So what does all this reading mean for my own writing? I hear absolutely no one asking.

I read the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series primarily for research, I like some of it, I am frustrated by some of it. There where times where it got a real reaction out of me, shifting in my seat in excitement in battles, “ooo burn” may have slipped out my mouth a few times at some witty come backs. But it has highlighted to me what I really want to do in my own pursuits, what I want to avoid. Mainly a lack of planning.

Yes I have been working on, editing and re-editing the first book in a nine part series. Honestly the planning stage looks like a hot mess involving lever arch files (multiple) and notebooks of easter eggs, connections, maps and sketches across the series. The plot however, the first 3 books I can comfortably say right now are outlined enough I could take a crack at first drafts, books 4 on wards some have more details ready than others, more plans aligned. But all of them do have at least a vague outline of what each book must have as incidents and what’s at stake throughout.

The first book… Where’s that at?

Well, after sending it out to my test readers, getting some good feedback and shuffling a few bits around I am more inclined to say once I am finally happy with how the synopsis and cover letter look I will begin reaching out to literary agents. I am planning out the synopsis with a brief overview of the whole series as well, I don’t want to show up to the table with “hey this is a series but I can’t tell you the major stuff across the books because I haven’t quite worked it out yet”. There is a big part of me that would hate to do that. I know what I want to happen across the books roughly and I am prepared to fight for that. I want to fight for the characters, for their story.

The more I work on and work with these characters the more I am looking at their stories and believing that they deserve better than a half bake attempt. Some of them do have my contempt. But overall, I’ve really gotten to know them and I really want to bring the magic back and change their futures.