Notes From The Writing Nook: Shifting Perspectives

So, last week, I sat down to work on one of my fiction projects for 2024, namely outlining Book 2 of my Reaper series. I LOVE this part! The brainstorming process is one of my favorites, with all that potential just waiting to be discovered.

But as I sat there going through a million questions & trying to figure out what I want this book to be about, nothing gelled. Nothing got me excited. I don’t even feel like this was a case of being stuck. I just had no ideas.

After taking a step back and looking at Book 1, which I re-outlined in the summer with the intention of taking out some redundant chapters, I decided to put Book 2 on hold.

Ugh, I hate doing that. I worked Book 2 in to my 2024 plan. I scheduled outlining it in Q1 so I could write it in Q3. But it just seems like I still need to work out what I really want to say with this book.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing. I started this year with a new plan – to write/outline/edit one project per quarter. And even though it kind of feels like I’ve failed that plan already, I really haven’t. I’m only just revising my plan. Learning how I can work all these projects into a given year. And right now, all my momentum is with promoting The Bone Key, which comes out this fall, and writing the sequel.

As it stands, trying to work on 3 different books in various stages means I only have 1 true writing day a week. And I don’t feel like that’s enough. So, maybe this is a good thing. Giving my brain more space to work on my current series. I’m actually excited to get to my desk every Tuesday (my current writing day). I should probably go where inspiration strikes, and right now, that’s with my witches!

Releasing some of this pressure might even help me. Knowing my Reapers are waiting in the wings might mean they’ll whisper to me, helping me figure put where I want to take them when I have the time, space & brainpower to focus on them.