Since I had to put the blog on hold for July, I wanted to give a quick look at what July was like for me and my writing.
To no one’s surprise, I did not actually get a lot of writing done. GOATS started off as a weird, trippy folk horror story and has turned into a dumping ground for a lot of my grief and trauma. I’ve used my own personal experiences as inspiration so that the more emotional aspects of the story come across as genuine. I’m in love with the story I’ve written so far, but it is harder for me to write because of the mental toll it takes. On my good days, I can write a chapter a day. On my bad days, I struggle to open the draft.
With my Nana’s recent passing, following a lengthy stay in palliative care, I was not emotionally prepared to make progress on that particular WIP. Add to that the pain from my recent TMJ issues and I didn’t even have the energy to sit and write.
Instead, I did what I could and worked with what spoons I had available. I used my downtime to brainstorm my most requested projects to date: Skull Daddy sequels. I am pleased to announce that what was once a stand-alone story will be transformed into a 3 part saga. I’ve got copious notes and even a rough plot for book two, so I look forward to writing those once I’m finished with GOATS.
But that’s not all! I also spent July getting both The Tunnel and Modern Hauntings ready for beta reading. I hadn’t planned on having them both ready for this step at the same time, but sometimes that’s what happens. I may even change the publishing order as a result of this – but I’ll wait and see what notes I get back from my beta readers and what level of editing my books need as a result.
And, as always, stay tuned for updates. I’m officially back to working my “normal” schedule (is anything I do normal?), and I’ve figured out an effective way to incorporate my new volunteer duties with the Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue into my routine. Plus, there’s even more going on behind the scenes that I’m not ready to announce yet. Apparently, even when I take time off I’m busy.
So stay tuned for all the good stuff, keep stopping by my table at events to say hi, and subscribe to my newsletter to get early sneak peeks. And of course, stay spooky!
