Where is the line between productivity and madness?
For planning her 2021 publishing schedule, Megan O'Russell has pulled in her best resource to help her establish that fine line―her husband Chris.
In this special guest episode, Chris agrees to some projects he may later come to regret. If you're having problems choosing realistic 2021 goals, this episode is for you.
As mentioned in the episode, you can find the "wheel of Ilbrea" by visiting https://www.meganorussell.com/ilbrea
Where is the line between productivity and madness?
For planning her 2021 publishing schedule, Megan O'Russell has pulled in her best resource to help her establish that fine line―her husband Chris.
In this special guest episode, Chris agrees to some projects he may later come to regret. If you're having problems choosing realistic 2021 goals, this episode is for you.
As mentioned in the episode, you can find the "wheel of Ilbrea" by visiting https://www.meganorussell.com/ilbrea
Megan: [00:00:00] I'm going to have a glass of wine.
Chris: [00:00:02] Mmmhmm.
Megan: [00:00:02] It is evening as I record this, so don't worry-
Chris: [00:00:05] [Laughs.]
Megan: [00:00:05] -that is socially acceptable.
Chris: [00:00:07] This isn't like 2020 "I'm having a glass of wine because it's 2020."
Megan: [00:00:11] No, it's twenty 2021.
Chris: [00:00:13] Yes.
Megan: [00:00:13] We now try and be socially acceptable.
[00:00:16] Welcome to A Book and A Dream with Megan O'Russell: an author's adventure in writing, reading, and being an epic fangirl.
Megan: [00:00:27] Hello, my name is Megan O'Russell, and welcome to Episode 55 of A Book and A Dream.
Megan: [00:00:33] Now, today I have a very special guest, live and in person, my very own husband, Christopher Russell. Now, he's not just here because he can't escape me. He's actually here because he's going to be very useful for this episode. So, Chris, other than being my loving husband, who makes sure that I have food because I don't know how to feed myself, it's not something capable of.
Chris: [00:00:59] She's not actually allowed in the kitchen.
Megan: [00:01:02] No, there's a lot of fires when that happens, actually.
Chris: [00:01:04] She started a kitchen fire by boiling water.
Megan: [00:01:07] I don't need your sass.
Chris: [00:01:09] [Laughs.] You shouldn't have brought me on.
Megan: [00:01:11] But it's true. So other than that and mocking me, he's actually, uh, the, sort of, front line editor for all my books. So he reads them before anyone else reads them, not only to make me feel like I'm not crazy, but also to put commas where they're supposed to go, so my agent thinks I'm smart. True story like the burning things by boiling water.
Megan: [00:01:34] He also helps with taking pictures for all my social media. He usually edits the podcast for me. Today, he's going to be on the podcast/video and edit it for me. So yay for me. Umm, he also does, like, my website things. He wrote the music for this podcast. So he does lots of things with my literary business. And he also has been around since my very first book was being written.
Chris: [00:02:00] Since before that.
Megan: [00:02:01] Since before that. I figured out when I was upstairs putting on, like, mascara so I could feel good about myself being on camera, that we have been together since we were minors. So everything that happened once we were legally adults, you've been there.
Chris: [00:02:19] Oh, I see. I was like, "We were eighteen." But yeah.
Megan: [00:02:21] Yeah, but you've been there. Like, if I am legally culpable as an adult for it...
Chris: [00:02:27] [Laughs.]
Megan: [00:02:27] You've been there for it! So that's that's overwhelming. But nothing to do with this episode.
Chris: [00:02:31] This year, actually, we will have been together for half our lives. [Pause.] Ok, that was supposed to be a happy "yay!"
Megan: [00:02:41] It's OK, we have wine. Anyway...
Chris: [00:02:43] [Laughs.]
Megan: [00:02:44] So the reason that he's here is because I... Last week, I took a week off for Christmas? I don't remember anymore. The week between Christmas and New Year's has no meaning. So who's to say?
Chris: [00:02:54] I don't think any of the dates from March like 15th of 2020 on really had...
Megan: [00:02:59] We're just on March 627.
Chris: [00:03:01] [Sigh.]
Megan: [00:03:01] So I have no idea. But last time, uh, I was talking about, you know what...what I had gotten done in 2020 and planning and moving ahead. And I am unrealistic in my expectations of myself and of the world. It is, it is a thing that I do. And so I wanted Chris to be here with me for this because I wanted to talk today about my plans for 2021 and how I want to move forward in books and in audio and all those things. And it felt unfair to do that without anyone calling me on when my plans are utter B.S. that are not going to happen because-
Chris: [00:03:40] They're just overly optimistic, that's all.
