Documenting My Book Writing Journey, Week 7
Feb 17, 2025
Welcome back to documenting my publishing journey - it's officially the end of week 7! Holy cow - where did all the time go? I feel like I only just started this project!
Anyway, this week we're doing things a little bit differently. I got a lot of questions about the WIP over the weekend, so I wanted to answer them in-depth here, with a few takeaways that will help you with your own work.
Let's get started!
Question One: Genre
A lot of my readers wanted to know about the WIP's genre, and I was super hesitant to answer this one at first. Why? Because genre, when you use it incorrectly, can pigeonhole your work and repel readers who might be interested.
A lot of writers make the mistake of classifying their work by a certain genre out of vanity - meaning they say their work is one thing, because it makes them feel good, when in reality it should be something else.
Actually, genre is less about your book and more about your reader. Using genre correctly can help you attract the right reader and repel the wrong ones, which is why studying up on genres is one of the most helpful things you can do when marketing your book (and it's why I started with genre - which you can read about in earlier weeks).
So here's what I'll do for this WIP: while it's still in development (meaning themes and story elements are subject to change) I'll give you the synopsis and let you decide what you think it should be.
Got an idea? Send me an email and we'll chat about it. I'm genuinely curious about your input.
Story synopsis (it doesn't have a name yet, but I'm open to suggestions about that, too):
In a distant galaxy, on a fading planet, 21-year-old Levi and his faithful automaton friend lose everything.
But that's okay! Legend states that if you can find the source of all magic, then she will grant your heart's desire.
Levi goes on a quest to find her, because this is his last chance to set everything right.
Along the way, he meets an unusual host of enemies and allies - and it's not entirely clear which is which.
Levi's journey will challenge his beliefs about everything, from love to family, and from magic to fate; and we'll learn that through magic, anything is possible.
But it always comes with a cost.
Got any ideas? Send me an email and let me know.
Question Two: Romance/Relationships
I also get asked a lot about romance in the book - is there any, what type, what are the relationships like, and I know this is a huge selling point in books, so let me tell you a little story about that.
I used to refused to write romance. I thought it was stupid. And then I started exploring why I thought it was stupid - and I uncovered a little bit of writer-trauma that, honestly, made me laugh a little bit.
A long time ago, I gave my writing to someone I trusted. It had a love story in it. They gave it back to me almost immediately and said, "I was interested until I realized it was a love story. I can't read it anymore."
And they didn't finish it.
Now I know that was an immature response from the person reading it - it was also like fifteen years ago, and the person reading it was the wrong audience. But I removed all interpersonal relationships from my stories and refused to do anything more than daydream about the love lives of my characters.
That's downright silly...but a lot of times we have mental blocks about things like this in writing because of something similar.
No matter the topic, if you're feeling avoidant about something in your work, I'd encourage you to sit down with yourself (at least a little bit) and ask yourself why.
No one is forcing you to write something you don't want to write. If you genuinely hate writing romance, don't write it. It's your book. But if you want to write something and you feel ashamed to write it, that might be a different story. I encourage you to at least be curious as to why that might be.
All of my stories these days are love stories. They may not be romance or romantasy explicitly, but my exploration of these topics comes from my deeply held belief that love is at the root of every great story.
Love of family, friends, significant others, pets. Love of country, of liberty, of justice. Love is what makes us human beings, and some of the greatest victories and tragedies in life are rooted from a place of love.
So do I write love stories? Without shame. Absolutely?
But romance?
A note on romance...
I do write stories with romance in them. This current WIP (needs a name...I'm so tired of referring to it as secret story) has several romance threads in it. It makes the characters more human (even though some of them aren't) and creates tension that is sooooo delicious.
It's not the main subject of the story, so if you're not a romance reader you'll probably still like it. But these days, I just can't help myself.
Another note on spice...
Just to keep expectations clear, I don't include spice in my books. There are a few reasons, all of them personal, and none of them condemning authors who do (unless you write spice in YA - in which case, I have some strong words for you).
The biggest and most hysterical reason I don't include spice in my books: because people I know will probably read them.
