Weekly Update: Reflecting on The Beauty of Dawn + My New Novel

So, it’s been a year since I officially published The Beauty of Dawn. A lot has happened since then, including getting in a car accident that set me back several months in pretty much everything. I’m all better now, though, and I’m ready to kick some career-kickstarting butt.

There’s a lot I need to do still for The Beauty of Dawn, including releasing a hard cover edition, and possibly recording an audiobook. I also want to release the book not just on Amazon, but across all platforms that books sell by using Ingram. I know, I know, I should have done this ages ago—but I have this thing (as all artists do) where I start to doubt myself, and then creative projects suffer. But I’ve realized that if I want to turn this author thing into a career, (something I’ve wanted since I was literally eight years old), I have to get past that. So I’m putting my foot down on the gas pedal and plowing through my insecurities. My book deserves the full treatment of a published novel — I spent a lot of time and money ensuring it’s quality. All that’s missing is me believing in myself!

Which brings me to what my next book is all about. If Our Souls Were Flowers is currently on its first draft at roughly 40,000 words. The average fantasy novel is 80,000 words, so technically, I’m halfway there! That being said, I imagine it will exceed the 80,000 word mark, probably entering the 120,000 word range. Without giving too much away, I’m really excited for this book. I think the worldbuilding and character dynamics are super unique. I also care a lot about the moral message of this story—the main character suffers from extreme social anxiety, something I have personally struggled with over the years. It’s a slice of life lower YA intrusion fantasy about growing up and making new, healthy connections. I’m currently nearing the end of chapter five, and I’ve developed a rigorous writing schedule that will help me get the job done. I used to write just whenever inspiration struck me—but as some famous person once said: “when the muse strikes, she better find you working.”

I’ve decided to post weekly updates on my website, and possibly on other social media channels. I’m going to remove these blocks in my head where I think everything needs to be perfect. It’s been preventing me from advertising my books because I get all wound up on the “perfect marketing schedule,” and end up not doing anything at all.

You know that quote by Sylvia Path about the fig tree? I feel like that pretty much sums up my life right now. I’ve always wanted to be a full-time author, but I convinced myself that the odds of that are nearly impossible, so I should be exploring other avenues. I bounced between jobs and spread myself super thin. I’m pretty sure I did this because I was listening to everybody but myself. I know what I want. I’ve always known what I want. And now I’m going to do it!

Get ready for some super awesome adventures.

See you on the next page,

Willow