An Informal Announcement

Hey Folks,

Last week, for the first time since I started this blog, I failed to put up a post. My apology, but there was a reason for that. I’ve been working on an exciting new project.

I’m not ready to announce it officially yet, but I want to whet some appetites.

I’ve written over 50 novels and novellas and almost 200 short stories, many in very specific fictional worlds. Recently, it struck me that I could open up some of those worlds to other writers. Allow them to write in my fictional worlds to our mutual benefit. If you love to write but loathe the idea of world building or want to venture into worlds you haven’t come up with on your own, please keep reading.

I came up with one shared world awhile back and have been working on the bible (the guidelines and parameters) for that one.But as I worked on that yesterday (as I write this), I realized I have more than one world that’s large enough to open up to other writers. That was the first part of an epiphany.

The second part was a stark reminder that working as a licensor (vs. only a writer and publisher) takes time. I was originally going to open up my one shared world to other writers on January 1, 2020. Yesterday, I realized that’s too soon.

Not because I can’t have the bible for the original shared world ready by that time — I can, easily — but because I haven’t learned all I can about shared worlds yet.

I’m learning on behalf of myself and all those who will eventually write in my shared world. And I want potential writers in that world to share in as few mistakes as possible.

So expect my official announcement in this space somewhere around mid-2020. If I had to put a “latest” date on it, that date would be January 1, 2021.

In the meantime, here’s a teaser of sorts—

1. In the “WEO” (World Equality Organization) shared world project, the genres will be wide open: Romance, Science Fiction, Crime, Science Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Action-Adventure, War, Political Intrigue, Historical, etc. In fact, I can’t think of a genre that wouldn’t be appropriate. So a lot of possibilities there.

2. Any fantasy writers out there? More specifically, any magic realism writers? If so, you might want to write in my “Keeper of the Promise” (magic realism) shared world. The new king has ascended to the throne of the world and, though his agents, metes out justice. But always under the umbrella of magic realism. The Keeper of the Promise shared-world stories will occur in that place where reality folds into fantasy. Here too there is room for other genres, as long as they have an element of magic realism.

3. Any action-adventure, crime, thriller authors out there? If so, you might want to write in my Blackwell Ops shared world. Or even branch out to work in opposition to Blackwell Ops. Blackwell Ops is a private organization. TJ Blackwell vets assignments, collects fees, and then sends his operatives around the world to carry out those assignments—which usually have to do with assassination. Plenty of room here for elements of almost any commercial genre.

That’s only three shared worlds, and once I open them up, you’ll be able to write in any or all of them. You’re limited only by your own interest.

And I have several more shared worlds rattling around in the back of my mind, including the (western) Wes Crowley world; the (wide-open) world of Agua Perlado (a small fiction fishing village on the Pacific Coast of Mexico); the they-came-here future-Earth (SF) world of The Consensus; the we-went-there other worldly (SF) world of “The Rain Cart”; the throwback (noir) detective world of Stern Talbot; and the (time travel, action-adventure) world of Nick Spalding.

Some of those will make the cut and become shared worlds, worlds in which others are allowed to write. Others probably won’t.

For now and over the next few months, be thinking about which of those worlds interests you, in which of those worlds you might want to write stories or novels. Then let me know. You can leave a comment or you can email me directly at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. Your interest will inform my decision of which worlds to open up.

This is an exciting prospect for me, and I hope, for you. Writing in any of these worlds will enable you to write in your chosen genre(s) while stretching your skills and opening your mind to other genres. It will be a win-win for you.

And when I do formally announce the opening of one or more of these shared worlds next year, I will have learned enough to absorb any risk.

I’ll be back next week with regularly scheduled posts. In the meantime, if you’re a writer, you might want to check out my almost-daily Journal at https://HEStanbrough.com.

‘Til next time, happy writing!

Harvey