Falling into Writing

Some updates as we end the year

TL;DR: In order to recharge my creative batteries, I put "The Celestial Saga" on temporary hold to focus on writing a new novel, "Hydra." Everything should be done and ready by early 2026!

Hey everyone, it’s been an interesting year. Here’s a quick recap.

• October 2024 (1 year ago): I finished the initial draft of The Celestial Saga, my sprawling standalone epic fantasy novel.

• November - February 2025: I revised CS and prepared it for editorial submission.

• March 2025: Submitted CS to a publisher and to several notable authors for blurbs.

• May: received several glowing blurbs, and a request from the publisher for significant changes.

• June-July: implemented many changes to the book, but ultimately decided to split the novel into a trilogy.

• September (last month): I put the CS revisions on hold and began drafting an all-new novel, Hydra.

Let’s unpack all of that, especially that last bullet point.

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Celestial Saga Update

I spent the entire summer working to split The Celestial Saga into a trilogy. Truthfully, I still don’t love that choice, but the reality of publishing a 1,000-page novel in our current market is that it’s just not viable. I’ll set myself and the book(s) up for better success if the story is split.

The good news is that the full trilogy is written. Yes, I it needs revisions, but that’s part of the process, right?

The challenge is that it’s not as simple as just chopping the book at 1/3 intervals. Each individual novel needs its own pacing and character arcs. Each book needs to be satisfactory. They need their own awesome endings. And that’s where I’ve struggled. I really want these books to work. I’ve spent too many years (17+ !) crafting this story, so I’m not going to settle for a half-assed job. I know I can complete the task and make it work. But it’s requiring more time, and frankly, I need a break from that story for a little while.

Here’s an unscientific estimate of the amount of work remaining for each volume:

• Celestial Saga, vol. 1: ~15% left to revise and/or draft

• Celestial Saga, vol. 2: ~30% left to revise and/or draft

• Celestial Saga, vol. 3: ~40% left to revise and/or draft

The goal is to have CS volume 1 revised and completed and ready for submission in early 2026. Once I get rolling, completing volumes 2-3 will be more straight forward.

Hydra Update

Hydra is the working title for my in-progress novel. It’s the first in a science-fantasy series featuring cybernetic dragons. I’m currently drafting the first novel and I’m really happy with it.

• Word count: 140,000 estimated words (~430 pages)

• Current words drafted: 75,000 (54%)

That’s a remarkable pace for me, especially since I drafted most of it within the past month. I don’t want to commit to a date when I’m finished, but I expect to have a “zero draft” (ie, a raw, unedited first draft) before the end of this year.

If you’re a paid subscriber, you can read the first chapter here.

The Year of the Naga continues

2025 is the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. Think of a gentle, low energy snake dreaming at night while it lurks in its cave. That’s been me. I’ve largely retreated to my home library/office to focus on my writing. And you know what…? It’s working.

In early 2026 I will have:

• A completed draft of Hydra.

• A completed draft of Celestial Saga, Vol. 1.

• A nearly complete draft of Celestial Saga, Vol. 2.

• A nearly complete draft of Celestial Saga, Vol. 3.

That’s 4 novels (!!!!), which is pretty exciting when I think about it in those terms.

Next year, 2026, is the Year of the Horse (which happens to be my Chinese zodiac sign), so except a full gallop when we get there.

In the meantime, the cybernetic dragons are calling me and it’s time for me to write.

Thank you for your ongoing support!