I would love to hear about your outlining process! I hear a lot of authors talk about plotting and outlining but I would love to know what that looks like for you. What do you mean by outlining, examples, approaches? Thank you ♥️
Thank you for the vulnerability here! As I read, I thought of how valuable it might be for other writers to learn your process for restarting. What did it look like for you, what steps did you take to come up with a game plan, and why those steps? If you’re comfortable sharing, what was the key logic behind them asking you to start from page one, and do you think it has changed the way you will think about future stories at the draft stage?
As the author who inspired ME to become a writer (at the very serious and important age of 13), it's so weirdly cathartic and yet horrifying to know that not only does life not get easier, writing books doesn't get easier, and the business!!! It doesn't get easier!!!
I'm so heartbroken as a writer and reader of yours to know it will be a while longer to see this book, BUT very excited (& patient!!) to see the final book on shelves and know that even when the inevitable shoe drops, we get right back up.
(Also!! This was an even bigger push for me to use a pen name. I'm so sorry and disgusted to know that readers have railroaded so many boundaries of yours!)
Oh, the dreaded restart! 😭 Love these thoughts on rebranding it, though—and I'm sure you can't even imagine the new wisdom and insight that will come out of this experience. Cannot wait to read it one day. 🤍
I appreciate you being vulnerable and sharing your writing journey with us about your adult book. I have every faith in you to nail it! As someone who has had to completely start over on a book I'd already sold, I resonated deeply with everything you said. Strangely, it was my dad's advice that helped me the most. (He was also a writer.) I was complaining to him and crying buckets of tears (and had been crying for days), when he lovingly told me, "Well, I guess this [the complete rewrite] is what you get paid the big bucks for." And while the "big bucks" aspect is up for debate, lol, just hearing that finally gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get over my sadness and crack down on the work. Now that book is the book I'm most proud of. You've got this, Alex!
I know your rebranding concept is going to take you further than you can imagine. Considering the power of your imagination, I can’t wait to pick up this most recent attempt and dive in with wonder and awe.
Thanks for sharing such an inspirational post this week. Your transparency has always been an encouragement to me as a budding writer. I am confident in your abilty to write from experience when it comes to this repeat novel. It will be great to hear, if you are willing to share, how you are approaching this differently to a YA.
Not sure if you have this brand down there, but I've fallen in love with the brand Sand + Fog (candles), specifically the Mango and Guava one. It's so fresh and gives off all the spring/summer vibes!
I appreciate you mentioning the grieving part of this process. It's important and you deserve it. All writers do. So what I would love for you to share is how the POV changes this story for you. Having most recently read the duology, I felt Tamsin's emotion, but she also always kept me dialed into what was happening around her. I've said on IG, you're at the top of your game. It's the perfect time to explore an adult novel (There were definitely hints of it in SitB/MoB!) Good luck, Alex! You're going to write one heck of a book.
I wish you the best of luck with your rewrite, Alex! I know how hard it can be as a perfectionist to not feel as though you are failing, but not everything works out on the first few tries. As a loyal reader, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to come up with your next masterpiece! <3
Oh Alex! Thank you so much for your vulnerability in sharing this. I imagine it wasn't easy (and is even harder to face). I have one project in particular that I've rewritten multiple times now, and I also struggle with those perfectionist fears of "failure." I fully trust that your inner fortitude will only be emboldened by this experience. May you feel supported, cared for, and kind to yourself as you embark on your restart! You've got this <3
I would love to hear about your outlining process! I hear a lot of authors talk about plotting and outlining but I would love to know what that looks like for you. What do you mean by outlining, examples, approaches? Thank you ♥️
THIS and... how do you know you have enough to start outlining/plotting?
I’d love to hear about how you plot out your novels! And maybe what you do when you get stuck on a scene/chapter.
Thank you for the vulnerability here! As I read, I thought of how valuable it might be for other writers to learn your process for restarting. What did it look like for you, what steps did you take to come up with a game plan, and why those steps? If you’re comfortable sharing, what was the key logic behind them asking you to start from page one, and do you think it has changed the way you will think about future stories at the draft stage?
I love following your work! Take care, friend!
Thank you for sharing this! I'm cheering you on so hard as you dive into this restart!
As the author who inspired ME to become a writer (at the very serious and important age of 13), it's so weirdly cathartic and yet horrifying to know that not only does life not get easier, writing books doesn't get easier, and the business!!! It doesn't get easier!!!
I'm so heartbroken as a writer and reader of yours to know it will be a while longer to see this book, BUT very excited (& patient!!) to see the final book on shelves and know that even when the inevitable shoe drops, we get right back up.
(Also!! This was an even bigger push for me to use a pen name. I'm so sorry and disgusted to know that readers have railroaded so many boundaries of yours!)
Oh, the dreaded restart! 😭 Love these thoughts on rebranding it, though—and I'm sure you can't even imagine the new wisdom and insight that will come out of this experience. Cannot wait to read it one day. 🤍
Thank you for being so open and honest. This really helped me and I'm totally taking the rebrand perspective to heart!
As for writing advice, I'd love to know how you go about thinking of a character in deeper way.
I appreciate you being vulnerable and sharing your writing journey with us about your adult book. I have every faith in you to nail it! As someone who has had to completely start over on a book I'd already sold, I resonated deeply with everything you said. Strangely, it was my dad's advice that helped me the most. (He was also a writer.) I was complaining to him and crying buckets of tears (and had been crying for days), when he lovingly told me, "Well, I guess this [the complete rewrite] is what you get paid the big bucks for." And while the "big bucks" aspect is up for debate, lol, just hearing that finally gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get over my sadness and crack down on the work. Now that book is the book I'm most proud of. You've got this, Alex!
I know your rebranding concept is going to take you further than you can imagine. Considering the power of your imagination, I can’t wait to pick up this most recent attempt and dive in with wonder and awe.
Thanks for sharing such an inspirational post this week. Your transparency has always been an encouragement to me as a budding writer. I am confident in your abilty to write from experience when it comes to this repeat novel. It will be great to hear, if you are willing to share, how you are approaching this differently to a YA.
Sending you all the good vibes for your rewrite!
Not sure if you have this brand down there, but I've fallen in love with the brand Sand + Fog (candles), specifically the Mango and Guava one. It's so fresh and gives off all the spring/summer vibes!
I appreciate you mentioning the grieving part of this process. It's important and you deserve it. All writers do. So what I would love for you to share is how the POV changes this story for you. Having most recently read the duology, I felt Tamsin's emotion, but she also always kept me dialed into what was happening around her. I've said on IG, you're at the top of your game. It's the perfect time to explore an adult novel (There were definitely hints of it in SitB/MoB!) Good luck, Alex! You're going to write one heck of a book.
You got this, Alex! Sometimes you just gotta start over and the book will be all the better for it!
I wish you the best of luck with your rewrite, Alex! I know how hard it can be as a perfectionist to not feel as though you are failing, but not everything works out on the first few tries. As a loyal reader, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to come up with your next masterpiece! <3
Oh Alex! Thank you so much for your vulnerability in sharing this. I imagine it wasn't easy (and is even harder to face). I have one project in particular that I've rewritten multiple times now, and I also struggle with those perfectionist fears of "failure." I fully trust that your inner fortitude will only be emboldened by this experience. May you feel supported, cared for, and kind to yourself as you embark on your restart! You've got this <3