It’s five am. I’m awake and I’m the happiest I’d been in a long time, maybe even a year. I wrote over a thousand words yesterday! And not just any words, the first chapter of that next novel that has been stuck in my head for so long. I’m still marveling at how easy it was to do, especially considering that I have had trouble writing anything for almost two years, even regular blog posts. How did I do it, you ask?
I simply decided that I don’t HAVE to write a book. The solitary year it would take me is just too much of a mountain, a burden, a crippling task. First I thought I will just write short stories, maybe see if I get enough of them to compile into something worthy of publication. But the story I wanted to write doesn’t easily fit into a short format, it needs time to unwrap its many layers. So I once again decided to try and publish it as an online serial.
So this is what I’m going to do. I will publish it on this blog, chapter by chapter, as it comes to me, without worrying too much about copy editing and comma polishing. It would be a challenge in itself, because it’s scary for me to show something I’ve written before I’ve had a chance at mulling it over for a long time or getting a native speaker/editor to fix the grammar and spelling. I just hope that the flipside will be that I won’t lose the momentum I gathered yesterday. After all, that’s how I wrote my first novel – it was a joke email to my sister, and had she not laughed and demanded more, it might have just stayed an email, forgotten in the sediment of thousands of other jokes I wrote and said to her. So if this serial post thing works out and I finish it, I still have a chance to turn it into a published book. After all, that’s how a few bestsellers started – The Marshian and if I’m not mistaken, The Twilight. Yes, traditional publishers would probably frown on this, but then publishers have ignored my many attempts at publishing Isa Maxwell series, so what’s new?
I decided that I won’t give up painting either and will weave into my new method – each post will have a new or updated painting to go with it. I have almost finished painting one of the characters and about to start on another one, my very first male portrait.
So that’s the plan. I will post the first chapter in a couple of days. Right now I will get back to writing and who knows, I could write another thousand words before my actual day begins.
Wish me luck!
Ana Spoke, author 
Good plan! Good luck, Ana!
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Thank you Olga!
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You’re off to a great start!
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Thank you! The best part is that the story is swirling in my head. I don’t have to force it, it’s bursting to come out
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Good luck, Ana! So happy to see you writing again!
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Thank you Liz! Can’t believe it’s actually happening
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Good luck with the new idea. I look forward to seeing more of your art and writing.
Have you thought about using Wattpad to post your chapters on? I have toyed with the idea for months but haven’t got a clue where to start.
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Thank you! I’ve heard of it but don’t know anything about it. What is the difference to posting on the blog?
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Omg, 65 million views a month! Will try it and post about the experience
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I know it has made a few writers careers , so you never know! If you do try it I’d love to find out what you think.
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Will post about it, for sure!
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Decided not to do Wattpad. Mostly not to spread myself too thin – instead, concentrating on this blog, which is getting a fair amount of traction. Would love to hear back if you venture out that way!
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If it’s something new you could end up putting too much pressure on yourself to perform on Wattpad, so using the blog is a great idea. I look forward to following your progress.
I may still have a go at Wattpad, but I want to finish book 3 in my current trilogy first. Will certainly share the experience if I get around to it.
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That would be great to find out, good luck! I had to let go of Facebook and Pinterest cause I was everywhere. And I’m barely hacking Goodreads now. Have to choose your battles
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Congrats on writing again. 🙂 I’m stoked to read your online serial novel. I so enjoy reading your blog. You have the gift for writing and it flows in your blogs. Here I thought Wattpad was a program on my computer, ha-ha. I’ll have to check it out. Are you going to put your paintings of your characters online with the novel or they going to be part of the cover if there is one. I can’t wait to read the first chapter. Go girl, go!!! Good luck, Ana!! ( you don’t need it). 🙂
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Thanks again Olivia! I too thought Wattpad was an app. Will post about it more if I join it. I will post a new or updated painting with each chapter, that way I have to keep both up. Busy couple of months coming up!
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Congrats on breaking down those walls. I love your paintings and can’t wait to see it all tied together with the new story!
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Thank you Cori! It’s gonna be quite an experiment
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What a brilliant idea. I wish you luck with it and look forward to reading it.
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Thank you Frank! Should post the first chapter this weekend
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That sounds wonderful! I look forward to reading your posts. (HUGS!!!)
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Sounds wonderful, Ana!!
Um… re “The Marshian,” can I assume you meant “The Martian”? Heh… I wasn’t aware it was serialized. I did know he self-published it, to start with.
Good luck with your plan!!
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Thank you Ellie! And yes, I meant The Martian. This is why I have to pay editors 🙂
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Is your first language not English? Just curious…
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Nope. Russian born and still have the accent. It took me forever to remember how to spell lettuce. Cause it doesn’t make sense!
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Ah! Poor you, I think MOST of our spelling and grammar either makes no sense or is completely inconsistent! Like all these words that are spelled mostly the same, but pronounced differently: though, thought, enough, dough, tough, rough, fought… crazy!
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