And unless I can bear to go into hiding for the rest of my life after I publish, then no, there will not be spice.
This is probably rooted in that shame thing I was talking about...
But there we are. No spice in this book.
Side note - We recently released a kit on writing romance. If you're interested in these topics and want to take a deep dive, check out The Ultimate Romance Writer Kit. It's a huge help if you're interested in writing romance, or incorporating romantic subplots into your books.
Question Three: Writer's Block
In a similar sort-of-connected vein, I've also been getting a lot of questions about how I deal with writer's block.
I talk all the time about writing 1000's of words a day, not really getting stuck, and writing entire manuscripts in 90 days or less. A lot of people automatically assume that I can do that because it's my full-time-job (it's not, but I understand why someone would think that).
The truth is that when writing is mostly what you do, it stops being the escape it used to be, which can make it a little more stressful. Managing that is the most important thing - so let me give you the run-down on my personal writing routine and how I manage writer's block.
Step One: Identify the block
Trying random things to cure writer's block (or, heaven forbid, simply muscling through it) may work for a time, but it doesn't solve the root issue. I truly believe there is a cure for writer's block, and it comes down to understandings its causes.
For me, writer's block is most often caused by good-old-fashioned fatigue. I work really hard. I get tired. Sometimes I put off my more creative tasks (like writing and blogging) because they take more brain power than some of my other, more routine tasks. This means they get pushed to the end of the day, when I'm fatigued.
No bueno.
The cure for this is obviously to rest up and do these things first - which takes a little bit of discipline - but on the good days, I get a few thousand words in.
If you were my student and we sat down for a 1:1, I would instruct you to go a whole week and do nothing but notice what makes you feel like writing and what doesn't. We call these things triggers. Noticing what sparks our curiosity and what shuts it down puts the power in our hands to spark it at will, and not simply wait around for the muse to strike.
That's the first big step.
Step Two: Do something about it
Depending on the issue, there will be different things to do.
If it's fatigue, full stop. Go take a nap (or go to bed, if it's late). If it's creative emptiness, go watch a film or read a book. A lot of writers fight me on this - they think that if they do this, they'll start stealing the work of other writers - but I promise you that's not the case.
You get out what you put in. Quality reading = quality writing. Plain and simple.
Another cause of writer's block is actually overwhelm. This is a different issue, which requires a different solution.
I dedicated an entire system to this solution, and it's called The Complete Novelist's Kit.
Inside the kit are 30 different guides, each one covering a different big-picture aspect of the novel writing process. Since I can't sit with you and help you sort it out each and every time, you've got the kit, which is the next best thing (maybe even better, since I get distracted and wander off on tangents...)
How it works to manage overwhelm:
Sweet and simple: it asks you questions. All you have to do is worry about one question at a time. Worried you'll forget something important about your book? You won't! There are so many questions (like thousands) that you'll remember everything you need and come up with even more so that your story practically writes itself.
I wouldn't talk about the novelist's kit so much if I didn't use it myself, and if I didn't genuinely think it was one of the best tools out there.
I use it. My students use it. And if you're struggling with this type of writer's block, you should use it, too.
But what if it's burnout?
Here's the deal: if it's burnout, no amount of tools or kits or hacks will help you.
As someone who had medical emergencies because of burnout, I can say with utmost confidence: if you're worried that it's burnout, please go get medical help. It doesn't just go away on it's own.
In fact, real burnout can take months to years to go away - and I know, because I'm only just now starting to recover from an episode of burnout I had in 2023.
If it is burnout, you'll know, because you'll try all this stuff and it won't help. If that's the case, don't beat yourself up. Put away everything but the essentials (eating, sleeping, breathing) and go get help. There is no shame in that.
If you suspect it's burnout, go to your doctor. Even if it isn't, it's good to check.
What's Next?
I hope you enjoyed this installment of publishing my book, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this week's update!
Remember - I love hearing from you. If you want to share a bit about your work, ask me questions about mine, or ask writing-related questions in general, I hope to hear from you!
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