I started writing my first novel in spring 2023, more than a year ago. I finished the first draft in October and got a few beta readers to check it out. As a first-time novelist, I felt like it was pretty rough. I hadn’t done a very good job of weaving the chapters together because I kept swapping the order of them. My character development was inconsistent. I ended up changing the original plot because I felt like it wasn’t working. Through it all, I kept editing it and was at draft number four by the end of 2023.

As 2024 approached, I focused on getting a full-time job because the book was written! In May, I met a writer who recommended her editor to me. It ended up being a great match, so now I’m working through the editing process at a somewhat leisurely pace in my spare time on the weekends. Now that I have a full-time job, the book is on the back burner and I’m not sad about that because writing it was the biggest hurdle.

Publishing a novel is my passion project and I’m not looking to be a full-time novelist. I’m self-publishing on Amazon KDP and if the novel happens to sell some copies, that’s icing on the cake, so they say.

When will the book be ready? I hope to have it published before the end of the year. It’s getting better each day and I’m so excited to share it with you all soon!