Savannah Watson

I am thrilled to be posting this publishing update, you guys have no idea.

The first draft of Salem Winters: Paranormal Problem Solver Volume Three is finally finished! I say “finally” because I have been desperately trying to finish draft one for over a year and a half at this point. This may not seem like that long when you consider how long it takes some authors, but considering how I wrote Volume One and Volume Two (totaling around 110,000 words) in six months, a year plus is a long time!

There are a few reasons why this one has taken so long to write.

First, I’ve had a lot of life changes over the past year that have impacted not only my time and availability to write but also my ability to focus on writing. I also lost a month due to health concerns (which I mentioned in a previous post called Disconnecting).

I think the biggest reason that it has taken me so long to complete this first draft is that this one has been the hardest to write so far. I knew how it would end before I knew anything else, and I had a general idea of the four novella plots that would be included. However, one of them in particular I struggled to flesh out exactly what would happen and how… but these events were critical to the rest of the story, so I knew I had to get it right. Nothing was really coming to me, and filling in the middle after fully writing the beginning and end proved to be insanely difficult.

Until last weekend, when I wrote about 6,000 words over two days and finished the first draft!

So, now I’m in the rereading and editing phase. I will fill in missing details or scenes, check for grammatical and spelling errors, and check for continuity before I pass the second draft off to my alpha reader, then my beta readers.

On the note of rereading, I have decided to go back to the beginning and reread my entire series to make sure the next volume flows and that everything to this point is accurate to what I have already written. Maintaining continuity is just as important as adding new information! I plan to write a post about my rereading experience (it’s a very surreal experience), so be on the lookout for that if you’re interested.

This is always an exciting place to reach. Draft one being done means most of the ‘hard labor’ is done and that I’m a bit closer to the ultimate finish line – publishing. I’m also excited about the next steps with my alpha/beta reader(s). For me, the best part (after the writing itself) is finally getting to discuss the story with someone without the fear of spoiling anything. I’ll also be welcoming new beta readers to the process, which just adds to the excitement (a big shoutout to them 🩶)!

As I move through another round of the publishing journey, I am reminded once again of how much I truly love the writing process. It’s tough sometimes, but more often, it’s fascinating and magical and fun. I am once again reminded how writing is the only thing I have ever wanted to do – my life’s deepest passion.

Thank you all for being along for the ride as my Salem Winters adventure continues, and stay tuned for more updates… such as the tentative publication date! 😁

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