James ~Yes Mum, I’m still doing “the writing bit”~

Ah ha, take THAT word-count! Was getting to a good tag on for the next scene, but then thought "oh there's still the OTHER scene I need to link first". Buuuut the other scene breaks the flow, takes too much focus away from the main plot. CUT CUT CUT!
#WritingCommunity #editing #writesky #booksky

Onto the final new scene I’ve needed to add for Not Technically Ghosts Part 2. After that just 3 scenes to edit (should be light) then Part 2 will be done!
#WritingCommunity #writesky #booksky

Ahh now THAT’S a good writing session! Haven’t done anything that felt this decent in literally months. I might actually finish these edits one day!
#WritingCommunity #writesky #booksky

This damn subplot is the biggest thing strangling Not Technically Ghosts’ progress! Reworked and cut and shifted dozens of times. It holds up too many other parts of the plot to delete and I DO like it. It’s just so hard-going…
#WritingCommunity #writesky #booksky

As fun as they were, I’m glad to say I’ve now fully wrapped up x2 beta reads. I always think I can juggle it with my own writing but in reality I need to focus myself on one or the other. NOW I can get back to work! #writesky #booksky #writingcommunity

Spending a lot of my writing time at the moment working on a coupe of beta reads for some of my writer pals. Time well spent! Love working with other people’s work (plus gives me breathing room to keep figuring out my own story’s problems!) #booksky #writesky #writingcommunity

Thanks! Same to you 😁

Selfie. Me - pale, blond(ish) goblin boy with an attempted smile, wearing pink and white tie-dye tshirt. Sitting on grey patterned bed.

Hello 2026!

Back on track after a 2-ish months social media break whilst being creatively stuck and a bit stress-y depress-y.

Nearly 1/2 done edits on Not Technically Ghosts (after rEwRiTiNg tHe MiDdLe!)

Now ready for a year of success for me and all of you!
#booksky #writesky #writingcommunity

NEARLY figured out how to fix this broken scene (scrap 90% + two scenes prior) but now realising there's a yet larger structural issue where this sequence of events plays out basically again later in the book! This section needs a MUCH bigger rethink!
#WritingCommunity #amediting

Tricky editing ahead. Got to an important scene - which felt very right at the time, but now I’m reading it back and actively hate so much of it. Very hollow and insincere for something so important. Needs heavy reworking here.
#WritingCommunity #amediting

Struggling to settle on my next project for after / during Not Technically Ghosts. Got a few ideas that could be great, but nothing that creatively has me by the throat, you know? Maybe just names out a hat at this point!
#WritingCommunity #amwriting #amediting

Ahhh the classic editing conundrum. Am I doing fewer edits in these scenes because they’re good or because they’re good ENOUGH?
#amediting #WritingCommunity

IT'S HERE! Five fairy tale retellings like you've never read before. 4.7 stars on Goodreads

Be daring - grab your paperback or ebook today
books2read.com/NotYourEverA...

#indieauthor #fantasy #fairytale #anthology #beautyandthebeast #cinderella #redridinghood #shortstory #novella #booksky #booktok

Thanks me too! Just need to actually settle on one haha

*sigh*
Guess I’ll put Doctor Who script in the same ‘secondary project’ pile as:

- Witch opens ‘fake’ magic school
- Blacksmith stranded in a flying city
- Space-husbands sci-fi epic

I’ll pick one eventually!

Urrgghh edit my stupid important book or have nerdy fun writing my Doctor Who script? Decisions decisions…
#WritingCommunity #amwriting #amediting

Me (blond pale goblin, wearing skeleton design black jumper, offering a semi smile that suggests I’m doing this under duress), background corner of a large clock, white wall. Overlaid text: October 25 - wrap up — Good start on Not Technically Ghosts part 2 edits! — On the way to getting new day-job! — 99% fixed a Not Technically Ghosts side plot that had been bugging me!

October 25 Wrap-up!

✍️ Good start on Not Technically Ghosts part 2 edits!

👨‍💼 On the path to getting new day-job!

🔀 Mostly fixed a Not Technically Ghosts side plot that had been bugging me!

#WritingCommunity #amediting

Very happy with work done today. Been dithering for some days over a side plot that just wasn’t hitting as I wanted. Nearly scrapped it (again) but after tweaking a scene and planning changes ahead - looking good now! Benji lives to see another day!
#WritingCommunity #amediting

Hmm writing (another!) new scene I QUITE like... but that I'm 70% sure I won't include in the book. Still, nice to have as backstory. May incorporate elsewhere.
#WritingCommunity #amediting

At last - x2 new scenes finished. A very necessary extra 3200-ish words, but I'm happy with the additions. Getting into one of my favourite sections now, looking forward to *these* edits!
#WritingCommunity #amediting

Close to being done on x2 new scenes I’ve needed to add. Happy with how they’ve come out but eager to get on with actual editing again!
#WritingCommunity #amediting

Always feels counterintuitive to add scenes during editing but these last couple feel really needed. Letting the plot breath and organically get the mains where they need to be.
#WritingCommunity #amediting

Various handwritten pages and doodles arranged over a black couch. Standard issue cat staring unimpressed in the foreground.

Welp if I keep writing much more of this I’ll have no choice but to count Witch-wip as my new side project! (Christopher does NOT approve of me arranging pages on his side of the couch)
#WritingCommunity #amwriting

Edits on this particular scene have been fighting me all week. Needed to add a new part, but dithered between it being a few lines or a whole new section. Well now it's TWO new sections. Ho hum.
#WritingCommunity #amediting

Had a deleting day - found a subplot that I'm not happy with. Plus it was a tiny bit cliché and stretched credibility. Cut! There's 3000-ish words back
#WritingCommunity #amediting

Until then, the adventures of the Spirit Rider carry on forever in the world of dreams. When the right day comes, Sam, Grim, Acheron, Legio, Mr. Cinnamon, the Queen, the DUCKS, and the world of Paralex will be waiting!
🦆💀✨🧙🫅

So one of two things will happen:
1) There's a market boom for this type of story and I re-enter the query pit.

or...

2) When my ducks(😉) are in a row and finances are good enough to do everything as I've always wanted -- I'll self publish.
(cont.)🧵

But Spirit Rider ISN'T DEAD! This is still my 'magnum opus'. After half my life working on it, I still think about the world and story every single day. If my main or side project aren't working I can freely hop onto writing a new Spirit Rider book, if only just for me!
(cont.)🧵

The great thing is, with Spirit Rider shelved I'm now free to put my full focus behind my other projects. The feeling of having the story sat in limbo has really weighed on me, so that's a load off!
(cont.)🧵

I knew there were a lot of points that didn't make this story trad-pub-friendly. But I still think I've made a good go of it. I've scrounged for all the agents I thought might fit. Maybe I'm being dumb - maybe that very next query is the magic one? But I don't see it.
(cont.)🧵