Writing Update: March 2022

I have a confession to make... I completely missed my February update. *face palm*

Between release day prep and drowning in editing projects, it slipped off my radar. Whoops!

But it's a new month! And it's time for a March writing update! Here we go.

Welp, it's official. Everly's first book is out in the world, and I'm so excited to announce that it was my biggest release yet! I'm so glad her story has resonated with so many of you. I've gotten so many fun reviews! Here are a few of my favorites:

"Fantastic fae, marvellous monsters, magic, great characters, intriguing story with twists and turns, and an end that will leave you wanting more."

"Escapist, Thrilling and Beautifully set in the land of the Fae, Sparks and Shadows is promising to be an enticing series!"

"I read through this book so quickly and before I knew it I was at the end and cursing myself for reading so quickly."

"This was a fast-paced and wonderfully magical escapist read! I loved getting lost in this world! Who wouldn’t want to hang out in a fancy tree house in the land of Faery, eat scrumptious scones with honey butter, and drink delicious coffee!?"

CURRENT WORD COUNT

Current word count: 469

Target word count: 65,000

Guys, I'm so behind already. The first draft is due 5/1, and it's clear that I have a LOT of work to do! The good news is, the whole book is outlined and ready to go, my scenes are fleshed out, and I've scheduled a 4-day writing retreat to pound out some words and get caught up. I'll be locking myself in an Airbnb for 4 days straight with no distractions and I'm determined to knock this draft out. I'll let you know how it goes!

WRITING THOUGHTS

You know, a lot of authors say that book 2 is a beast, and I can already see why. I am so in love with book 1, and I really want to make sure that book 2 lives up to the story I've envisioned in my head. But can I do it? Am I capable of two great stories in a row? Imposter syndrome is real, guys.

But you know what? I already know the cure. WRITE, WRITE, WRITE. So next week, I'll spend 4 days with my phone on airplane mode in a remote location. No internet, no toddler (I love you, Annabelle!), and no distractions.

I was listening to a podcast episode a few weeks ago from Neil Gaiman. He talked about how he gets words done when he's behind or really needs to finish a draft. He said he books a sketchy hotel room somewhere and locks himself inside. While he's there, he gives himself permission to do 2 things: write, or do nothing. He's not allowed to read, phone a friend, or turn on the TV. This is crazy effective because he has a choice whether he will write, but doing nothing gets boring real quick.

So that's the approach I'm taking with this upcoming writing retreat. ;) I'll let you know how it goes! By the time I do my next writing update, I should be finished with my first draft! I'll probably do a blog post specifically on the writing retreat results before that, though, so keep an eye out.

That's all for now. Talk to you next week!