HOLD THE PHONE! ☎️

1. Because you guys know I’m loyal as a worker bee, you’re going to get the tea before the rest of social media world.

2. This is an emergency broadcast.

3. No, I did not plan to send out a newsletter today. No, I have not shared the following information with anyone else. Don’t you feel special?

   1. Except for my husband, who is like an extension of my spirit, so he doesn’t count. 🫶🏼

Back to business! (Sorry, I’m easily distractible right now.)

Can I get a drum roll or something? I feel like I need a drum roll.

Friends.

I just typed “the end” of book two.

‼️‼️‼️😱😱😱

Don’t mind me. I’m just over here, LITERALLY, squealing. And no, it’s not an exaggeration.

Okay, so why is this exciting for me? Well, for starters, I am done drafting WAY ahead of schedule. Remember my plan was to finish draft one of book two by the end of the year? That’s like three whole months ahead. *Pats self on back*

Second, this means I get to freaking stop obsessing over this manuscript (sort of). Can we say take a deep breath? And! I can utilize my free time to work on fun things like character art, creating pretty page overlays, making a map, etc.

What’s next?

Okay, so I’m not done done. The next thing I need to do is a reread. It’s been months since I’ve visited the beginning of book two. I need to make a few adjustments to character development, sprinkle in a bit of foreshadowing (since things progressed beyond my expectations), include some additional plot details…you know, clerical stuff. I’m kind of a nut case about editing while I draft (not generally recommended, but no one can tell me what to do 😌). This just means I have way less work on the back end, so I don’t envision this stage taking much time.

Once I’m happy with my reread, I need to rearrange my chapters. This is different from Cloaking Fate’s process. Because book two takes place primarily in two separate locations and includes multiple POVs, I didn’t write everything sequentially. 🥴 I would get stuck in the story arc of one POV for several chapters until I reached a place where I felt comfortable setting it down, then jump to another character’s viewpoint and get stuck in that one. And back and forth we went. So, in short, they need some strategic layering. You know, for maximum impact. 💥

After I’m satisfied with the organization, I’ll likely do another quick self-edit.

Then this pretty baby is going off to my editor! 🥳🤓

I haven’t told her. She’s going to be thrilled. I hope she remembers me. 😂

Anyway, that’s it. That’s my news. I’m so freaking excited to share this installment with you. It’s difficult to articulate how proud I am of this story. I’ve grown so much as a writer, even since finishing book one, and I think book two is just better in so many ways. I feel like my storytelling is more effective. The pacing is more impactful. The emotions are deeper. The stakes are higher. The payoffs are paying OFF.

What do the kids say nowadays? IT’S GIVING.

And with that, I’m giving this tired little brain a rest. 🧠

♡

N.

P.S. I don’t remember if I made any promises with this month’s newsletter content, but if I did, they will be fulfilled in November.