Hello my dear readers and welcome back to my blog. If you’ve been following me and my blog for a while you’ll know I’ve been slowly working on a fantasy romance novel codename #projectmistbound. In my last update I mentioned I’d finished my 1st draft…finished was a kind way to say I had over written past where book one in this series should logically end and decided I was done.
So, where are we at?
Between working full time in publishing and beginning my Masters degree this year I haven’t had a lot of time to work on the project, but with my second semester over and a small break before my summer semester, I am planning on tackling as much of my second draft as possible. This second draft is going to be a lot of work, mainly as I plan to rewrite and restructure the last 10 or so chapters for a much tighter and clearer story. But that’s all part of the process after all!
I started writing this book back in January of 2020, then in May last year I decided I’d ‘finished’ my first draft. Now begins the real grunt work of wrangling words. Something I have learned in this process however is not to compare your speed to other writers. You will meet writers who can write and editing multiple books a year. You will meet writers who spend the whole life writing just one story. All are valid. So the fact this has taken me a while is something I have become very comfortable with.
So, what’s the plan?
Currently, my plan is to make the most of my weekends before Christmas, and some evenings after work if I’m not too tired. Last weekend I edited Chapters 1 & 2 while hanging out at the library, and this weekend I plan to tackle 4, 5 & hopefully 6. Part of my edits include refining and simplifying the plot as it became rather complicated in sections. Another is ensuring all my characters have their own voices and unique personalities. It can be tricky with a reasonably sizeable cast of characters for some to become very same samey if you’re not careful.
It’s exciting to have a bit of time to work on this project again. I hope to share with my beta readers soon, then do another round of edits before I start querying the series. The plan is for this to span three books, with a slow burn romance set against the backdrop of politics and war.
With the revitalisation of my blog I hope to share more updates on #projectmistbound with you a bit more frequently. Hopefully one day we can be talking about this book as it hits the shelves in your local bookshop! As always if you have any questions or things you want me to talk about deeper feel free to comment or share your own experiences! Until next time I will leave you with the working blurb for this project. What do you think, sound intriguing?
Happy Writing.
BLURB
The fae are cruel and callous. But the humans are just as vile.
Astrid has spent twelve years running from the Iron Guard, fleeing across Asteria for the fae heritage that taints her human blood. But now there is nowhere left to run except to Visca, the winged fae kingdom humans cannot enter, north of The Wall.
But her arrival does not herald her long awaited freedom.
Mistaken for a citizen fleeing conscription, Astrid is taken to The Academy, a university turned army training base, where she is forced to train for a war she’s never heard of. For over a century it has raged on, Visca locked in a heated battle with Kreyana and the deadly wall of mist that divides them.
Yet, The Academy has its own horrors locked behind an impenetrable ward that prevents anyone from leaving. Astrid must first learn to embrace her fae lineage, and the rare magic she possesses, in order to survive it. With a little help from The Raven and new allies she might just get out of there alive.
But danger lurks behind every lesson, and soon it’s not just their survival at stake, but the fate of the Kingdom when the Crown Prince, impossibly, goes missing on its enchanted grounds. If Astrid can find him, he may be her ticket to the freedom she has craved her entire life.
For more writing updates click here.
Here is some music I’ve been listening to lately while writing #ProjectMistbound to set the mood!
