It's been a while since I gave a proper writing update! So, here it is. In case you missed it, I released an epic fantasy novella back in February called IN THE ARMS OF THE RESTLESS SEA. It's set in The Heartfriends universe, and it follows Nessa, Aurelia's childhood best friend, as she navigates life after the temple. Check out the synopsis:
Sometimes, only when we’re lost can we discover who we truly are.
When Nessa and her fellow priestesses are abducted from their temple by bounty hunters, Nessa is the only one to escape. Unable to return to the sole home she’s ever known, she is forced into the great wide world, where she will either forge her own path or leave her life up to chance. Along the way, she just might find a family, find herself, and find out what “home” truly means.
Add it to your to-read list on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.
I also participated in an anthology that recently came out called TALES OF MONSTROSITY, which includes 19 stories of the monsters we think we know. Check it out today!
Coming up, I'm planning on powering through the first draft of Vesarrna #1, tentatively titled The Shadow Masquerade. It follows a half-orc named Khaz who gets hired to find the identity of the city's new vigilante and bring them to justice.
I hope to write the first draft from May through August, so I'm putting it in writing in order to hopefully hold myself more accountable! I'm estimating that'll be about 80,000 - 90,000 words total.
A couple of the tools I'm using for this process are Pacemaker and Notion. Pacemaker is a tool to help you plan out a project. In this case, I've spaced 90,000 words over four months, and I was able to skip weekends and certain days. One cool thing I love about Pacemaker is you can choose the pacing plan for your project. Mine is set to one called "the mountain hike," which starts you off slow, builds to your highest word count in the middle of the project, and drops you back down as you cruise to the end. Another plan gives you the same amount of words each day. There's lots to choose from!
The other tool I've found useful so far is Notion, which is for productivity and organization. I created a page (from a template) for my project and filled it out with all the important details. I've included things like story themes, short- and long-term goals, playlists, a word counter, character profiles, a brief plot outline, and even a bank of unused character names I can pull from if necessary.
So, that's my summer plan! What sorts of projects are you working on this summer, and what sorts of tools help you achieve those goals?
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