It seems like a million years ago, but in reality less than two years ago, when I started writing two different novel WIPs at once. Since May 2023, I have been writing the sequel to The Buddha’s Bone as well as working on a new ghost story set in London (novel WIPs #7 and #8).
Along the way, I also decided to start working on Fiction WIP#9 which was published in June 2024 as Pseudologia Fantastica, and Fiction WIP#10 which was recently published this month on 1st February as Love you to Death. I think adding those WIPs into the mix is the reason that progress slowed on my novel drafts.
Basically, I ground to a halt with both WIPs simultaneously. I’m up to about 61k on both, and with the final third of each looming, I hit a complete wall with where I wanted to take two very different stories.
Over the half-term break, I printed both drafts at home and stitched them into book format with an old piece of scrap cloth (remember the COVID mask days?) serving as a cover. I find hard copies easier to read than digital, and I knew the best way to get both stories back in my head would be to read them as books.
It worked. I have a few ideas for how to end the sequel of The Buddha’s Bone, so I’m focusing on that for now. With the ghost novel, I had to give my hubby a massive spoiler alert and summarise the plot so he could give me a fresh perspective. Although he isn’t a ghost horror writer, he had a few questions as a reader for how a few of the relationships, past and present, would be resolved – which helped massively.
Onwards I go. I’ve decided to focus on one at a time for the final third, so the ghost story will be taking a back seat for now. That’s alright though. Didn’t I just publish a ghost horror collection? Any readers won’t be short of spooky shenanigans from me for this year, which gives me time to work on that later in 2025. Updates as they happen…
Leilanie Stewart 