Megan: [00:03:42] Yeah, 'cause I made them...I put things in planner...in my planner in pen. Like, I already did that. I already was like, "I'm going to get this many words done this week. And I color coded things and if 2020 taught me anything, which I already talked to you about. I said it on camera. There was like a microphone involved. Don't write things in your planner in pen unless it's going to get you killed if you don't do it. And I went ahead and did it. I just was like, no, I can handle it. And that's a lie.
Megan: [00:04:08] So that's why Chris is here, to keep me from lying to you. And I have a clipboard. So clearly, clearly, I am on top of my life.
Chris: [00:04:14] Very official. Yep...
Megan: [00:04:16] I'm trying. I have a clipboard. OK, so way back in the day when I wrote The Tethering, it took me forever, months and months to write. I also wrote it out by hand.
Chris: [00:04:31] MmmHmm.
Megan: [00:04:32] And he transcribed it for me and it wasn't in order, so he had to help me put the scenes back in order.
Chris: [00:04:40] Oh, no, I forgot about that.
Megan: [00:04:42] Yeah, I love you.
Chris: [00:04:44] I love you, too.
Megan: [00:04:45] So I don't do that anymore. Which is good 'cause it's probably helped the fact that we're still married. But that was a nightmare because I handwrote everything into a notebook and then I was like, yeah. And then Chris was like, it should be a book. And I was like, I can't. It's on paper, and he was like, "*Sigh* ok, I'll type it out." Thankfully, he's good at typing, so that one took forever, and we've sort of advanced since then at the turnaround time significantly.
Chris: [00:05:09] Well, what, 20 some odd books later? I...I hope so.
Megan: [00:05:13] Yeah, that would be really sad. Uh, so, we have advanced significantly on how we manage our time frame. So in 2020...now, keep in mind, 2020 was a big old mother effer. Am I allowed to say it and then you can just bleep it out?
Chris: [00:05:29] Well, I think effer's fine.
Megan: [00:05:32] But can I say it for real?
Chris: [00:05:34] Now if you had said [bleep], then we would have been in...
Megan: [00:05:35] It was a big ol mother [bleep].
Chris: [00:05:38] Now I'm going to have to bleep it out.
Megan: [00:05:39] Well, you said it already. So you're going have to bleep twice.
Chris: [00:05:43] [Sigh] All right.
Megan: [00:05:43] [Bleep] It's fine.
Chris: [00:05:44] [Laughs.]
Megan: [00:05:45] Just a whole series of bleeps. So it was not great. But in 2020, if you count everything that I got done, there were because I had three Ena of Ilbrea books released, one Guilds of Ilbrea book released, two Bryant Adams books released.
Chris: [00:06:07] Yep.
Megan: [00:06:07] 8.5 audiobooks released because Chris refuses to count Wrath and Wing as a full audiobook.
Chris: [00:06:13] It's like twenty thousand words.
Megan: [00:06:15] It's a novella. It's a novella.
Chris: [00:06:15] Yeah, I mean, it's still, it was an undertaking. It was an undertaking.
Megan: [00:06:18] But it counts as point five (.5).
Chris: [00:06:20] Davinder, if you listen to this or watch this, thank you. You're amazing.
Megan: [00:06:22] Our audio engineer is amazing. So that's six books, and eight point five audio books in one year. Now, considering the fact that it was 2020. So emotional turmoil for everyone.
Chris: [00:06:35] Yeah.
Megan: [00:06:35] And two sick cats and, you know, my own little medical dramas, that made me kind of incoherent for a couple of weeks. Fun times.
Chris: [00:06:43] Yeah.
Megan: [00:06:44] Yeah.
Chris: [00:06:44] Yeah.
Megan: [00:06:44] Yeah. Don't worry, everything's fine. But it took a lot of time. So I feel like six books and eight point five audiobooks is actually a pretty good ratio.
Chris: [00:06:56] Yeah, it is not what you were planning you.
Megan: [00:06:59] No, but we don't want to talk about what I was planning.
Chris: [00:07:01] No. Well...but honestly, yeah. No, I think that it ended up being maybe a little bit better than we were anticipating because we were going to do the full Ena of Ilbrea on audio. But then we realized we...that was too much to do. And so we did the we farmed out the other books.
