Chapter 13: Can I plan an 80,000-word book in a week?
Yes I can; that’s what I did this week.
The end of July came pretty quick. I wrote sales copy for my book on Amazon, edited and tidied up my book and formatted the book nicely in Vellum. I just need a few more finishing touches in Vellum — resizing the cover picture with my designer, adding in dedications and what not — and it’s basically good to go.
This last week, I laid out the roadmap for Book 2. Just to remind anyone who might have joined me on this journey halfway, it started off with just writing one book and publishing it on October the 31st. Then when I did some reading on indie writing/publishing forums and found out that people nowadays binge read, I decided to write two books by the same date. Now, I’m upping the ante again and going to try and write three books before October the 31st.
It sounds crazy but now that I’ve finished one book, I have the belief that I can write two and three in the same time. So this week, I started laying out a plan for Book 2. Rose and her team are now going to clash with their enemy in London. Why the capital of the UK? One of the main bad guys is from there, so that’s where the story continues.
The challenge is writing a story in a place I’ve never visited before. That’s why this last week I’ve just researched places in London and tried to create a map in my mind of how the Deliverers (Rose and her buddies) would clash with the Tormented (Mortimer and his buddies) at well-known landmarks around the British capital. I reckon I can pull it off, but I have to respect the research.
I felt stuck because I didn’t know how to continue the story as well. I have vague concepts and events that I can see in my head but I haven’t been able to string them together yet. I bought a book by James Scott Bell called Write Your Novel From The Middle. It talks about the importance of a “look in the mirror” moment that occurs right in the middle of the story which encapsulates the essence of the novel. It’s really helped me in shaping out the story and how the characters develop; I highly recommend it.
It’s allowed me to actually write the first chapter of Book 2 last Friday and get a head start. Once Monday starts, I’ll be going hard again. Having the roadmap is a necessity to make sure I can maintain the intensity required to finish the book.
Thoughts and feelings
Getting that first book out of the way was a relief. Now I’ve done it, I possess the self-belief that I can start and finish a full-length novel. This is just the beginning now. I have to believe that I can write a sequel. Then after that, I have to believe and execute on finishing a four-book series. It’s many firsts which is why for my first year of indie writing and publishing, I’m not expecting much in terms of revenue.
I’ve been mentally priming myself for the month of August. I’ve done my projections and I’m aiming to get Book 2 finished by the end of the month. When I’m not writing books, the time flies by. Now that I’m writing a book, it seems to drag. That’s because I’m constantly thinking — thinking about my characters, the plot and how I can write a compelling story.
That’s not to mention all the administrative and marketing-related activities in between. I’ve got to engage with Aero Gallerie again to make the cover for Book 2. Then I’ve got to put some serious thought into when I’m actually launching my series. As a reader pointed out, launching on October 31st, i.e. Halloween might be challenging. I need to do some research and see if it’s a popular time to release books. I want to ride the wave but not drown in it.
I’m really enjoying this challenge so far. I’m learning a lot about myself and what I’m capable of. I don’t want to say too much yet, but it’s something that I could see myself doing long-term. Both my creative and analytical sides of my brain are being engaged, which is all I could ever want in work. Now, I just need to see if I can “make it” as a commercial author and make some sustainable income out of this.
Thanks again for following.
-J.
