Quarantine, Outlines, Short Stories, Oh My!

Hello!

Quarantine, am I right? It’s a very strange thing. I haven’t left my house for anything other than something absolutely necessary in almost three months. I honestly don’t remember what day it was! I started a new job from home. I haven’t met any of my coworkers in person yet! However, there is a bright side, at least on my end.

I have been making time for learning and practice. I read, write, and play music constantly. They are the only things keeping me sane and preventing me from eating everything in sight and turning into Jabba The Hutt. That being said, I have writing updates!

Another book? ANOTHER BOOK!

Previously I had in mind that I was writing three books in this series and the end of the third would open up a thousand story possibilities afterward. Kind of like the Marvel Universe or the DC Universe. Since November I was working on that first one, mostly outlining (because I am a planner as well as a pantser) and working on character. I had a revelation the other day because the story felt like it wasn’t beginning at the right place. I felt like we were seeing characters already in the middle of their story, or at least my main character. I spent the better part of a Saturday drinking many, many chai’s, and working on a new plan while my cats screamed at me for food; I added a book before the one I was working on which enriches the story of my main character, the 7,000 year old Queen, who’s story felt incredibly flat through Book Two, which was previously Book One.

It was crazy of me to do and I doubted it at first, but the story just poured out of me into a very concise outline, as well as characters. The verdict: I’m excited!

A short story too, are you nuts?

Yes…so…I’m also writing a short story! It is for a very good reason, let me explain.

I work a very demanding job in the music industry, building communities and marketing on social media. I spend all of my professional time building communities for other people and never have time to focus on my own, which I want to do. I really want to build a community surrounding my work so that when I do publish, I already have people excited for my work.

This is why I have this blog and newsletter, but I want to try to do more. I’m going to experiment with publishing a short story that has to do with my world I’m building, publish it on Wattpad and/or Amazon Short Story, and then create a Patreon at the same time.

I’m not forcing the story, though. It is actually the backstory of one of my favorite characters; The One Horned Magi, Hagador! I hope to publish it by the end of the summer. You can follow my Wattpad here and sign up for my newsletter for updates!

Writing Tools Switcharoo

This past year, my laptop broke. Very sad news for a writer. I also have a very small space to write in and am a minimalist so I didn’t want to shove my Mac Pro and a monitor on the edge of my desk/vanity, but I did anyway. I’m actually glad! I have a huge screen again and can sit up properly and not fall asleep with my laptop on my face.

I also got myself a new chair and this amazing Dwight Schrute pillow.

I have other updates about my technique that have evolved over the last few months, but I will save it for next time! I’d love it if you signed up for my newsletter so we can connect. I plan to (from now)(hopefully)(I’ll try my best) post a new blog post every Saturday and send a newsletter every Wednesday. My blog will continue to be updates but more about character, writing techniques, my adventures, and more on the world of my books. My newsletter will link to these posts and give you different updates, like what books and music I’m listening to and what my dopey cats are doing in quarantine. I hope you join me.

• WordPress
• Twitter
• Instagram