STATE OF PLAY.
Creator: Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg, II 1792 | Credit: Art Institute of Chicago
“Progress is the harder path of least resistance.”
I've been MIA for a couple of seasons.
No, there's no pivoting, no life-changing event (a cabal of grifters and pedophiles running the world aside, but that's beside the point).
I simply reached a newfound maturity this year, both as a writer and a human being. It's a natural progression anyone with curiosity and passion eventually attains, in life and on the page. It's a "flow state" if we want to borrow from the algorithm's memeified language.
Indeed, I've been hard at work considering my next steps and refining the foundations my brand rests on. There are particular questions I sat with for a few weeks:
Who am I? How can I turn my stories into contagious and resilient ideas? What narrative does my brand carry, beyond the novels and written materials?
I found many answers in the folds of my contemplations.
I happen to be a thinker who writes novels.
I'm deeply political and possessed by an unwavering militant spirit. I like to examine and interrogate the lies people and nations tell about themselves.
As a writer, I often push for big, bold ideas. Unique thematic choices and cinematic dynamics on a medium that is expected to be less visual.
There, I gathered my thoughts, bringing a cup of black coffee to my lips like I scored quarters at a 7/11 parking lot.
How do I align with my objectives? The market tells me I need a glow up.
So, I redesigned my entire website and cleaned up my socials. It was a massive undertaking, but also a discovery mechanism that will most likely change my trajectory for the rest of my life.
You understand now. I love it! I crafted bold headings and visuals recounting my journey through publishing these past six years. Each of my projects now has a dedicated "manifesto" that presents my novels and novellas under a new light.
I dug deep looking to grasp what made me unique and valuable in this world, the nature of my contributions. And I found it.
I hope you enjoy this new platform, as it grows more and more expansive.
Now, what of the next project? I have coverage on my socials (check my contact page) already:
Andre Soares is currently drafting a massive dark Afro-epic fantasy with a unique magic system, language as a blueprint, and fresh themes like memory erasure and reality bending.
This is not only my biggest project to date (3x the usual scope), but also my first venture into fantasy territory.
I have an exciting plan for cover design and distribution (my rebrand being the initial trigger), and I'm confident you will fall in love with the ensemble cast and the world I traced into a rich ecosystem.
I already started communicating on the project on my Instagram where you can find the first episodes of a web series called "Between the Lines".
Join me on this journey. There are dreams worth chasing.