Megan: [00:07:21] Yeah. But I was supposed to have three other written books release.
Chris: [00:07:24] Oh yeah.
Megan: [00:07:25] So that didn't happen.
Chris: [00:07:26] Yeah, that's true.
Megan: [00:07:27] But that's still like a good amount.
Chris: [00:07:29] Yeah.
Megan: [00:07:29] Like, a good amount happened. For 2020, I'm impressed with us.
Chris: [00:07:32] Yes.
Megan: [00:07:32] Go team. High five. [High five] OK, umm...
Chris: [00:07:34] Soft high five for the mic.
Megan: [00:07:36] Yeah. Don't want to pop the mic. So goals for 2021.
Chris: [00:07:41] Sure...
Megan: [00:07:41] I love you.
Chris: [00:07:43] [Sigh]
Megan: [00:07:43] And you're stuck with me forever. It's all community property, so you can't leave me.
Chris: [00:07:50] [Frantic breathing]
Megan: [00:07:50] [Laughs] OK, so first goal...writer goal for 2021.
Chris: [00:07:55] Mmmhmm.
Megan: [00:07:55] And we're just talking publisher goals.
Chris: [00:07:56] OK.
Megan: [00:07:57] We're not talking like business...
Chris: [00:08:02] Mmmhmm.
Megan: [00:08:02] Advertising.
Chris: [00:08:02] Right, right right.
Megan: [00:08:02] That kind of thing goals. We're just talking about just just publishing. Just publishing.
Chris: [00:08:07] I understand. Write...writing the book and getting the book out there.
Megan: [00:08:08] Yes.
Chris: [00:08:09] Got it, ok.
Megan: [00:08:09] Well, and audio.
Chris: [00:08:12] [Pause] Right.
Megan: [00:08:12] Yes. OK. Don't cry. I love you. OK, so my first goal for 2021, and this is already going really well. So the first book in the Heart of Smoke series, which is Lanni's series, is coming out at the end of this month.
Megan: [00:08:28] It is already like with editors. I have a cover, I have a blurb. It is up for preorder on Amazon and a bunch of other sites.
Chris: [00:08:38] Kobo, Barnes & Noble.
Megan: [00:08:40] Agh, maybe not Kobo.
Chris: [00:08:42] Yeah, it's on Kobo.
Megan: [00:08:44] It is?!
Chris: [00:08:44] Yeah, it's up for preorder on Kobo.
Megan: [00:08:45] Glad I did that.
Chris: [00:08:46] Yeah.
Megan: [00:08:47] So that's great.
Chris: [00:08:49] Don't...don't hate me if I'm wrong. I'm pretty sure that's right.
Megan: [00:08:51] Well, it's up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Chris: [00:08:52] You keep talking. I'm gonna check [thump]...
Megan: [00:08:53] Oop. Dropping things. So...
Chris: [00:08:57] Everything's fine.
Megan: [00:08:57] That's good. That book is like, we got that. So then I want to finish the other three books in Lanni's series. So there will be four books. Oh, it is up for preorder on Kobo. Good to know. Good to know. Umm...so that's good. I feel like we got that one
Chris: [00:09:15] Yeah, it's going well
Megan: [00:09:16] knock on weird IKEA wood in the bag. So I want to finish the other three books in her series, Heart of Smoke.
Chris: [00:09:22] Wait, it's not a...it's not going to be a trilogy?
Megan: [00:09:24] I don't need your sass. I did originally book the cover artist for a trilogy. I have already accepted that I am incapable of writing a trilogy and it will be a four-book series. So...and Lanni is...her series is based in the same world of Girl of Glass, but it is, umm, a completely different place, it is different characters. So the...the revisiting the world building while expanding the world building while not leaving audience...readers. Audience members? I...I'm a theater person. Umm, out of the knowledge if they haven't read the Girl of Glass series has been quite a delicate and time consuming process.
Megan: [00:10:03] But now that book one is finished, it's going to be a lot faster because that's sort of where you need to give the info about, like, vampires are chemically induced and you know, you have to give them an injection in the heart. Also, the Incorporation: Bad. People die. So, you know, once you get those sorts of things established, that's...you can sort of move on with that particular story and not have to worry about finding ways to bring people up to speed without being like, "And here's a five-page rant about the history of the domes and why they're the bad guys. World's ending, kids." So after that, that should go fairly smoothly. So I definitely want that whole series released.
Chris: [00:10:44] Yes, I think that yeah, I. Don't hold me to this, I feel like we can aim for
Megan: [00:10:50] Summer.
Chris: [00:10:50] Summer.
Megan: [00:10:51] I feel like we can do it?
Chris: [00:10:51] I think it'll be fine. I think it'll be fine.
Megan: [00:10:53] I was hoping you'd say that.
Chris: [00:10:54] And with how you write and like, once you really get into a groove.
Megan: [00:10:56] Yeah.
Chris: [00:10:57] Yeah.
Megan: [00:10:57] Yeah.
Chris: [00:10:58] Yeah.
Megan: [00:10:58] I feel like that'll happen.
Chris: [00:11:00] Yeah.
Megan: [00:11:00] OK, so we are both in agreement. If it doesn't happen, this one agreed with me that the full Heart of Smoke series should be released by the end of summer and that is a realistic goal. I am not crazy here.
Chris: [00:11:13] No, I think it's realistic.
Megan: [00:11:15] Obviously, this summer, book two in the Guilds of Ilbrea series has to be released.
Chris: [00:11:19] Yes.
Megan: [00:11:20] But I'm already working on it.
Chris: [00:11:21] No, I know. Yeah.
Megan: [00:11:21] It's already happening.
Chris: [00:11:23] It's...it's intense.
Megan: [00:11:24] It is an intense series.
Chris: [00:11:25] That world is intense.
Megan: [00:11:25] It is. Every single thing has to be chosen so carefully because it's such a big world and an expansive series in a...
Chris: [00:11:34] It's...it's my favorite.
Megan: [00:11:35] Aww, thanks, babe.
Chris: [00:11:35] I know you're not supposed to play favorites with your kids, which I feel like your books are like our children, but
Megan: [00:11:41] Yeah. Them and the cats, that's what we have.
Chris: [00:11:43] Them and the cats, but yeah. That's my favorite. Ena's, like, my favorite character ever. And Finn. I love Finn.
Megan: [00:11:47] Oh, thanks.
Chris: [00:11:49] Yeah.
Megan: [00:11:49] I'm glad you like them.
Chris: [00:11:51] Yeah.
Megan: [00:11:51] But, so Myth and Storm has to come out this summer.
Chris: [00:11:54] Yes.
Megan: [00:11:55] Because the preorder's up.
Chris: [00:11:57] Yes.
Megan: [00:11:57] And the cover is designed.
Chris: [00:11:58] Love the cover.
Megan: [00:11:58] So that's obviously happening.
Chris: [00:12:02] Yeah. [Pause]. Yes.
Megan: [00:12:02] So this is when, so that's yes.
Chris: [00:12:04] Yes, that is a yes.
Megan: [00:12:04] Five books have gotten a yes.
Chris: [00:12:06] Yes, and remember we...we did six last year, so we're to summer and have five. So now go go on.
Megan: [00:12:14] I feel like we can do it while you do it. OK, so do you want me to skip over to audio or do you want me to keep with books?
Chris: [00:12:21] There're. Yeah. There are more books?
Megan: [00:12:23] Yeah there are more.
Chris: [00:12:25] OK.
Megan: [00:12:26] Ok, so books or audio, you pick.
Chris: [00:12:28] I... Let's switch it up, let's go to audio.
Megan: [00:12:30] OK, so for audio...for audio, clearly we have to finish the Ena of Ilbrea.
Chris: [00:12:37] Yes, yes.
Megan: [00:12:39] Which is really cool for me because it's visiting Ena's story in a different sort of way and it's reaching a different audience. And I, I also love Ena's series and I am very particular about how I want her story to be told.
Chris: [00:12:55] Yes.
Megan: [00:12:55] So recording it myself keeps me from being an actor's nightmare.
Chris: [00:12:59] Yes.
Megan: [00:12:59] So...but it is such a time-consuming process.
Chris: [00:13:02] Yes.
Megan: [00:13:03] To narrate and splice and send to audio engineer and proof and rerecord and proof. And those books are long.
Chris: [00:13:13] Yes.
Megan: [00:13:13] They are lengthy.
Megan: [00:13:14] They are. So that is an undertaking.
Chris: [00:13:18] They're not as long as the Guilds of Ilbrea series.
Megan: [00:13:20] It is not.
Chris: [00:13:20] So, at least we're not we're not doing that.
Megan: [00:13:22] No. That will be hired out.
