When your antagonist is a powerful goddess...
...things get complicated. Book 3 updates!
🧠 LEARNING 🧠
I've spent the past month deep in the rewriting trenches. Things are slowly coming together for When Death Is Hiding, but I still feel sooo far from having a good draft!
Since I'm working on structural things (motivation, pacing, conflict...), I listened to a few episodes from a podcast I love - Fiction Writing Made Easy by Savannah Gilbo.
One episode called "5 Questions to Write Better Antagonists" helped me split up my book's antagonist's goal into two parts:
1) What does the antagonist want BEFORE June (the MC) enters her life?
2) What does the antagonist want AFTER - aka how does June mess up her plans?
Since the antagonist in this book is a scorned and unstable goddess of Fate … things are complicated. FUN! But complicated. Figuring out what she wants and what is in her way (given that goddesses are, you know, powerful) has been an adventure.
But uncovering her weaknesses, goals, and flaws, is helping the story come together.
🎉 CELEBRATING 🎉
Pathfinders Writing Collective has been going sooo well!!!
We have almost 1,000 writers in our discord and tons of others who are going to participate in our build-your-own writing challenge starting Nov 1.
People are excited to have a more flexible challenge that writers can adapt to their goals, strengths, and needs.
Fun news: We have about 30 partners who are donating something (a service, a discount on products, books, critiques, etc) for our monthly raffle for participants.
But the community aspect has been the best of all. Everyone is super supportive of one another's progress, and so many writers are taking steps to follow their dreams.
If you want to learn more, we have a website! https://pathfinderswritingcollective.com/
😫 STRUGGLING 😫
A tough decision - I was hoping to finish this rewrite in October. But there is still TOO MUCH to do. So...
I pushed back my beta reader and editor deadlines!
I'll be sending WDIH to beta readers on Dec 1 (instead of Nov 1), and sending it to my editor on April 1 (instead of March 1).
You get the inside scoop here!! I'm hoping to release WDIH in September 2025.
Even these new deadlines feel like crunch time. But I'm trying to trust the process!
🧘♀️ RESTING 🧘♀️
I don't think this counts as resting but... 😂
In March, I shared the idea of planning a Midwestern ladies writing with my author friend Lee (PS, her book Hexes Go Well With Tequila is great).
We made it happen! Inklings Writing Retreat 2024!
18 of us writer gals spent a weekend at a lodge in French Lick, Indiana writing, connecting, learning, and growing!
It was a lot of work, but it was so worth it because of the progress and friendships that came from it. We're hoping to do another retreat next fall!
In terms of actual resting, it's hard to carve out time for relaxation during this rewrite...
But I love the autumn, so I'm trying to make some time for cozy walks, video gaming (still playing FF7 remake), and a visit to our pumpkin farm!
Some of the Inklings girls:
