Hi friends. Did August slip away like a bottle of wine for you? I hope so. Mine slipped away more like a truck off a bridge, but that’s not to say it was necessarily a bad month—it was just super intense for a while, and now I’m crashing. Why? Because this morning, at 2 AM, I finished my first round of edits for Book 2!! Cue MUCH rejoicing.
Am I tired? You betcha. But I’m also elated (and maybe a little delirious). I was warned that sophomore novels can really take a toll, but I had no idea. However, now that I’ve gone through the most challenging phases (I hope) of writing it, I think I understand why second books are so infamous among writers.
For one, no matter how your first book lands in the market, there’s pressure to a) do better sales the second time around, and b) meet (and hopefully clear) the bar of quality you set in your first novel. A lot of this pressure is internal, but because of the nature of publishing, some of it’s external, too. Ultimately, writing is gig work (thank you,
for writing so candidly about this), and the hope is to keep performing well enough to keep getting book deals.It’s enough to make a gal rewrite the same sentence 14 times, only to go back to the original and question it all over again.
None of this was unexpected. I was (kind of) mentally prepared to go through this highly specific rite of passage. But what I was not prepared for was how deeply I’d fall in love with these characters.
After writing Any Trope but You, I thought there was no way I’d ever adore two characters as much as Margot and Forrest. They’re my debut babies! But my new main characters have made me dig deeper and work harder than I ever have before. It makes me think of this line from ATBY:
“Forrest cuts off my gratitude with a shake of his head. He’s staring at me, not like I’m an inconvenience but like we’ve gone through something together. The sort of calamity that bonds you to someone.”
And friends, Book 2 and I have gone through it. These characters have had my back through the sleeplessness of having an infant, the chaos of summer break with a 9-year-old, and all my imposter syndrome. Thankfully, so has my wonderful editor. Elizabeth, you’ll never know how much I appreciated all the gushy comments and laugh emojis in the margins—they single-handedly got me through this phase. 💖 I think one of my characters says it best when they declare, “Screw propriety, I want compliments!” 😉
Lastly, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out to the Nostalgic Book Fair this month, to the brilliant Elisabeth Cairns for organizing it, and to The Purple Couch Bookstore for selling my books. It was my first event like this, and I was completely blown away by all the support I was shown. Writing might be a challenge, but getting to meet readers, booksellers, and librarians makes it not just worth it but the entire point. This community is everything to me, and I can’t wait to keep meeting more of you irl! 💞
Before I sign off, here are some things I’ve been enjoying in August:
I Barely Know Her by sombr - Definitely some songs here that are Book 2 coded. I’ve been playing the album on repeat.
The Summers Between Us by Noreen Nanja - Friends, this book has my heart in an iron grip. Currently reading the audio, and it’s fantastic.
The Merlin Magic Sleepsuit - If my 4-month-old is sleeping, it’s only because he’s in this blue marshmallow suit. I give it to every single new parent I know.
ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 - I was convinced to try this product by the most charming Ulta associate (thanks, Robert), and now I’m obsessed.
My close personal friend, Taylor Alison Swift’s engagement + The Life of a Showgirl announcement. Giddy doesn’t begin to cover it.
That’s it for now! If you enjoyed this read, please consider liking or sharing it with a bookish friend. 💖
YAY for finishing edits!!! You better treat yourself ❤️❤️I’m devouring every crumb about book 2 so far🤭🤭
Congrats on finishing the first round of edits!! I can’t wait to learn more about book 2 🩷