So, omg, we’re already over halfway through the year!! Isn’t that absolutely insane? I feel like my creative year to date has been super fruitful and successful, despite the fact that I probably won’t make all of my goals and deadlines. But I’m certainly going to make quite a few of them, so that’s pretty rad.
As a part of positioning myself for success, though, I’m trying to do better in this half of the year by actually keeping up with my blog at least once a month, even if I’m only posting about my project progress and creative achievements. Soo, let’s do it!
Creative Achievements for July 2015
1. Finished the Summer 2015 session for my Intro to Broadcasting and Small Business Entrepreneurship classes
This was a huge feat because summer session crams 15 weeks into just 5 weeks. So I was shunting three times the work on a third of the time, lol. And with a baby on deck? Omg, madness. Still, I was able to make things work, and guess what? I’m pushin’ that 4.0 average, son!
Way more important than grades, though, is the value I’m getting from these classes. My small business course was so (stressfully) awesome; it gave me a great primer for writing business plans, actions plans, marketing tools like business cards, and brainstorming on business models. I also learned a no-nonsense perspective on marketing that I definitely want to apply to my creative businesses!
As you continue to apply these lessons, it might also be useful to learn about the Insolvency Act to understand the legal aspects and regulations surrounding business financial management.
My introduction to broadcasting class was a huge blur to me (due to the set up of the course), but the book was an incredible resource. Something I definitely want to keep up with as my studies in Radio & TV Broadcasting progress!
2. Updated the bookstore on my website
The Boulder Bookstore located on the West end of the Pearl Street Mall Nov. 11, 2008. (CU Independent file/ Sam Hall)
Some people wouldn’t consider this a creative achievement, but then those are probably the folks that don’t have to manage their own bookstores, lol! As you guys know, I’ve been rebranding and updating my books series, “The Books of Ezekiel”, and as the covers and interiors have changed, so must my selling outlets.
So, if you’re hankerin’ for a new and improved copy of my works, check out my BOOKSTORE. Also, stay tuned for the addition of two more audiobooks and a PRE-ORDER option for the next book in the BOE series, The Iron Maiden! 🙂
3. Finished re-producing & re-packaging the audiobooks for The Given and The Taken!
The Given, Vol I of II of Ghosts of Koa: The First Book of Ezekiel
Thanks to the kindness and dedication of my awesome actor, Michael T. Bradley, the audiobooks for The Given and The Taken are officially finished! Yay! All I have to do now is finish the album covers of both books, upload them, and then confirm for publishing. (So next month, I’ll be listing a “publishing” achievement on my creative achievement list!)
SO, for those of you wanting to get the “Ghosts of Koa” audiobook in their two separate volumes (for more “bite-sized” listening), you should see The Given and The Taken published on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes within the next two weeks! 🙂
4. In the “outline submission” stage for my game concept at Choice of Games.
Which is super exciting because this is the last stage, ya’ll. This is the stage I need to 
complete successfully before I get the coveted green light (or a red light)! So I have to get this right. I’ll be submitting my game outline within the next two weeks, and I definitely want to make everything as awesome (and as perfect) as I can!
But, even if I don’t get selected, at least I’ll still have a really great outline for a game that I can publish independently before the year is over! 🙂 (I’m all about staying in Silverliningville.)
5. Created a sample business plan for “Writers’ Strike”, my (future) Los Angeles-based writer’s bistro & coffeehouse.
I know. You’re looking at this and going, “What the hell, ANOTHER project?!” Well, not so much. Opening a writer’s bistro is something I definitely would LOVE to do in about 10 years, but it’s not something I planned on working on at the moment.
Still, in my business class, I was required to work on this idea (as a part of my grade). The professor himself selected the type of business, and it was pretty fortuitous that he decided to go with the “build your own coffeehouse” idea, lol. So I definitely ran with it to the MAX, and it was a great opportunity to flush out my ideas.
While I’ll be filing these exercises in the “check this out again in 5 years” folder, the skills I gained from completing the plan are definitely invaluable and applicable to the current businesses that I want to be successful.
Having said that, I’m definitely making it my goal to finish the business budgets and the business models of Rebel Ragdoll Press, Rebel Ragdoll Productions, and ChickRogue Studios before the end of 2015.
6. Honed the non-fiction brand and book title list that I want to start writing in Q4 of this year!
So, for the past year, I’ve been pretty on the fence about diversifying my project slate with non-fiction as an author. I’ve always wanted to be known primarily as a fiction author like the ones I’ve always looked up to. Also, I just never thought I’d have anything valuable to say.
But recently? I’ve learned that I was wrong. On BOTH counts.
Bohemian Badass… the beginning! <3
For one? The authors I look up to have diversified over the years, and so have their business models. And I admire them. I want to emulate them, but be authentically me in my emulation.
Having said that, I also realized that, for two, I do have something to say! There is a book (several, in fact) sleeping inside of me, buried under the treasure pile of all my life’s history, work, experiences, successes, and failures. As an author, creative entrepreneur, game writer, screenwriter, producer, business owner, mom, hustler, intellectual property machine, life-long learner and student, and woman of color, there’s plenty to write about.
So I’ve done it. I’ve created the “Bohemian Bad Ass™” non-fiction series, SON. And yes, I’m claiming it, the domain name, and its energy from the Akashic ether, lol. I’m still working on the series cover and branding, but I know exactly what Bohemian Bad Ass will entail. 🙂
Through my own experiences, ninja training, and creative imagineering, I will definitely use Bohemian Bad Ass to educate, empower, and inspire other creative entrepreneurs like myself as they walk their individual paths to success!
7. I attended the Successful Self-Publishing Summit and learned SO much!
Chandler Bolt is a huge reason why I’ve felt so inspired to embark on my non-fiction series. If you’re having trouble getting started on your first book, his Self Publishing School is definitely where you need to be!
He also runs a bunch of free seminars to give some tantalizing tastes of not only how your life can be transformed through your first book, but also how you can make a “strings-free” six-figure living from building up your non-fiction author brand. So check him out like yesterday!
Recently, he held his Successful Self-Publishing Summit, and if you missed it, then you really shot yourself in the foot. There were over 40 heavy hitting self-publishing megastars speaking at this event, and each presentation was jam-packed with insight, inspiration, and action steps for turning your book ideas into an incredible, five- to seven-figure business.
While this summit was mostly geared towards non-fiction authors, there is definitely a lot of value for fiction authors as well. I highly recommend that you check it out and buy a lifetime access pass, if you want to watch the summit presentations!
8. Re-evaluated and re-worked my production schedule for the remainder of 2015.
As much as I’d love to be a smug ass, stick to my guns, and present the 12 novel manuscripts, 3 feature scripts, 8 tv pilots, and that fat awesome game writing & development portfolio I promised you, it ain’t gonna happen. But you know what probably will happen?
1. 3 novels (incl. one interactive novel / mobile game),
2. 4 teleplays (2 pilots & 2 specs OR 3 pilots & 1 spec),
3. 26 video game scripts, dialogue scripts, and missions / quests,
4. 1 fat polished game writing portfolio, and, MAYBE,
5. 1 very bare-bones game prototype… including a work-in-progress game design document, a level-in-development, and perhaps some assets
Not exactly the freight-load of material I promised you guys, but definitely a damned good start. I’ve already planned out August to help me to stay on top of the rest of the year, too!
Goals for August 2015
Here’s simple, quick and dirty list of what’s going down this August (including some well-earned relaxation time!):
2. NON-FICTION: Create mind map and outline for first Bohemian Bad Ass™ non-fiction book
So there you have it. I’ll be back in August with my updates (and hopefully more than one blog post). I’m super excited. For August, for the progression of Q3, for the rest of the year, for life… you get the picture!
So what about you? Are you making progress on your creative goals at all? What did you get done for July, and what’s ahead for both August and the remainder of Q3 2015? Leave your thoughts, plans, and comments below, and in the meantime…
Keep it indie,
<3 Colby