WIP update

📚 Project: T.A.G.

Dystopian new adult near-future sci-fi trilogy

Book 1 

📗 Manuscript complete!

✍️ 92,000 words, 31 chapters

▶️ With copyeditor 📝

After having little success querying agents, I decided to work with a developmental editor, which was a fantastic decision. After working on revisions for 5 months, now it’s in the hands of a copyeditor

Book 2

📕 Draft complete!

✍️ 100,000 words, 27 chapters

▶️ Goal: Finish revisions and start working with my developmental editor by the end of the year ✍️

I learned a ton working with my developmental editor on Book 1. I need to apply those learnings to Book 2—and reflect a few plot tweaks—before giving it to her.

Book 3

📘 Work in progress…

✍️ 45,000 words, 15 chapters

▶️ Goal to finish draft by end of 2027

I had originally hoped to finish this draft by the end of last year, but I’ve been doing so deep in revisions on Book 1 that I haven’t done any more work on Book 3. And now I want to go back to Book 2 and apply what I’ve learned, so finishing Book 3 is on the backburner for now.


📚 Project: W.A.

Utopian interstellar sci-fi trilogy

Books 1, 2, and 3

💡 Ideation, with 17,000 words of book notes

I’ve been collecting a stack of fiction and nonfiction books to read to prepare for writing this new trilogy.


📗 Project: Boston

Contemporary romance

💡 Ideation, with 10,000 words of book notes

Inspired after hearing Anne Lamott and Neal Allen talk about cowriting their latest book, Good Writing, I asked my wife to cowrite this novel with me—and she said YES!


Related posts:

What I got back from my developmental editor

Good Writing: An Evening with Anne Lamott & Neal Allen


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WIP update

📚 Project: T.A.G.

Dystopian new adult near-future sci-fi trilogy

Book 1 

📗 Manuscript complete!

✍️ 90,000 words, 23 chapters

▶️ With developmental editor 📝

I was querying agents, but decided to pivot and work with a developmental editor before doing any more. 

Book 2

📕 Draft complete!

✍️ 100,000 words, 27 chapters

▶️ Out with final beta reader 📤

Waiting to hear back from my last beta reader. Will then hand it off to developmental editor.

Book 3

📘 Work in progress…

✍️ 37,000 words, 11 chapters

▶️ Goal to finish draft by end of year 🥂

Finishing by year-end may be a stretch, given all the work I’ve been doing on book 1 with my developmental editor. However, I’ve now done a detailed outline of the final book, which may give me the momentum I need. Fingers crossed.


📚 Project: W.A.

Utopian interstellar sci-fi trilogy

Books 1, 2, and 3

💡 Ideation, with 13,000 words of book notes


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Location scouting in Nashville

While I’ve travelled fairly extensively, I haven’t been to any of the locations where my dystopian sci-fi trilogy (Project T.A.G.) takes place. A number of those are in India and China, where I unfortunately haven’t been. Others are in out of the way locations in countries I have visited, such as Panama, Greece, and Finland.

However, the sci-fi romance novel I’ll be working on next (Project W.A.) is based in part in Nashville. I hadn’t been there either, until this past week. As part of a road trip from Boston that also included Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Cincinnati, my wife Kate and I spent 24 hours in Nashville. We visited the Grand Ole Opry and Opry Mills, two locations that will be featured in my story. While we were there, we also spent time at the Country Music Hall of Fame, on the General Jackson Showboat, and on Honky Tonk Highway, a 4-block stretch of Broadway that’s packed with bars.

While I don’t think it’s necessary to visit story locations, it certainly can help give you a better sense of a setting and give you extra details that can bring more authenticity to your descriptions. It’s also more fun!


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