
    Yes, we traveled extensively, met some remarkable people, had many sell-out screenings.
  • PGS the book will be published.
    Yes, I wrote and published PGS the book – an expansion on the film. It’s available here on Amazon – PGS the Book
  • JOURNAL OF A JOURNEY – the book on the making of the film – will be published.
    NUP – didn’t get around to this one. The book is largely written – 120K words or so – it’s a big book – but it needs editing and this year I had other priorities.
  • The first two PALACE OF FIRES books – INITIATE & UNHOLY – will be published by Penguin Random House to great commercial success!
    Yes – INITIATE was published in February, UNHOLY in September. INITIATE has gone into several reprints, and UNHOLY looks like it will go the same way. 
  • I will complete and deliver the third in the PALACE OF FIRES series – BEAST – to Penguin Random House.
    Yes, I completed this on time – 104K words delivered by the end of October. It was a huge task to tie up all the narrative threads from the first two books, but BEAST promises to deliver a fitting (and suitably scary) ending to the trilogy.
  • BUEN CAMINO, the feature film, will be cast and set for filming in 2019
    This didn’t happen, however the distributor in Australia, the sales company out of the US, and our co-producers in Spain now want me to make a film based on my Camino memoir, THE WAY, MY WAY, so I’ll be writing that this next year, and getting that off the ground.
  • I will walk 3000kms from my front door to the end of the world.
    This didn’t happen either. I simply had no time, and quite frankly by the end of October when I was due to set off I was so knackered by the writing of BEAST, plus all the travel and stress of the earlier months, that I wasn’t able to do it. 

What do I have planned for this coming year – 2019?

  • Continue the marketing and promotion of PGS the movie.
  • Shift into the educational side of PGS, through workshops, and online training. 
  • Write the screenplay of THE WAY, MY WAY – and begin casting and financing. 
  • Complete the manuscript of the third in the Palace of Fires trilogy – BEAST.
  • Penguin Random House will publish BEAST.
  • I will write my next book, a thriller called Again, I Die.
  • I will commence production on my theatrical feature documentary on fear. 

I’m not going to put my “Front Door” walk of 3,000kms on the list – if I have time, I’ll just do it. One day without any fuss I’ll simply walk out my front door. I would like to find the time, but I need about 4 months. 

I have interest from the Adult Commercial Fiction division of Penguin Random House for Again, I Die. They loved my treatment and now they want me to submit what’s called a “partial” – some chapters for them to consider. The pitch for Again, I Die is a cracker. 

Once again there’s a lot on my plate for this coming year, but I’m actually going to focus on doing one thing at a time, doing it as best I can, and finding time in amongst it all to relax, and think about things. 

My health this year is going to be a priority. 

11 thoughts on “End of year audit and hopes for 2019 ~”

  1. … and what an audit! You accomplished so much this year, Bill. It was such an honour to “meet” you and Jen. Can’t wait for what you create next year and be part of it if I can help 🙂

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    • Thanks Jo – yes it’s been great “meeting” you too! Thanks for your kind words re the audit. Jennifer and I are excited at the prospect of what’s to come. Every day we learn –

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  2. Happy holidays, Bill,

    Congratulations on all your achievements throughout 2018. I was disappointed that your Palace of Fires books are not available through the Amazon app in the US.

    Wishing you continued joys and blessings,

    Lucy Grace Yaldezian A Higher Perspective Author of SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME http://www.ahigherperspective.com 2551 San Ramon Valley Blvd, #254 San Ramon, CA 94583 Office: 925-820-1949 Mobile: 925-699-6296 Sent from my iPhone

    >

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    • Hi Lucy – thanks for posting here! And for your generous sentiments. Yes the Palace of Fires series is yet to be released in the US, but hopefully that will happen this coming year. Go to Book Depositary though – they might have it. Hope this next year is wonderful and fulfilling for you – Bill

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  3. Dear Bill
    It always amazes me, and everyone else reading your blog, how much you can pack into a year. Not just 1 book published but 3 and a 4th nearly finished plus a huge movie release and follow up. Hundreds of thousands of miles traveled, ideas still coming for more movies and books. Wow, you never stop!

    For most walking such a long camino as your front door to end of the earth would allow one to clear their head of all the day to day clutter as walk, eat, do laundry, sleep and repeat for four months but I have the feeling you would probably come off that trip with 2 or 3 new movie ideas and a few manuscripts. Better left for another year! Ha!

    The part of the above post that is worrisome is the last sentence. I know you looked tired when we saw you at the Seattle PGS premiere but I hope that is all it is that you are somewhat tired. Hopefully you have no additional health issues. It would be good though to slow down and smell the roses along the way.

    As always Dale and I wish you and Jennifer the best health and much prosperity.

    Love you both
    Dale and Lynda
    XXOO

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    • This year has been particularly busy Lynda – yes, and in part it was the result of many years work prior coming to fruition. This next year there will be less travel, but just as much writing – I feel I have a lot to contribute, and of course Jennifer is so crucial in all that I do. Thanks to you and Dale for being such wonderful friends and supporters. Jennifer and I send our love to you both. Bill

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  4. Hi Bill,
    What you accomplished this past year is simply nothing less than AMAZING. I can’t believe you were able to finish so many HUGE projects! The PGS movie changed our lives in so many amazing ways, as I know it did for you and thousands of others – I think that is one project that will continue on it’s own path, don’t you?

    Please don’t worry about the things you didn’t accomplish, we can all only do one thing at a time and you are definitely doing three things (at least) at a time with all the travels, arrangements, writing time, creating time, movie screening time. Michael and I have both been in AWE watching how you are getting all that done. I have to say, though, you have been ON FIRE this year and have accomplished more that at least four people. Warmest congratulations for this.

    Do make your health a priority for this next year and work at a pace that will keep you healthy and happy. The world needs you to be here still, and your friends do, too. I am working now on my first book and the task seems utterly daunting at times. Just getting one book done in a year seems to me a gargantuan accomplishment. For you, it is three plus books and a movie or two. My goodness.

    Congratulations on all you got checked off of your 2018, and NOW on to 2019. Wishing you and Jennifer the MOST blessed and brightest (ever) Happy New Year, 2019. We can’t wait to see you both again sometime – maybe even in our new (temporary) digs.

    With Love,
    Raphaelle Tamura

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    • Dear Raphaelle – Jennifer and I are so grateful for all the help and support that you and Michael provided us this year. It was amazing! And hey, didn’t we have fun?

      More fun to come this next year, I hope! There’s more work for all of us to do – we are in the privileged position where, through our own personal explorations, others can share in what we learn and discover. How cool is that? haha

      Jennifer and I send our love and best wishes to you both for a cracker 2019.

      Bill

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  5. Dear Bill – and Jennifer, as I’ve said before, again you’ve managed, unlike the rest of us mere mortals, to cram more than 24 hours into every day, ‘caus otherwise how would you manage to accomplish so much in such a short time?!!! I look forward to seeing you and Jen soon in the new year, and in the meantime enjoy the family, the heat and NYE. Love, Britta

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  6. Whew. …need a rest just reading it all. Don’t know how you do it. Congratulations to all of it.
    Wishing you and Jennifer a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year.
    Light and Love. …Ingrid

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