Writing my novel this summer

I did it. The first draft of my adult dystopian fantasy is complete. 84,000 words written in 5 weeks (36 days) – not all of which were writing days. Started 26th July and finished 30th August. I got the idea sometime in June I believe.

The time has come and gone so quickly. I really didn’t know if I could write the whole book over summer, but I was focused. I made it a habit. I tried to write before doing anything else in the mornings (bar a jog or getting my coffee).

I enjoyed the process. I felt creative and in flow most days that I sat down to write. On the days I didn’t, I took more breaks and expected less from myself. I made up for the lower writing days with bigger ones. Balance!

Emphasis on the fact that I took breaks! I didn’t write actively all summer. Instead, I would write for 25 minutes at a time and take breaks. Do my yoga, reading, walking, workouts, cleaning, seeing people, etc. I lived my life and enjoyed myself and looked after myself around writing. Writing is something I love but it’s not worth doing if I’m hating myself or over tired or aching and hungry or lonely or whatever else!

My story is an adult dystopian fantasy. It’s set in another world, in a country called Desterra. The country has decayed overtime due to the reaping of natural resources. There is now a divided country rife with monsters and dark magic.

It follows four points of view and I think this helped me write it quickly and enjoy it so much. I have been able to slip into different heads and lives. Write from different vantage points, which allows me to be creative and bring a unique voice to my chapters.

I needed walks and conversations with friends and YouTube videos on writing and my knowledge from university and Pinterest boards, but more than anything, I needed the characters. I think my characters are intriguing to me. Flawed. Put in unique positions for change. The plot and setting isn’t all that counts. It’s the characters’ journeys. How they transform for better or worse because of internal and external conflict. My story had both and it felt natural this time.

I didn’t need the majority of the planning, note-taking, and prep I did beforehand. I often just started writing. This means that if you are struggling to plan and prepare, don’t stress about it. Maybe you don’t need all of that. Yeah, it’s good groundwork sometimes, but you needn’t think there is some prerequisite to writing your novel. Maybe you just need to start and as you go (as I did), you will discover more about your world, characters, and magic.

In my writing, I love to explore social issues and weave that into a fantasy world. I also love cultures. I think my magic and worldbuilding are about culture. That’s where the sweet spot is for me. Not “oooo look at this cool power or ability!” but instead the magic and worldbuilding is about the cultural influences it would have on a people. And a MC that is in that world, how would they speak? What would they know or not know? This is just very interesting to me and something I’ve noticed I’m enjoying/ getting better at in my stories.

Needless to say, this post is a bit braggy and rambling. Oh well! I’m proud of my writing this summer, and so I’m sharing my joy. I feel a sense of confidence and I’ve discovered more about myself as a writer. We must celebrate our own achievements. Cheer so loudly that it doesn’t matter if others cheer for us, too.

Sincerely,

S. xx