This past week has been one of the busiest and most exhausting weeks I have had in a long time. Most of my days have been spent working on the final manuscript of The Devil's Dance as it moves closer to production. There is something both exciting and terrifying about knowing that this is it. After years of dreaming about becoming a published author, countless revisions, moments of doubt, and more cups of coffee than I care to admit, my debut novel is finally approaching the finish line.
People often imagine that once a book is accepted by a publisher, the hard work is over. In reality, it feels like the opposite. Every chapter, every sentence, and every word suddenly comes under a microscope. I found myself reading scenes I have looked at dozens of times before and still finding things I wanted to improve. I've also cut over 20 000 words―and that's scary for me.
My family, fiance and my beautiful little chihuahua―Harley Davidson―has been so needy. As soon as I sit down to write, I get distracted by them. Sometimes I wish I can lock myself away in a corner somewhere and JUST GET THE JOB DONE.
What made this week even more challenging is that life does not stop simply because you have a deadline. Alongside editing, I still had work responsibilities to manage, emails to answer, and the everyday demands of life. Finding the balance between being an author and everything else can sometimes feel impossible. There were moments where I felt completely overwhelmed but I kept reminding myself that this is the opportunity I have worked towards for years.
At the same time, I have also been working on my new romantasy series. Going from editing a historical horror novel to building an entirely new fantasy world has been quite the mental shift. Historical fiction comes with a roadmap. You have real events and real history to guide you. Fantasy is different. Every kingdom, creature, tradition, and piece of lore has to be created from scratch. THREE WORDS―FML
But as exhausting as this week has been, I would not trade it for anything. This is my dream. Now I find myself editing the final manuscript of my debut novel while planning future books. And honestly, that makes every late night and every stressful editing session worth it.
POINT IS, never give up. That's the best piece of advice I can give any aspiring author. You will get there someday!