In January, I’ll be releasing my fifth fiction book. I’m pretty proud of that. Typing it out is a bit surreal because there was a point where I wondered if I really could write book after book after book – which is sort of what you have to do if want to establish a career as a writer (this is still a work in progress, by the way).
The “Goddess Game” Season
I have been editing my upcoming novel, Goddess Game, for the past month. It has been a lot more work than I was expecting. Some threads in the story began to change, one disappeared. Some character personalities became a little more defined. More ideas popped up to include that I am trying to resist, but they may prove to be irresistible.
In short, I don’t feel like it is finished quite yet and I have a decent amount of work that I want to do on it.
But here’s the thing: I am not worried about it in the least because…
This is my fifth book, y’all! This is how it works for me.
I have uncovered my method, how I work, how the story rolls out.
The Process Reveals Itself
Each time I got to this point on my previous books, I had a moment where I wondered if I was going to be able to really get it all ready. And, every time, when I sat down to get it done, the words showed up, the stories grew into what they needed to be.
That’s where I am with Goddess Game. The story is in a final tweaking stage. I keep going through it chapter by chapter and it feels like it is becoming more of what it should be with each pass. In the next couple of passes, it should just need some beta reading for feedback. And proofreading, of course.
My Writing Method
I’m not a “pantser” when it comes to writing (tried it and it doesn’t work great for me).
I have an idea, I develop a theme and characters from that, and then I start outlining. It is a much longer process than that one sentence hints at, but having a system to get me that far helps me feel confident when I start writing.
And once I have that framework built up enough, the surprise ideas that my psyche has been holding out on me start to show up. I love that part.
I also love that I don’t feel stressed out around writing. The confidence is a little disconcerting because it is still newish, but because it is based on past experience I have no issue trusting in it and myself.
For the Writers Reading This
If you don’t do the work, you won’t get the experience you need to have this type of confidence. It’s okay if your work is not perfect. You’ll get better. Guaranteed.
If this speaks to you, let it sink in and take root in your creative soul…and then get to work. 😊