Chris: [00:13:23] Thank you, whoever you are who ends up reading that, if you're watching this in the future.
Megan: [00:13:27] It's...yep. That one's being hired out.
Chris: [00:13:29] It's a lot. It's amazing, but it's a lot.
Megan: [00:13:31] I look forward to auditioning narrators for it. And by "look forward to" I mean, that's a very stressful process because people are emailing you and they're like, "You're so fancy, won't you hire me to act for you?" And I'm like, ooh, the imposter syndrome is strong, but we're not going to do that. We're not doing next year.
Chris: [00:13:46] No, no, no, no. That is that's going to be down the road.
Megan: [00:13:51] Yes. Because one of the things about hiring narrators is that you really want to stick with the same narrator throughout the entire series, and since Guilds of Ilbrea will be a long series. I don't want to take the chance of hiring a narrator and have them stop narrating and then having to switch it up and then maybe having to switch it up again because narrators keep coming in and out of the business. And I, I don't really want to count on anyone making a long term career decision to be an audiobook narrator during the middle of the mess that is the world. I think that it's unfair to be like, hey, you're auditioning for me. Are you going to be available for the next four to five years as an audio book narrator. And like no one knows where they're going to be four months from now. So that's not a fair thing to ask.
Chris: [00:14:28] Well, especially because the two narrators that we had are stage actors like like us. That's that's yeah. I was about to say, that's our other gig. But that's that's...
Megan: [00:14:39] That's our gig.
Chris: [00:14:39] That's our gig. Yeah.
Megan: [00:14:42] OK, so we agree and it's getting done.
Chris: [00:14:44] Yes. Ena is getting done.
Megan: [00:14:46] OK, so that is for that is five books and four audio books we've agreed on. OK.
Chris: [00:14:52] Uh-huh.
Megan: [00:14:52] OK. It's going to be fine. I'm going to five and four: I got a tally. So also because The Tale of Bryant Adams, he's starting to panic. You can see it, he's turning a little red.
Chris: [00:15:03] Nah, it's fine.
Megan: [00:15:04] So The Tale of Bryant Adams is...I love Bryant. He's fun. He's like...
Chris: [00:15:10] Yeah.
Megan: [00:15:10] He's one of my most popular series and he needs audiobooks.
Chris: [00:15:14] Yes.
Megan: [00:15:15] So, are we going to are we going to get through Bryant this year?
Chris: [00:15:20] Y-y-yes? Yeah.
Megan: [00:15:21] Yeah?
Chris: [00:15:22] Yeah.
Megan: [00:15:22] Yeah. So that is...
Chris: [00:15:23] Yeah, that's eight.
Megan: [00:15:24] That's eight
Chris: [00:15:25] Audiobooks.
Megan: [00:15:25] So we're up to...five books and eight audio books. That leaves us one book and point five audio books below our 2020 total. Just breathe. It's better if you breathe. Don't panic. Don't let the panic set in. I'll give you wine. It's OK. But that's not all the books that we need to do. Also, I kind of am thinking of maybe putting Lanni's series into audio.
Chris: [00:15:50] I think that's a good idea, yeah.
Megan: [00:15:52] So we're going to put those four books as a maybe. So eight, possibly twelve audio books.
Chris: [00:15:56] We're...'Cause we're not doing Lanni's series.
Megan: [00:15:58] Probably twelve. No, I'm not narrating it. I don't have time.
Chris: [00:16:00] No, no.
Megan: [00:16:01] We'll hire that out. So that's probably twelve audiobooks.
Chris: [00:16:03] Well, because that'll probably in the summer and theater...theoretically, we'll be back on stage.
Megan: [00:16:06] Yeah, I'm going to be a vase.
Chris: [00:16:09] [Laughter]
Megan: [00:16:09] In Beauty and the Beast. It's real. I'll put some pictures up on social media that happened. So then.
Chris: [00:16:17] It was built specifically for her so that if she fell over, it wouldn't hurt too bad, right? Am I saying that right?
Megan: [00:16:25] Sometimes I fall down and go boom. So then there are two other projects that I could start out in the fall for writing.
Chris: [00:16:37] Full proj...? Oh, yeah. No, I know one of them is.
Megan: [00:16:40] So, it could be either the Sorcerers of Ilbrea series.
Chris: [00:16:44] Yes.
Megan: [00:16:46] Which would be starting a whole new Ilbrean spoke of the wheel, which is...that's a big one.
Chris: [00:16:51] Which, we'll put the, umm, there's a page on her website that I'll make sure gets into the notes where you can see the whole wheel.
Megan: [00:16:59] Yeah!
Chris: [00:16:59] It's a...it's six series surrounding the Guilds of Ilbrea series. So it's going to be a total of seven series is what she has planned, because my wife is insane.
Megan: [00:17:07] But you love me, and you can't leave me because I'd starve to death.
Chris: [00:17:07] But I love her so much because I...I know. It is my responsibility to keep her alive.
Megan: [00:17:13] Yeah. That's what wedding vows mean. And so then it could either be the Sorcerers of Ilbrea series, or we could co-write
Chris: [00:17:22] Oh.
Megan: [00:17:22] the series that we've been planning.
Chris: [00:17:23] I was like, wait, what? Oh yes. Yes that's right. We talked about that.
Megan: [00:17:26] Yeah, umm, so we've been discussing co-writing a series.
Chris: [00:17:30] Yeah.
Megan: [00:17:30] Because Chris is a great idea man.
Chris: [00:17:32] I'm a good idea man. I'll hold that. We don't know about the writer part, but we'll find out.
Megan: [00:17:37] Well, I don't...and I feel like this this should be another...another chat some other time where
Chris: [00:17:44] Ok.
Megan: [00:17:45] because you have been with me through creating all of these series, I don't know if that's going to...help you, because there's...there's like the old thing of like your first book should never be published, which honestly I did write really...Wait, we already have bleeps in this episode, right?
Chris: [00:18:06] We do. Yeah.
Megan: [00:18:06] I wrote a really [long bleep] book before The Tethering.
Chris: [00:18:10] It wasn't [bleep].
Megan: [00:18:10] Yes, it was.
Chris: [00:18:10] You were like, what, sixteen?
Megan: [00:18:12] Yeah, so that was where I sort of got like my first book thing out. That was never really a book.
Chris: [00:18:16] I mean, it wasn't Eragon, no offense. Christopher Paolini did kind of put out a really awesome book, but.
Megan: [00:18:23] Yeah, well, prodigies.
Chris: [00:18:23] It was still...it was still good, though.
Megan: [00:18:24] Yeah.
Chris: [00:18:25] It was good.
Megan: [00:18:26] I mean, not good enough, so I don't really consider that my first book because it was never really a book.
Chris: [00:18:31] We should revisit it though.
Megan: [00:18:33] Hahaha no.
Chris: [00:18:34] Ok, never mind.
Megan: [00:18:34] Yeah. We'll put that on the schedule. I have a clipboard, it'll be fine.
Chris: [00:18:38] 2023. [Pause] (Twenty-twenty)Four? [Pause] Just go on.
Megan: [00:18:39] Someday, my estate will sell it and people can laugh at me. Yeah, so that was sort of where I did like my first book, "Oh, this is badness." So I don't know if because you've been with me through all the books either it's going to you're going to have the standard first book, "Oh no!"
Chris: [00:19:03] Right.
Megan: [00:19:04] Or else you're going to have gotten through that already because you've been through it with me.
Chris: [00:19:08] Well, I think it's going to be hard to gauge because we're coauthoring it. So wherever I fail, you'll be able to, theoretically, come in and pick up. But I do fully plan on helping plot it more than I've helped you with other series at the very least. And I do want to try writing, but we'll we'll see. So wish me luck.
Megan: [00:19:30] So we will...we will see how the coauthoring goes.
Chris: [00:19:33] Yeah.
Megan: [00:19:33] It'll be an experiment. Like, do you just plot chapters and I write it, or do you write it and I jooj it?
Chris: [00:19:40] Yeah.
Megan: [00:19:40] Or, do we...
Chris: [00:19:43] I don't know.
Megan: [00:19:44] I don't know. Do you sleep on the couch? I don't...we'll see how it goes.
Chris: [00:19:46] I mean, we've written two musicals together, I feel like...
Megan: [00:19:49] I feel like it'll be OK.
Chris: [00:19:49] We'll figure it out.
Megan: [00:19:50] So maybe that will happen in the fall. Maybe I'll be writing about sorcerers, err, sorcerers of Ilbrea. So at this point we are up to nine books.
Chris: [00:19:59] Yeah. Oh, real quick. I don't know if I'm allowed to share this, so I'll cut it out if I'm not, uh, but the Sorcerers of Ilbrea when we get there, those of you who have read Wrath and Wing, you've already met the main character. Am I allowed to say that?
