Hey friends,
This month I really struggled with my manuscript and not because I was too busy to sit down and write, but because I'm getting a little bit of writer's block. I don't typically get writer's block, but I'm at a point in the story where I've written three options and don't like any of them.
The romance feels unrealistic and forced, the introduce the primary villain is a moving target, and I’m having a hard time maintaining the subplot of my main characters relationship with her magic. Fantasy novels are great huh? It feels like there's too many things happening and yet all of the things need to happen.
Being a writer in progress, I am learning absolutely everything about writing, the craft of the novelist, and publishing, with this project. It's putting a lot of pressure on the project. It's making it slow, and I know that future projects will go faster, more smoothly, because of the work I'm doing now. Yet, that doesn’t make it any easier.
When I started this novel, I had so many plot points, so many locations for my characters to visit, because the idea of writing 100,000 words seemed daunting. How would I possibly write 100K words? The biggest thing I had ever written was a 54 page undergraduate honors thesis and it was grueling. So I looked ahead at writing 100K for a novel, I thought it was going to need a ton of plot to make sure I had enough to say.
Fast forward to now when I'm on my second draft (after a 93K first draft), and I've had to delete so much of it. I thought I’d have to take my character to five locations, but barely had the word count for two.
I've had to delete a lot of the worldbuilding and culture.
I've had to delete a lot of the family dynamics that make my main character who she is.
I've had to delete two locations that were so beautifully written and I'm so sad they're gone.
I've deleted multiple characters from my cast.
I've had to kill my darlings.
And at this point in it still unfinished second draft I have to say it is all been worth it. Every culling has made the story better. I'm still learning. I'm still going. And I have no idea when I'll finish, but here's the progress.
On the Blog This Month
This month I wrote several substack pieces. In case you missed them…
A Million Lives Recovery Response
The Real Threat Isn’t AI. It’s What We’re Willing to Sacrifice.
A Million Lives Book Festival and Where It Went Wrong
Check out all of my articles here.
I’ve added tabs to my Substack homepage.
If you're using the app, you can now find all my newsletters organized in one place. And if you subscribe to the paid tier, you’ll get early access to my novel Godspoken. A new chapter will be released each month, with ongoing updates as the book is revised and edited—so you’ll always have the most current version.
Writing Progress
I wrote about 4K words this month in Godspoken, though as I mentioned, much of that might be removed as I mull over how the heck I want the story to progress.
I figured out some new plot in my WIP Dark Artifiacts and I began the process of another WIP Balladeer (set in the Godspoken world).
I’m also writing a lot more articles. I’m enjoying it. I hope you’re liking them too.
Books I Read This Month
I’m still in a reading slump. I feel like I keep picking up books and setting them down after 20 pages. In part, its because of my disability. I get too tired to focus on the words.
I’ve been trying to read…
Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Endowment
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Lost Bookshop
and more.
I was lucky to get my hands on a physical copy of Remarkably Bright Creatures at the same time as the audiobook and I am trying an immersive read. If you’re unfamiliar, its where you play the audio while you follow along in the physical book. So far, its working.
One thing I am successfully plowing through is an alpha read of my friend’s work in progress. It’s a story of a group of young people traveling to space to start a new world. I can’t give more details that, but I seriously can’t put it down.
I think reading for a friend really fuels me to pick up the book daily. The knowing they are expecting your feedback at some point. It has me wondering if I should offer beta reading services, though I’m not sure how many people would actually take me up on that.
As always, thanks for being here. Thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Ash Wren