Hello, dreamers. Last week was a big week, ending with the release of my next novella, The Envoy. To those who pre-ordered the book, or have purchased it since then, thank you. As always, you’re the reason I do what I do.
This week, I’m setting myself to a daunting task, one I’m looking forward to, though I’ll admit I’d been putting it off. With that said, here’s what I’ll be up to this week:
Pioneers
This week, I’m doing it: making my planned changes to my soon-to-be-queried novel. My recent comps research (which is ongoing) has been eye-opening, as has listening to the podcast “The Shit Nobody Tells You About Writing”. More than anything, it introduced me to the term “interiority”.
As I’ve mentioned in recent posts, “interiority” refers to the process in writing of describing settings and characters through the eyes of a character (typically the MC). It helps cut down on both exposition and needless dialogue, while also offering readers a glimpse into a character’s mind. My being introduced to this term was a revelation. Not because it was something I’d never done, but rather because it was something I had done, but had been discouraged from doing by countless resources on writing.
As my regular readers will know, I devoted much of January to a comprehensive revision pass of Pioneers. In the process, I trimmed thousands of words of text. I did this because so much of what I’d seen said explanation must be kept to an absolute minimum. I didn’t really like many of the changes I made. I felt they hollowed out the story. But, well, I thought this was what I was supposed to be doing.
Turns out that is very much not the case. And as such, I was, in fact, hollowing out my story. What’s worse, I was removing much of my own voice, the very thing that makes my writing my writing. So, this week, I’m beginning what I expect to be a long and grueling process. Much of that process will simply involve me putting things back the way they were. But a lot of it will involve me leaning further into the original ideas of the story. I’m going to do what I wanted to do in the first place: sit back, and let the characters tell the story in their own words. It feels liberating, albeit daunting. But, given how well my comps research has gone, I feel I’m ready. And I am convinced, at long last, that this is the final major step before I begin my querying journey.
Upcoming Releases
As I mentioned in last week’s “WIP Wednesday”, I’m embarking on an interiority quest with my upcoming novellas. And so far it’s going very well. As of today, I’m through Endurance, MERIT 19, and Ganymede, and am working my way through Fantoms. I’m about halfway through that one, and loving every second.
With any luck, I’ll be done with Fantoms by Wednesday. Then, I’ll be able to focus my full attention on next month’s features, before diving back into Pioneers.
Upcoming Content
A few brief notes on content this week:
I anticipate the process of revamping Pioneers to be all-consuming. For this reason, my posting will likely be limited over the coming weeks. This week I’ll be doing a special “WIP Wednesday” about returning to Pioneers. However, based on plummeting readership for the feature, I’m currently considering suspending “WIP Wednesday” for the time being. So if you enjoy my weekly “WIP Wednesday” posts, please comment below and let me know.
Also, there will be no “Flash Fiction Friday” post this week. In its place, I’ll be posting a one-off feature. And with that in mind, here’s what to expect this week on Writing Tomorrow:
Tuesday 4/30: “Teaser Tuesday”
With the release of The Envoy, I turn my attention to Endurance. Get your first sneak peek at my upcoming novella, the first in the Turn of the Century series!
Thursday 5/2: “Star Wars Reviewed”
This month, my customary Thursday features are being replaced by “Star Wars Reviewed”, in which I’ll be looking at the various Star Wars films and giving my take, in preparation for the debut of Star Wars: The Acolyte next month. This week, don’t miss my review of 1999’s Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
Friday 5/3: “Knee-Jerk Reaction: Discovery Season Five”
If you’ve been watching the final season of Star Trek: Discovery (or if you haven’t), you might want to take a look at my knee-jerk reaction after the halfway point of the season.
Saturday 5/24: “Into the Dotiverse: Part Three”
Venture deeper into my fictional future, starting where it all began: Earth.
Sunday 5/5: “Self-Pub Sunday”
Learn more about Endurance, the upcoming first book of my Turn of the Century series, and how you can pre-order!
It’s another busy week here on Writing Tomorrow. So keep reading, and dare to dream. – MK
Writing Tomorrow 