January 2021 - Update

• The Blighter’s Shadow’s first draft is coming along quite well. I’ve been focused on one rather nefarious character from Book 1, and I’ve been having some rather unpleasant dreams. 😊
  • Several chapters were drafted this month, and I was able to plan out most of the 2021’s workload. I am staying on track and am excited to share the next stories with you!
• 2021’s workload, as whole, has been outlined. I intend to produce a lot of great work this year, and I can’t wait for you to see it. The first step will be finishing Book 2 and then focusing on a shorter science fiction novel. Book 3, The Originators of Sa’un, will eventually close out the trilogy. I anticipate seeing that book in print in 2-3 years.

Inspirations:
Memorials and tombs throughout the world have always fascinated me. I will briefly explore several throughout this year — the first is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery. I have personally visited the cemetery and the tomb in 2019, and I can still vividly recall the solemnness of the entire place.

I was fascinated by the changing of the guard – the attention to every detail during the transition was meditative. The cemetery’s information can be found here, which includes the rich history of the guards, the rigorous training regimen, and the outline of the changing of the guard ceremony. 

If you ever visit Washington D.C., you’ll notice many of the city’s historical landmarks are memorials tied to remember the nation’s founders or people who led the nation through exceedingly difficult times, such as Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. 

One thing to keep in mind about Washington D.C.: most of memorials and museums are free to enter and enjoy. From a planning perspective, you only need to plan to spend money on food, lodging, and any travel expenses. 
Overall, memorials in novels can help flesh out a world's background - what the people found to be worth honoring, in particular. 

Please be sure to check out my website for continuous updates on my progress. Some of the updates are below:

• I continue adding a few short book and/or movie reviews. I finished several books in the last month. You can find my thoughts here here.
• I am still reading Kim Stanley Robinson’s Ministry of the Future and Barack Obama’s The Promised Land. I’ve enjoyed them immensely, but the holidays brought a few other books my way, such as Outliers, that drew my immediate attention.    

If you have questions for future newsletters/updates, please be sure to send them to [email protected]. There are numerous media links for your convenience: on Twitter at @brigmanauthor, on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier