By: The Cheeky · January 2025
The holidays are over, and now we’re in the full swing of the January blues. Depending on where you live, the sunlight is scarce, the weather is cold, and spring still feels far away.
Here’s a quick update on where I’m at with my writing projects!
Book Three Novella:
I am in the final stages of line editing before sending it off to beta readers and then the copyeditor. This story has gone through so many changes, and it was tough to accept that perfection is elusive. It’s going to be a bittersweet ending for me. In a future post, I’ll share what I’ve learned from writing my debut series—how novellas have influenced my writing style and whether they’ve been profitable.
I’m genuinely excited about this story. Now that I’ve gotten out of my own way and quieted my doubts, the story has improved so much since its inception. I’m looking forward to publishing it around Valentine’s Day!
Project AD:
This is a duology I’m currently outlining—a full-fledged fantasy romance novel. I’m aiming to publish it in late summer. Right now, I’m adjusting my outlining process in hopes of producing a cleaner first draft with minimal rewrites. I’ll more about this project down the road.
I’m also debating whether to start a new pen name for this genre. While the spice level is similar and there may be some reader crossover, it doesn’t feel quite right to publish this under the same name as my contemporary romance books. If anyone has insight on managing multiple pen names or writing across genres, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Project FanFic:
This one’s purely for fun! I’m diving back into the fanfic world with a novel-length story in a popular fandom featuring a well-loved pairing. I’ve wanted to do this for a while.
I once completed a fanfic in a different fandom, and I was most consistent with my writing when readers were eagerly waiting for the next chapter. That story is still floating around on Wattpad, and I’m always amazed by the stats when I check in.
This new fanfic will mostly appeal to AO3 readers. I used to post on FanFiction.net back when it was the place to be. Now, I’m nervous about sharing my work on AO3—the fanfic writers there are god-tier! I’d be beyond lucky if even one person enjoys my story.
Project Find a Friend:
A mini-goal I haven’t shared before is finding an indie author buddy. Not just a writing partner, but someone who’s also navigating the indie publishing world. I’d love to find my community because it’s tough to do that in person.
This is an ongoing project. I’ve heard that having a critique partner is one of the best ways to improve your writing and grow your indie author business. I need both accountability and community. If anyone has advice—or if you’re looking for the same thing—please feel free to reach out to me!
This post wasn’t much, but I hope someone out there finds it helpful. There’s so much to explore in the world of writing and self-publishing, but at its core, this blog is my space to journal my author journey.
Have a great day, Cheekies!
