Crafting The Secret [untitled] Project: Writing Update 1#

Let me introduce you to my secret project. It is for fans of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett and Severance by Ling Ma, a speculative comedy about apocalypse, denial, and trying to charge your laptop while the world collapses.

NOT OFFICIAL COVER

I need your help. I have been working on some pitches. Which one grabs your attention the most?

Loglines:

1. As Seattle teeters on the edge of total blackout, Melissa, a sarcastic recluse facing eviction, runs out of battery. Desperate, she trades tech help for charging rights with her emotionally constipated neighbor, Hannah. But as the blackout deepens and the plastic-dependent city begins to unravel, Melissa must learn that human connection, not technology, might be the only thing that can save her before everything goes to shit.

   
   

2. When a citywide blackout traps sarcastic recluse Melissa in a crumbling, plastic-dependent Seattle, she reluctantly trades tech help for charging rights with her emotionally constipated neighbor. But as plastic starts mysteriously dissolving, Melissa must confront her messy past before everything melts down for good.

Progress:

I wrapped up the plot in February and completed the first draft by the end of May. Now, I’m knee-deep in edits—a tug-of-war between my perfectionism and the reality of what the story needs. I love writing action scenes, but it’s the quieter, descriptive moments that challenge me most. After drafting three books over the past year, one thing is clear: writing the scenes you want is easy. Writing the scenes you need—the ones that move the story forward or deepen character—is the real work.

Another realization? It’s way easier for me to write an angsty, angry teenager than an overly optimistic character with a dark past. That contrast is my next challenge. I’m committed to mastering layered characters and meaningful interactions.

Writing speculative fiction grounded in the real world is harder than I expected. But I’m faster, more consistent, and my writing is stronger for it.

Publishing Goal:

The Secret Project: I aim to finish the first round of deep edits by the end of August, maybe September. Then I will send it out to alpha readers.

Book 2 in the Kaia series: Begin first round of deep edits in August.

Book 3 in the Kaia series: Focus on finishing plot details and theme during the rewrite of Book 2.

A Fantasy Duology: A loose idea I am currently thinking about to start once the other books are in the publishing stages. – This might change to another book idea by the time I get there.

Another goal I am trying to stick to is to be better at writing these blogs, even if they are just for me to look back on and see the progress I have made in my author journey. A diary of sorts, to share with you what is happening, and to document what I learn during the process.