Megan: [00:20:13] Sure.
Chris: [00:20:13] Yeah.
Megan: [00:20:14] [Melodramatic music] Bwuh-nuh-nuh-nuh.
Chris: [00:20:14] I'm...I'm excited. He or she [pause]. I won't give that much away. Is...is awesome. I'm excited.
Megan: [00:20:22] Ok, so I love planting people in random places. It brings me joy. So that is nine books, eight-to-twelve audio books. That you've agreed to.
Chris: [00:20:37] ...yeah.
Megan: [00:20:37] You think that this is realistic.
Chris: [00:20:40] Yes.
Megan: [00:20:41] OK, now here's where we get a little sketchy. If travel is allowed. So if I can figure out where I want to stage it.
Chris: [00:20:47] Yeah.
Megan: [00:20:47] Maggie Trent.
Chris: [00:20:49] Well, I... That one to me, if we are allowed to travel just because you do have like... Honestly, it's... So, Maggie is a really fun book that takes place, uh, in a world that is seen in The Tethering series, uh, and your fan base for that one love that series. I feel like we owe it to them to get that out soon. But we do have to be able to travel.
Megan: [00:21:13] Yeah, sorry.
Chris: [00:21:14] Because it comes out of our, our actual travels in real life. The worlds that she visits. So yeah, we...
Megan: [00:21:20] Yeah.
Chris: [00:21:20] We have to travel.
Megan: [00:21:21] Right now, she could go to the kitchen.
Chris: [00:21:24] And the grocery store, maybe?
Megan: [00:21:27] The vet's clinic.
Chris: [00:21:29] The vet's clinic.
Megan: [00:21:31] Oh I'm going to the optometrist. Maggie could go to the optometrist. What a thrilling time.
Chris: [00:21:36] And that, that's dangerous.
Megan: [00:21:37] Yeah.
Chris: [00:21:38] Yeah.
Megan: [00:21:38] She could go get her nose swabbed.
Chris: [00:21:40] Yeah, I, oof.
Megan: [00:21:40] Maggie and the Nose-Swabbing Adventure. Umm, anyway... So that's about, we're looking at about ten books this year.
Chris: [00:21:49] OK, yeah. Mmmhmm.
Megan: [00:21:52] He's just thinking. He's just sinking down in his chair.
Chris: [00:21:55] No, i-i-it's fine, it's just once we get to the end of May, if things progress the way they should...
Megan: [00:22:03] Shh. It'll be OK.
Chris: [00:22:04] It's fine.
Megan: [00:22:04] It'll be ok.
Chris: [00:22:04] I get wine, right?
Megan: [00:22:05] And ice cream?
Chris: [00:22:07] I'm out of ice cream.
Megan: [00:22:08] I'll buy you more.
Chris: [00:22:09] OK.
Megan: [00:22:10] It'll be fine. Umm, there's like some service that can drop them off, I think. Uh, OK, so that's ten books, eight-to-twelve audio books that you have agreed to.
Chris: [00:22:21] Hey, four of those twelve audio books I will have almost nothing to do with.
Megan: [00:22:24] That's true. That's true. So really, you're agreeing to ten books, eight audio books and listening to a bunch of auditions with me and dealing with me having a nervous breakdown 'cause people think I'm fancy and are begging to audition for my books.
Chris: [00:22:35] Yes.
Megan: [00:22:37] Cool.
Chris: [00:22:37] Imposter syndrome.
Megan: [00:22:39] It's so... Oh, God, it burns so hard.
Chris: [00:22:42] I don't. I don't get it. She's amazing. I don't understand.
Megan: [00:22:43] Aww thanks. I like you. And you're also agreeing to coauthor a book with me.
Chris: [00:22:49] Mmmhmm.
Megan: [00:22:51] A series.
Chris: [00:22:53] [Pause] Mmmhmm.
Megan: [00:22:54] So that's great.
Chris: [00:22:55] Yeah.
Megan: [00:22:56] So this...let this serve as a record for when we get to the end of 2121, and maybe we'll do some check-ins.
Chris: [00:23:04] [Laughs] You just said 2121.
Megan: [00:23:05] 2021? [Laughs] It'll be done by 2121, people. I mean, that's what it feels like sometimes. But let this serve as a record...
Chris: [00:23:14] Last year was a decade long.
