Long-Term Goals for "Barbarians of the Storm"

...push for those dreams, homies

Once I decided that Dan the Destructor was not going to be a standalone novel, much bigger plans for what became the Barbarians of the Storm franchise began to enter my mind.

But first, why did I decide to tell stories beyond that initial book?

Well, I liked the world that was taking shape within that story. I got very invested in many of the characters and as their backstories and futures came to me, I got really excited and knew that I had to tell those tales, as well. However, to do that, I had to keep moving forward and begin to develop a larger saga.

Then, thoughts on creating something bigger and richer led me to think about all the franchises I once loved that I felt betrayed by. Since that feeling of betrayal led to me writing Dan the Destructor in the first place, why not go even further and create a new IP that could essentially fill the void left behind by the legacy branded skinsuits?

So, looking even deeper, I began to think about how to brand the Barbarians of the Storm saga. With that, I began to think of the lessons I’ve learned by simply observing two of the greatest marketers of their own brands to ever exist: George Lucas and Gene Simmons.

What is it that those two have in common (and a few others)?

Quite simply, they put their IP’s branding on everything under the sun. Star Wars and KISS became the Coca-Colas of their respective realms in pop culture. Why do you think that every memorable toyline of the ‘80s had cartoons, movies, comics, books, and a buttload of other random merch? They too decided to follow the template of Lucas and Simmons.

So, when Atomic Beasts and Where to Kill Them, my second book in the series, came out, I was already thinking of all the different merchandise I could do from t-shirts, stickers, phone cases, notebooks, magnets, mugs, posters, and even f’n lunchboxes. I’ve created many of these products already, but beyond the simple stuff, I was also envisioning video games, action figures, table top games, card games, animation, comics, manga, an anthology of short films, and a slew of other stuff.

I know these are big ambitions and some might be saying, “Well, who the fuck are you, bro?” But who the fuck is the person that doesn’t have dreams and therefore, has nothing to work for?

I have done a pretty solid job of building a good foundation in a short amount of time. I am much further ahead than I ever thought I’d be in just over a year. While the last few months have been slower than I’d like, I have to remember that I am doing pretty damn good for the amount of time I’ve put into this game.

Right now, I have to keep growing. A big reason why I needed to reevaluate some things and shift a few gears is because I was getting distracted, losing focus, and my work was being disrupted, as momentum was often times stifled because I wasn’t putting my dreams first.

My enthusiasm was also pushing me way too hard, way too fast. Along the way, I forgot to stop and breathe and take it all in. I just kept pushing ahead because as I gained real readers and fans, I didn’t want to disappoint them and I didn’t want to leave them waiting for too long. I know how much I hate waiting for that movie sequel that’s three years away or that next installment of a book series that might not come for over a decade… or at all. Also, being that I was writing stories in the vein of classic pulp, I felt that to truly embrace that spirit, I needed to aim at putting out a book at least every 3-4 months. While I have succeeded at that, the real world job makes it really f’n difficult to keep up that pace. Especially, when it also demands so much of me creatively.

While I think I need to focus less on how frequently I release books, I still have these much bigger plans and I still want to push towards them. As time rolls on, the book series continues, and hopefully sales grow, I will be able to afford the development of some of these other things.

The reason why I’m writing this is to lay out what my long-term intentions are, if things keep building. I also hope that other creatives in my sphere begin to see their stories as things with bigger potential.

These beloved legacy IPs are dying. They have been a huge part of pop culture and the void they are leaving behind is immense. When I talk about filling that void, I mean wholly and fully. I don’t mean to fill it with just stories, I mean to fill it with more things that fans of the stories would yearn for. I mean, complete, fully realized franchises for fans worldwide.

There’s a much bigger landscape than I think many writers sometimes realize. It’s there for the taking and the void is only growing larger. So, get in there and fill it with your best ideas and your biggest dreams.

I’m not saying that I am the next George Lucas, but you might be.