I’ve written three novels in the last couple of years and started a fourth over the weekend. Based on how things are going, I suspect the fifth will be the first one that’s readable by people other than me.
It’s been a fun journey. I’ve heard it’s common to have three to six books under your belt before the pieces really start coming together.
The first novel has an interesting story, but the structure is a mess. The dialogue is clunky, the plot meanders, and the protagonist lacks a strong redemption arc.
The second is better. The dialogue improved, and the pacing works, but the main villain is still a cardboard cutout, and the story leans hard on tropes. Still, progress is progress.
The third is good enough that I’ve reread it twice after getting it bound and printed. The dialogue feels realistic, and the pacing is solid. It’s almost purely character-driven, though, and the plot probably wouldn’t interest anyone but me. It’s also the first story over 100k words I’ve genuinely liked.
The fourth is only about 5,000 words in. I’m deliberately trying to apply everything I’ve learned from the earlier attempts and put it all together this time.
I’m no stranger to multi-year projects that stretch my abilities, and I love this kind of challenge.
Using the BYOK for this one. We’ll see how it works for me once I get into a real rhythm.
