Writing without chapters feels like anarchy. Complete God damn anarchy. But then again, strange has been the prevalent theme of 2020, hasn’t it?
I’ve had a new writing project idea in mind since earlier this year. But I’ve been busy with “Beyond Dark”: editing book 1, then rewriting and reworking the others. However, with how heavy, daunting, and exhausting this year has been for everyone, even I needed a break from serial killers, the mafia and writing fiction about the dark side of humanity.
Just as January 2019 saw me enter the crime fiction genre when I started “Beyond Dark”, 2021 will see me enter yet another new genre: Chick lit/ mystery. Yes. I, the cynical, foul mouthed, whiskey drinking, serial killer dictionary, am going to attempt something that mixes “Sex and the City” vibes with mystery. Martha Holmes is a private investigator who has just left her marriage, is getting a divorce, re-joining the dating world and encounters a case that changes everything for her. She and her best friend start a podcast, which follows their dating escapades and moving on after life falls apart. The series is named after their podcast: “She’s So Lovely”. I’ll be posting this to Booksie eventually.
This also introduces me to a new format: novellas.
Novellas are a bit of an enigma in the writing world, I have found. They hang in the bizarre length of 10,000 to 40,000 words, with a slight controversy on whether they should have chapters. Readers rely on chapters to mark where they leave off or to remember where they were in the plot. But, for how short these stories are, the plot moves fluidly and is meant to be consumed in one sitting. The compromise seems to be splitting the story into parts. Which would work for those who utilize the three-act story structure. Part one would end at the first plot point. Part 2 would end at the third plot point, then the final part would encompass the climax and resolution. This would make posting online too. One could post in parts instead of waiting for the whole thing to be finished.
Image by Eli Digital Creative from Pixabay
A few things enticed me towards the novella. Since they’re shorter, they can be written and edited, then published quicker. Paired with this genre, I think it will serve as a series of fun, more light-hearted reads for people who don’t invest fully into novels. We live in a world of short attention spans. Digital content is written in short format so people can read quickly and move on. Novels have a specific audience of those who focus on longer stories. Hardcore readers. But this digital age means that as writers, we can also offer good quality, short, and entertaining stories.
Finally, changing genres in 2019 gave me the inspiration to pursue new challenges in my writing life. It means stretching the skillset and becoming more versatile. Sometimes us writers get stuck in this rut where we hack away at one story or genre and run out of inspiration. That was me a few years ago. I am excited to slowly get into a new genre and challenge myself once more. “She’s So Lovely” will be somewhat autobiographical in terms of how I coped after my own marriage fell apart, and what moving on looked like for me. Everything since 2017 has been about healing, learning to thrive instead of survive, about transformation, rediscovering myself and finally figuring out what I want to do with my life. The journey has been arduous and agonizing, yet I am at the point where I am ready to keep moving on and transforming, both as a person and a writer. And it is through writing that I discover the most about myself.
So, stay tuned! Many things to come in 2021. And one more short announcement: “Beyond Dark 1: Belladonna” is going to be ready for release soon. The editing is nearly done and then I just need to format it for both eBook and paperback. I know many of you have been waiting a while for this. Hang in there! And thanks for your patience!
Happy New Year to everyone. May 2021 be one of healing, recovery and better things for everyone.
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