Confession time. Deep Breath.

Writing this book wasn't all roses. Actually, most of the time, it was all thorns.

I'm pretty sure none of you are surprised by that statement. If writing a 5,000 word mandatory research essay for college is difficult, how much more difficult do you think voluntarily writing a 174k+ word novel would be? It quite literally breaks the scale on which difficult things are measured.

And I said 'voluntarily' on purpose. You might think that because it is voluntary; that because there is no external penalty for failing to write it, that it makes it easier to write. Alas. When torture is self-inflicted, it hurts even more.

So, let's talk about the ugly parts of writing this book.

Firstly, the document ended up being full of red underlining because well; I didn't stop to care about spelling things right. From simple words like 'and' to complicated words like special concepts and names in my fantasy world, I didn't stop to correct anything.

On one hand this is a good thing. It meant I could focus on actually completing the story, getting the words on the page, instead of having to move that much slower because I was correcting all my errors as I went.

The problem is that after the fact, going through the first editing pass (WHICH I HAD TO DO IN TWO WEEKS IN ORDER TO GET THE BOOKS TO BETA READERS ON TIME) was physical pain; reading each line and carefully correcting every error.

For a look into how I felt the whole time I was trying to get through edits, watch this reel!

Secondly, I'll need to make some major changes to the plot after beta reads are through. I'm not excited about this in the slightest. Actually, I'm dreading it a little. Because it means I'll have to go in, re-plot those parts of the story, and weave a more solid character arc for one character in particular. Not fun. But, it must be done.

Thirdly, my least favorite scene in the book is likely the last scene before it all ends. Why? I rushed through it. I'll be honest and say that at that point, I was desperate to finish it. I couldn't wait a moment longer. I sped through it, got the bones of the scenes on the page, then breathed a sigh of relief and stopped. I'll have to make some pretty large changes to those scenes too, but again, it must be done.

In a way, these small, and not so small irritations with the writing process are what yield the most fruit in the end. At least, I hope they are.

Watching the red lines disappear and the story becoming actually readable. Strengthening secondary characters and giving them quirks and desires and watching it impact the story. Writing a stellar ending that leaves the reader wanting more.

Regardless, when I’m in the thick of the process, these wonderful end results don't make the hardships any easier. That's just how it is. Hindsight is 20/20.

Next time we chat, I'll introduce my second wip of the year.

Until next time, bestie!