Seasons of Writing

I’ve already started looking at what I want to do in 2024, so I stay on track with my writing and publishing. Just like we are in the transition season of fall, my writing has its own seasons. Some may contain a lot of editing and rewriting. Others may be flat out drafting.

I can plan more easily for 2024 than I did for 2023. I’ve published a book now. The process and timing are figured out, to an extent. The last three years included consistent writing, editing, and learning. It has taught me how long it takes for each step of the process. It can take me four to five months to draft the book. Roughly the same amount of time is required for editing. Add at least a month in there to let the beta readers have at it. They usually get it after the initial edits are done to give them a clean copy. I know there are things that might need fixing, but most times I’m not positive about that until I see where readers get hung up or what they like. My beta readers have done well in supplying information to help flesh out the characters and the world, and keep the story on track.

I always find things to do in the transition seasons of writing. When a primary project is with beta readers, I can work on another project and do some organizing clean up. In October, while my beta readers had Truth Bearer, I pulled my dystopian sci-fi off of Vella and put it on my Substack instead. I also reworked the beginning of Last of Dragons based on feedback from my critique group, who has the fun of seeing my rougher drafts. I tend to not be as detail oriented in the first draft. My goal in that is to have plot and character arcs flowing together and then I put more flesh on the skeleton with the editing and rewriting phase.

I’m hoping my seasons of writing flow look something like:

Truth Bearer is finalized by the end of 2023.

January is book formatting, cover design and launch prep for Truth Bearer.

January will also have outlining book three of the series mixed in.

February is the launch of Truth Bearer with a start on drafting book 3.

March through April will have the primary focus on drafting book 3.

Summer will be for editing, beta readers, and working on finishing the draft of Last of Dragons

In the mix of all of that, there will still be the usual business to-dos, blog posting, and critique group needs. There will be time for some learning, whether it is from a book, a course, or directly with someone based on timing and finances. I have a course I want to weave into this next phase of editing rounds of Truth Bearer because I believe it will help.

Will my plans come out that way? There is a good chance they will based on what I learned and accomplished in the past three years. Can life derail this? It certainly can. The great thing about being my boss with my writing, I can change things when I need to. We don’t always have that luxury in life. I know that if I keep God as the pilot and conductor of all I do, I will reach the goals He intended for me. Sometimes I have to mess something up to know that is not where I should have gone, but that mess can turn into something better I didn’t even expect. God has a way of blowing our simple human logic out of the water and making us see the true path He had planned.

I will have the adjusting of my husband retiring fully this year. He’ll move into his own hobby that can turn into a fun business and he will be around the house a lot more. I’ll have to adjust my way of operating in the housecleaning and my writing around this.

Change is inevitable in life. It’s how we view it that will block our progress or allow us to shift to a new path. We can use hindsight and what God is telling us now to step into the future with confidence. Accept closing doors and the opening of ones that may even scare you. God will see you through to the right place for each season.