I can’t believe I’m at a point in my writing journey where I get to say, I’ve submitted my manuscript to a publisher. These past few weeks have been filled with all kinds of emotion as I made the realisation that it was time to let my little story grow wings and fly. Working on the synopsis was one of the hardest parts of this process, and anyone who tells you that a synopsis is fun must be straight up lying. To condense a 90,000 word novel into less than 300 words is brutal. But I did it, and you know what? I think there was more satisfaction in that than in writing the actual 90k words of the book!

What’s next…

Now that ‘Her Mother’s Daughter’ is out in the world, I must put on my Patience Hat and wait for feedback. The publishing industry is notoriously slow, and so I know not to expect an email anytime soon. I’ve wasted no time and dove straight back into my second book. I wrote the first three chapters very quickly while my first was out with beta readers, and when the feedback came in, I put it away and basically forgot about it. Now it’s time to dust off the pages and see where that story will take me.

I must admit, first drafts are probably my favourite part of the writing process. For me, it’s the time when I feel most free to explore and experiment. I don’t plan in any great detail, so the first draft really is a time for me to discover what the story is? Who the characters are? What they want? What’s getting in their way? There’s so much to look forward to as my imagination runs away with the endless possibilities. I’ve written a short synopsis for this book, which I’m hoping will help guide the story and give me inspiration when I get stuck in the dreaded middle (it’s always the hardest part to write for me).

While I distract myself with a new book, I can’t help but fantasise about the possibility that one day I might be a published author. It’s a dream I barely thought possible almost four years ago when I began writing my first manuscript. But thanks to the wonderful support of my family, my close friends and early readers, my beta readers, and the wonderful online writing communities of which I am an active member (Hi Twitter, Hi Facebook, Hi Insta), I have the confidence to say, I can do this. Though I’m not silly enough to believe that my manuscript will be picked up by the first publisher I send it to, I am hopeful that one day it will find a home.

I’ll be sure to keep you all posted once I hear back. Thank you for being a part of my writing journey. X