Writing Update: March 2025
Hi there! It’s been a while since I’ve done a writing update, but I’m back again to tell you about all the exciting things happening in March 2025 and beyond!
This March, I’m editing Draft 2 of Deadwood Burning, a prequel novel in the Lone Player trilogy. If you want a closer look into my process and a few tips for staying motivated, read on!
Life Update: I Moved!
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already know that I’ve gone through a few major life changes recently.
First…I moved into my own apartment in January!
What this means for you:
I have a quiet place with good lighting to film more Reels and YouTube videos
I have a great new writing setup for more productive sessions (AKA more progress on my projects!)
More time in my schedule to be active on social media, publish more blogs, and send out more newsletters
However, the adjustment period has been a bit turbulent. I work full time and I’m also chronically ill, so it’s taking time to feel settled and rediscover a routine that works for me. I went from strictly writing every single day to being thankful to get one writing session in a week.
But now that my space is more organized and I’m getting used to this new way of living, it feels like my motivation to write is slowly making its way back to me! Which is very exciting.
I love writing. I really do. It saved me and it continues to save me every time I turn to it. But sometimes life gets messy and my imposter syndrome starts crawling back and I let my perfectionism stand between me and what I love.
But no more! I’m coming out of a slump and letting my writing be what it wants to be, even if it feels “messy.” If you’re also struggling with imposter syndrome lately, I have some tips in this blog post.
writing and Publishing Updates
So in addition to this major life update, here’s a brief overview of what I’m currently working on:
Deadwood Burning: Beta reading is done and I’m currently working on edits for Draft 2! My goal is to finish by April 13.
Sinker: While waiting for beta reader feedback for Deadwood Burning, I spent a couple weeks revisiting the first draft of Sinker and outlining a publication schedule.
Book 3: DB is my priority right now, but I am constantly adding to my monstrous Book 3 outline, taking notes, and writing scenes as they come to me.
Cryptid Series: I’m always thinking about Obie and his pals and brainstorming ideas with my brother. The story is developing in my mind and in my notes as other WIPs take the wheel.
And that’s about all I can talk about for now! All my other projects are on the backburner since I have other priorities, but I promise there will be news about those in due time!
Deadwood Burning Draft 2
As I mentioned above, I’m working on the second draft of Deadwood Burning, which is due April 13th.
For those of you who don’t know, Deadwood Burning is a prequel novel in the Lone Player trilogy. It takes place before the events of Lone Player, but it’s technically Book #2.5 since it’s best read between Cut Deck and Book 3. It’s a coming-of-age ish story that talks about what Aaron was doing before the first book.
If you’ve read Cut Deck, then you probably know exactly which failed mission it’s about :)
For me, drafting is my favorite part of writing books. Nothing describes what it feels like to write something entirely new and know that the words you’re spitting out now will actually mean something to your readers down the line. Every now and then I’ll flip through Cut Deck and go, “I remember writing this part for the first time!”
It’s magical.
Editing, however, is a challenge. Don’t get me wrong—I love getting constructive feedback, I love the feeling of tackling a new project, and I love knowing I’m making the story better. But it’s not as fun as the writing process. I’m not giggling in a coffee shop while planning kissing and dancing and getting-stuck-in-a-cave-in-the-rain scenes. I’m working with scenes that already exist—usually the ones I’m less excited about—and doing a lot of critical thinking to make them better.
Basically, I use my right brain while writing and my left brain while editing. And as a right-brained thinker, that makes the editing process feel a bit more like a chore. Even though it takes less time and energy, editing is much harder for me to get through than a first draft.
So lately, I’ve been experimenting with different ways to make editing more “fun” so I can stay motivated. I’ll be posting a separate blog post about this soon.
Anyway, Draft 2 is due very soon and I’m super happy with the progress I’ve made! I can’t wait to share more about this story with you guys.
Lone Player Book 3
Although my priority project at the moment is Deadwood Burning, don’t worry—Book 3 is steadily coming along!
I’m taking a break from the “drafting trenches” for Book 3 to focus on Deadwood Burning for now, but just know that I’m constantly thinking about Book 3, adding to the outline, adding songs to the playlist, and writing out scenes as they pop in my head. It’s on my brain all the time…and I think you guys are going to enjoy it a lot. Or maybe hate me for it. We’ll see :)
Make sure to sign up for my mailing list to be the first to hear about exciting updates!
New Cut Deck Character Artwork
I recently commissioned some brand new character art of Aaron and Eddie from Lone Player by the wonderful @kaalogii_ on Instagram! This scene is one of my favorites from Cut Deck and it’s very close to my heart.
But don’t worry, Reddie fans! I will be announcing some more exciting artwork soon that I think you will very much enjoy :)
Sinker First Draft and Publication Schedule
If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know about Sinker.
I get asked about my progress with Sinker all the time and I think I’m a bit overdue for an update. But basically, I’ve been working on the first draft since March 2023. I started it while waiting for feedback on one of the last Lone Player drafts, a few months before the first book came out.
Sinker is the project I turn to when I’m taking breaks from drafts in the Lone Player trilogy. It’s a great palate cleanser (YA romantasy is very different from YA dystopian) and it also keeps my author brain in good shape during these “in limbo” phases.
That’s also why it’s been taking me so long to finish the first draft. I’ve spent the past few years being incredibly busy with the Lone Player trilogy, which is my priority at the moment, so writing Sinker is taking me a while.
However, it’s also given me opportunities to slow down and rework a lot of things as I go, so I feel like the first draft of Sinker could turn out being a lot higher in quality compared to some other first drafts I’ve written.
Lately, what I’ve been working on for Sinker is fleshing out the framework for a publication schedule. I’ve always had the goal of publishing it in Spring 2026, so I did some math to figure out what needs to be done in order to achieve that goal.
While I haven’t announced an official release date yet, I do know that I want to finish Draft 1 of Sinker by June 18, 2025.
I’m currently at about 90k words, which is about halfway through with the book. Ideally I’ll cut this down in later drafts, but if you know me, you know I like writing chunky books, so we’ll see if that actually happens.
I’m hoping to get my sh!t together and get back into my usual writing routine so I can finish Draft 2 of Deadwood Burning, and finish Sinker Draft 1 while waiting for feedback. And then by the time I’m ready to dive back into LP Book 3, I’ll be as focused as possible.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram to see if I actually stick to this goal! I’ll also include progress reports and other updates in my newsletter moving forward.
About Sinker
Sinker is the first book in my upcoming YA fantasy duology. I’ve been working on it since March 2023, but it’s been living in my head for much longer than that.
This duology is a part of the Fair Faurine universe, which will include lots of fun interconnected duologies, trilogies, and standalones. Many of them will be creative fairytale mashups or reimaginings, like Sinker.
Other WIPs in this universe include the Foxfire Trilogy and How Foul the Beast (the first book in a duology).
Planning The Cryptid Series
The last thing I’m working on is my YA urban fantasy series, Cryptid. I pitch this as Gravity Falls but dark academia with some of the humor, shadow government, and conspiracy elements in Inside Job.
I have other priority projects at the moment so this is currently on the backburner, but I’m always making edits, adding to the Pinterest board, curating an epic playlist, and having brainstorming sessions with my brother!
Join My Mailing List for More Writing Updates
So that pretty much sums up everything I’m working on and thinking about in March! As always, make sure to follow me on Instagram and sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a thing.
Also, if you’re new to my work, you can buy my books by clicking the button below. Happy writing! xoxo