I have spoken before about placing all of my works of fiction within the same universe
It creates a fascinating realm where all things are connected, even though they may take place hundreds of years apart.
As of now, my oldest story, Willow Creek, takes place in 1854 in Omaha, Nebraska. And the most futuristic story, Losing Dani Strumm, takes place in 2246 on Tau Ceti e, with all my other works of fiction falling in between.
I have a three-ring binder where I track important dates and events
So I never write a conflicting event. What makes this even more interesting is that Willow Creek is "historical fiction," and the locations and events (including dates) took place in real life.
I am currently working on my next science fiction novel. Developing the timeline for this book is so much easier when you know "when" in your world it takes place. It also makes writing more enjoyable when you can include characters from future books and build their backstory. Or characters from previous books to finish their life cycle.
I could give some examples
However, I am afraid it would equate to spoilers for those who may not have read some of my books. I'm not too fond of spoilers. So you will have to take my word for it and maybe see if you can spot some of the characters from other books when you read.
The timeline is currently five pages long, but growing with each book. I did put a link to the order of books on my website. You can see the order in which they take place. I am trying to figure out a way to post the entire timeline for those registered on the site so they can see details from each novel. It is pretty challenging to display this information well online.
The basics of the timeline are
1854-1869: Willow Creek
2067-? : Untitled New Science Fiction Book
2079-2080: Pandemic Dawn Series & Life After the Apocalypse Series
2081-2246: Losing Dani Strumm
As I write more fiction, I plan on everything happening within this realm. I probably won't write many historical fiction books because researching and double-checking dates and places is tedious and takes away from my creative flow when writing. I prefer creating my own timeline and events.
I will start including a timeline in every book
So readers can follow along. As for 2023, I have Losing Dani Strumm, released on January 10th, and my faith book, Drowning in Milk: A Guide to Spiritual Growth, on February 14th.
I have two more faith books in the works and two in science fiction for 2023. Hopefully, by late fall, I will release Pandemic Dawn Book V. I have been looking forward to writing another Pandemic book because I miss my characters.
I have a "dirty-bird" early release for Dani Stumm in January for a limited edition hardcover signed and numbered. Obviously, dirty-bird is a nod to Stephen King. I figured all those who didn't register on my website and didn't get the opportunity to purchase this limited hardback edition would be calling all those who did dirty birds.
But I will let all my subscribers know when these are available for purchase! If you have not registered yet, you should! It's FREE and allows you to take part in contests and giveaways!