So, it finally happened. Last night Ashley and I sent the final draft of The Parnassus Initiate off to the editor. Clocking in at 128,773 words, it’s taken us two and a half years of learning, confusion and procrastination to get to this point.
After a few years of back-and-forth introvert speak along the lines of ‘we should write a book’, we were on vacation with family and friends, and a friend of Ashley’s had just published her first indie novel. The surprising revelation that anyone could write and publish their own book these days spurred us into saying ‘Hey, we should actually write a book’.
As it turns out, writing a book is pretty damn hard. There was a lot to figure out, and a lot of things to muddle through until we got to the point we’re at today. There is so much we would do differently going forward that we just had no clue about in the beginning. I think we had several significant characters marked with *CHARACTER NAME HERE* in the manuscript for a good few months!
Despite the frustration, writer’s block and months of getting side-tracked, it’s been a fantastic learning experience. Both in the creation of a world, characters and story, as well as in collaborative writing. As writers, it seems that we collaborate well and also have strengths that complement each other in the creative process.
Overall, it’s shown me that writing is definitely something I want to continue with. I have a second novel already underway, with pages of notes for both sequels and new ideas, and a real excitement to get those written.
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