Notes on my ongoing work
For me, the start of a new year is less an occasion for announcements than a moment for taking stock. This text is not intended to provide an outlook in terms of dates or results, but rather to describe the framework within which my work will take place in 2026. It is about my working methods, my priorities, and the decisions I make—even if they are not immediately apparent.
Approach in 2026
2026 is not a year of quick publications. Last year, I completed a course in creative writing. This resulted in several texts that achieved one thing above all else: the characters became more precise, more independent, and more resilient. This work has further shifted my view of writing—away from pure output and toward development.
I increasingly see writing as a process that requires time, repetition, and correction. Not every text is a step toward publication. Some are necessary to understand relationships, test characters, or discard structures. Some of these texts will ultimately be discarded.
For readers
My texts are increasingly aimed at readers who are interested in stories in which characters have no good options. The stories I am working on place people in situations where every decision comes at a price—socially, psychologically, or structurally. Control does not provide lasting protection here, and freedom does not come without loss. Conflicts are not resolved through insight or resolution but continue to develop and challenge the characters anew. Those who expect tension to be explained or defused will find little here. Those who are prepared to endure decisions that are not clearly right in hindsight can follow these works.
What I am working on
Several projects are currently underway in parallel. They are thematically linked but fulfill different functions. The focus is clearly on characters, their relationships, and the dynamics in which they act. I am less interested in individual scenes than in the systems in which these characters must act.
A recurring focus is on power relations: how people exist within structures of unequal power, how they adapt or are shaped. How this work is reflected in concrete terms at the character level can be illustrated by a completed, deliberately reduced text:
https://michaelsell-schreibwelt.de/en/the-silent-fields-from-the-series-silent-power/
Triarchia – why it takes time
Part of this work culminates in Triarchia. This is a book that encompasses a self-contained, dystopian world with characters who develop under extreme conditions. The framework is ambitious, but precisely for this reason it is suitable for consistently exploring complex ideas.
The world of Triarchia consists of different spheres, each with its own view of humanity and challenges. The complexity arises not from the scope, but from the interactions between these levels. An initial introduction to this world can be found here:
https://michaelsell-schreibwelt.de/en/introduction-the-world-of-triarchia/
I am currently in a discovery phase in this project. New ideas are emerging, while others are being discarded. This process cannot be shortened without damaging the internal logic.
Parallel narrative work
Alongside this larger framework, a novel draft has emerged that stays closer to individual characters. Among other things, it centers on an artist who, overwhelmed by demands, seeks freedom—and paradoxically tries to find it by renouncing freedom.
The focus is on inner mechanics rather than external plot. Roles, control, and dependence are central questions. I have examined how power manifests itself not only in relationships but also in public forms and expectations in a short, formally limited text:
https://michaelsell-schreibwelt.de/en/just-an-interview/
These works are all still in development. I have learned over the past year that a lot can still change during this time: the plot, the evaluation, the motivation of the characters. That is why I am not announcing anything here or committing myself.
Separation of development and publication
I learned one thing above all else from my first book: publication requires maturity and time. This experience shapes my decisions. In addition to working on characters and their development, I would also like to specifically deepen my skills in the areas of psychological tension and structural plot design in 2026. Continuing to learn is not a detour, but part of the process.
Consequences for this news section
For this news section, this means that when something is published, it is either because it reflects a clear stage of work or because a concrete work status is being opened for discussion—not because a rhythm must be maintained.