Shining Book: Drafting Update #3
Happy December!
Thank you for the kind words and well wishes as I healed from stomach surgery! I’ve been up and about and getting back to regular life, walking, cleaning, baking and decorating for the holidays, doing a fun event at the Brookline Booksmith for SO BLOOMS THE DAWN, and most importantly, WRITING! Yes, you heard that right, folks. I’m writing again and making good progress, so here is an update.
Where I’m At In The Book
As you may recall, I’ve been working on a 100-page sample of a new project I’m calling Shining Book. I am as superstitious as ever and don’t like to talk too much about novels that haven’t yet sold, but the genre is YA horror — yes! I’m dabbling in YA again and it feels so good!
Of these 100 pages, I now have almost 60. Getting your appendix out means a lot of sitting and resting, and luckily, my job is a sedentary one so I was able to pop a hot compress on my tummy, lean against a stack of pillows, and get to writing. I was even able to hit my weekly goal of 5K words right before Thanksgiving! It was nice to see the numbers growing in my word count spreadsheet and the stickers filling up my calendar for November.
This is going to be an epistolary novel and it has been fun writing newspaper articles, journal entries, and even reviews on a Trip Advisor-like website. I’ve gotten past the setup and now we’re diving into the meat of the story, where the bigger horror plot is bringing out the characters’ flaws and insecurities. I don’t know if I can write scary, so I’m not promising that. But I can write trauma and I’m letting the tale unspool around these very uncertain, envious, competitive, wistful girls.
Where I’m At Emotionally In The Book
It has been a long time since I’ve begun a rough draft from square one.
When I first started writing NOW COMES THE MIST several years ago, I envisioned it as being one gigantic long book. “I love chonky books,” I declared. “I bet readers are going to be SO happy to read a 500-page tome about a girl who makes terrible decisions when it comes to vampires.” When we ended up selling the story, it was in a two-book deal — a very gentle way of saying, “No, Julie, we will be splitting this monster novel into more digestible halves.” As a result, I didn’t have to begin writing SO BLOOMS THE DAWN, the sequel, from the beginning because I’d already begun it. We took the last quarter or so of MIST and that became the opening pages of DAWN.
So with Shining Book, it’s felt a bit like getting back on a bicycle after years of not riding one. I’ve got muscle memory, but there is a little bit of a wobbly uncertainty as I try to remember exactly how to steer and pedal at the same time.
I’ve published nine books since 2017 and in that time, I’ve gotten very, very adept at fighting my perfectionism. I can now see where revisions will need to happen. I have a sense for what parts of my main character will need to be honed and polished so that she isn’t utterly and completely unsympathetic, though I seem to have a knack for writing women that readers are compelled by but just don’t like. “I don’t like Xifeng” or “I don’t like Lucy” have been common refrains from the readers I talk to, and though I care more about my characters making an impact and making you think about them, I would like to hear, just once, “I liked your character so much and was rooting for her!” (My male characters don’t seem to have the same problem. Bao from SONG OF THE CRIMSON FLOWER and Shiro and Wei from FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS were very well-liked, from what I hear. Even Arthur in MIST has some dedicated fans. Perhaps, with the exception of Bao, it’s because they are all side characters? Or maybe it’s because they’re all men.)
Even though I see changes that will likely need to be made, I’ve gotten better at surging onward and just getting words down. Sometimes drafting more of the book can inform me better how to fix later down the line, or — in rare cases — persuade me to keep what I originally intended to fix and change something else instead.
Having A Map To Follow Is Comforting
I’m a writer who uses the hybrid method of combining plotting and pantsing. I outline about five or six chapters at a time, just putting together a vague description of what I think should or will happen in each, and then write through those and see where I am. It’s so reassuring to have that document and know what the work looks like for each writing day. “Today, I’ll write until that basement scene” or “I want to get to that confrontation by the end of the week” is a solid goal. I don’t have to think too hard about what’s coming; I can focus on the writing itself. Thanks, past Julie!
What I dread is excitedly opening my Excel word count spreadsheet, opening my manuscript, and then opening the outline — only to see that I’ve come to the end of my planned chapters. What the hell happens next? How am I supposed to know?! I’m only the author.
I’m reminded of this wonderful doctor I used to work for who was completely bewildered by the fact that I wrote fiction during my nights and weekends. “But how do you know what the character will say next?” he asked, both intrigued and flabbergasted. “How do you know what’s going to happen on the next page?”
I have no idea, boss. I’d like to say it comes to me in a dream or something, but it doesn’t. I have to set aside dedicated time to focus, think, and come up with something that makes sense. The character is here in her emotional journey; what is the next logical step? Is she going to learn, or is she going to be challenged before she can transform? The plot is there and it needs to get all the way over there; what am I going to need to do to drive it in that direction while also building propulsion and suspense?
Writing a book can be a strange alchemy of intuition and desire. You sense that the story should go one way, but you might want it to go another. It’s reconciling the two that makes for a great novel, and I’m confident that I’ve managed to do it before and can therefore do it again. I will figure it out. I’ve just got to keep moving.
What’s Next For This Book?
Step One: Outline some more chapters.
Step Two: Get to 100 pages, which I’m pretty sure I can do by the end of the year. I’m traveling a lot in December, but I will have down time from celebrating the holidays with my partner and family and plan to make good use of it.
Step Three: Send the pages to my agent in January. If she has suggestions for overarching edits, I’ll apply those. If not, we will submit the sample!
What’s Coming After That?
I have an intimidating project that is forcing me to learn a lot of new material. I started reading up over the summer, but had to put the brakes on because of DAWN’s release and a myriad of other obligations. Once this horror novel is submitted, I’m going right back to this project. I’m hoping to have something solid by next summer and I think some of you will be happy!
Once that is all squared away, I have two other unfinished manuscripts waiting in the wings. I’m looking forward to one and I’m terrified of the other, but you know what they say: do it scared!
What I’m Reading and Watching
A Practice Guide To Dating A Demon by Hannah Reynolds: This charming, cozy YA romantasy about a student who accidentally betroths herself to a demon is just the whimsical love story I need. It’s coming out in February (perfect timing for a Valentine’s Day read) and I’m enjoying it so much!
Fawning by Dr. Ingrid Clayton: As a recovering people pleaser, I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction books on the topic and this was one that I really enjoyed. I listened to the audiobook and plan to buy a physical copy.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: The last time I read this was in high school, so I thought I’d go back to it after such a wonderful time in New Zealand. If only I’d read it before the trip so I could kick butt at trivia!
Downton Abbey: After The Gilded Age, I was craving more melodramatic period TV and decided to rewatch this. The plot is often contrived and there are so many deaths for pure shock value, but you know what? It’s junk food dressed up to look gourmet and sometimes you need that in your life.
Thank you so much for being here. It’s been a rollercoaster of a year and it means a lot to have your support on Substack! I am especially thankful for my paid subscribers. I’m happy you’re reading my words and hope I’ll continue to provide interesting, insightful content for you.
I wish you all a wonderful December, a happy holiday season, and a bright new year. More updates coming soon!
XO
Julie
I love Xifeng (go, queen!!) and dislike Wei, personally lol. Glad to hear you're recovering well!