It’s no secret that I’ve had a tough time working a day job and writing novels at the same time. It’s so contradictory to be successful and struggling at the same time. One thing I kept thinking while I was exhausted from writing a novel was how do I keep moving. I knew, even though I was completely depleted, the only way to get closer to being able to write full time is to write more books. I was stuck between resting to snap back from an intense novel-writing cycle and activating to the next project.

My solution was to try to hang in the balance. I couldn’t force myself to work on other projects because I would have no energy to complete the next draft of the novel. So I decided to stay alert to my energy. The moment I had a spurt of energy or the bandwidth to ideate, I started working on it.

Today, I finished the 7th draft of a picture book. The smaller length of the project convinced me to dive in. Looking back at my files, I was surprised to see that I finished draft 1 in 2021. I finished draft 2 in 2022. And all the rest fo the drafts were finished this year.

One of the things I love to do is give myself a starting place for a project. I’ll write a crappy first draft, or write an outline—something that doesn’t require maximum effort but gives me an framework to get the wheels turning. I truly had to give myself grace and permission to allow a whole year to pass between drafts for a picture book. The word count is tiny, yet I didn’t have the mental fortitude to move any quicker.

Noticing the timing of my first two drafts renews my faith in flow. For me flow is doing what you can when you can and resting when you have nothing left. Being so close to finishing another project is a real boost. I feel encouraged that I will be able continue developing projects if I focus on my energy levels and stay creative.

Onward on the journey!

—K.

Collage by K. Ibura

IN THE MIX

Here’s where I stand with the writing work that’s In the Mix.

• YA NOVEL: My first YA is finally ready for editing. Tomorrow, I’ll start the first 70 pages of line edits. I’ve been promised the remaining edits will come next week. It’s finally GO time!

• PICTURE BOOK: I heard back from my agent quickly on the draft. She loved the edits and asked me to focus on cutting down the length. Back to the  café I went, this time I transitioned to a Korean restaurant to finish the last draft of the picture book manuscript. I made quick work of it and the (potentially final) draft is back with my agent.

• CHAPTER BOOK: I’ve completed an outline for my new chapter book. I’m excited to write something short. I’m also excited to dive back into speculative characters and world building. After completing the outline, I’ve been thinking through some of the plot points. I’m looking forward to drafting the manuscript after my YA edits are done.

• CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS: I still have two creative collaborations under consideration with two writer friends.

• MICROFICTION: I was invited to submit microfiction to a journal. I don’t have the bandwidth to create new fiction, so I adapted a scene from an existing story. The piece is with the editors and we’ll see if they are interested in publishing it.