No cover, no writing and a sprained ankle.
Lazy, you have probably brandished me. Maybe she's writing the third book, some may assume. The truth? My previous book The Kenryk Series: Rise of the Emoryk took everything from me. It wrecked me mentally, spiritually, and physically. I had such a hard time producing the second book that I had to take time away from anything book related?
I only read 1 book in 2022- that I didn't even finish. For the first time since I was 10, I read less than 60 books a year. As someone who has been writing since I was a child, it had always come naturally. I never had to force myself to write or feel any kind of pressure. I was writing book after book without pause.
Then, I decided to self-publish (because they don't traditionally publish fantasy fiction in South Africa). Book 1, The Avaris was not quite a struggle. For someone who had been writing endlessly since I was a child, for the first time, I found myself stuck in the world I had built. I started writing this series in 2016.
Publishing The Avaris was new. Exciting. Filled with trepidation, doubt, and imposter syndrome. I had no idea what I was doing. The Rise of the Emoryk was different. Writing the manuscript drained me. Promoting it drained me. Getting copies printed for bookstores was a painful task that left scars on my soul and ended friendships.
The Kenryk Series was really supposed to be a standalone book, which would explain why Book 2 was such a struggle.
I am preparing to release the third book which is available for pre-order on Amazon called Wildfyre This is where the conundrum begins. Firstly, I am not motivated to write- at all. I have written all the way to chapter 13, but I might have to scrap 5 of those chapters and rewrite. Secondly, I usually have a cover by now. I have designed it. I just... I have put a pause on having it made. In other words, I found myself at a crossroads.
I want to release a book for everyone who has supported the series. However, I seem to have lost my passion, my natural ability to write, and the excitement and fun that came with the journey. I could force myself, but that would be a waste of time. So, I have taken some time off. I need to find myself, the author who wrote without concerning herself with book sales, rankings, brand management, and marketing. Like my lead Amari, I am trying to balance what came naturally to me with this newly published author title attached to my name. Only then will I be able to give this series the ending it deserves.
Don't panic! This does not mean the book is not coming out this year. When I find my flow, I am able to write up to ten chapters or more within four days. I need to find that flow. I need to find that 10-year-old writer and I need to shake off this funk.
In the meantime, I will be healing from my sprained ankle, continuing with my efforts to raise funds for my former high school and feed my 2 entitled stray cats.
Hopefully, I will have found my groove back by the time I post again. Until then, I will leave you with a song recommendation. Jimin's Set me free Part 2
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