Megan: [00:23:15] Argh, it was like twelve decades long. It's been eighty-four years. Or is it eighty-seven? Anyway, back to the topic at hand. So you have agreed that this is a mostly realistic schedule that you think we can stick to, and I'm not a crazy person.
Chris: [00:23:34] ...y-yes?
Megan: [00:23:35] So, this is coming from someone who is not me that this should happen.
Chris: [00:23:39] Yeah. [Sigh] Again, once we hit the summer, it's gonna... Up until then, we should... [Sigh] Yeah, no, you know what? Yeah. Yeah, it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen.
Megan: [00:23:53] OK. So we'll check in again later with when book releases are scheduled and how audiobooks are going and how coauthoring is going. It's going to be a really great project. I'm very excited about it.
Chris: [00:24:05] Yeah, I am too.
Megan: [00:24:05] The concept is on point.
Chris: [00:24:06] It's great.
Megan: [00:24:06] And we'll see if, ya know, my agent needs anything from me.
Chris: [00:24:10] Mmmhmm.
Megan: [00:24:12] That could throw things off.
Chris: [00:24:12] Yes.
Megan: [00:24:12] But... So that is my, not really a resolution, but that is my goals sheet. And I don't I don't ever want to promise any of my readers that any books will come out before I post the preorder. Like, once the preorder is there, Amazon has said it must happen, so therefore it will happen. So I don't want to be like, yes, I swear to you, there will be a Sorcerers of Ilbrea series or yep, by the end of June, all four Lanni books will be out in the world. I don't want to promise that because I wrote it in pen, but 2020 has taught me that it doesn't matter. But this is...this is my plan that has been certified by a mostly sane human who understands my process and is in on the behind the scenes things.
Chris: [00:24:57] Yes.
Megan: [00:24:58] So this is my my goals and resolutions for 2020[sic] of what's going to happen.
Chris: [00:25:05] Yeah. I like it. I feel good about it.
Megan: [00:25:09] I feel...I mean, I feel...
Chris: [00:25:11] I do. It's...slightly overwhelming.
Megan: [00:25:12] I don't know if there is enough coffee in the world to make it happen, but.
Chris: [00:25:17] Yeah. Lots of coffee.
Megan: [00:25:18] Yeah. Yeah. So there you go. And this is my plan. And I love you. And thank you for...
Chris: [00:25:27] Yeah.
Megan: [00:25:28] Bringing me cappucinos.
Chris: [00:25:29] You...you got it.
Megan: [00:25:30] And, you know, managing my website and reading all my books and putting commas in so that people think I'm smart.
Chris: [00:25:35] Thank you for being a good writer. If I had to sit through almost 30 bad novels, I'd be very upset.
Megan: [00:25:42] I love you.
Chris: [00:25:43] I love you, too.
Megan: [00:25:45] Yeah, so next time I do a video or a podcast, depending on what your medium is, I want to talk a little bit about when it is worth fighting for scenes, characters, concepts within your books and when it's better to just be like, you know what, it's fine. It's not necessary. And talking about figuring out how to maintain the integrity of the tale while giving some concessions to agents, editors, readers, society at large, you know, whatever it is that you have to change in order to, you know, make your story, be out there and reach a large enough audience to be worth it. Umm, yeah, we are in for a very exciting and productive year.
Chris: [00:26:30] Yeah.
Megan: [00:26:31] So I'm going to have a glass of wine.
Chris: [00:26:34] Mmmhmm.
Megan: [00:26:35] It is evening as I record this, so don't worry.
Chris: [00:26:37] [Laughs.]
Megan: [00:26:37] That is socially acceptable.
Chris: [00:26:39] This isn't like 2020, "I'm having a glass of wine because it's...2020.
Megan: [00:26:43] No, it's 2021.
Chris: [00:26:45] Yes.
Megan: [00:26:46] We now try and be socially acceptable.
Chris: [00:26:48] We do.
Megan: [00:26:48] We are preparing ourselves to reenter society.
Chris: [00:26:51] Yes.
Megan: [00:26:52] Uh, so yeah. That thanks for thanks for coming on, babe.
Chris: [00:26:55] Yeah. You're welcome. Usually I'm over there.
Megan: [00:26:59] Yeah.
Chris: [00:26:59] With headphones on.
Megan: [00:26:59] Doin' a little sound thing.
Chris: [00:27:01] Yeah, it's true.
Megan: [00:27:01] So, uh, I will see you all next time.