I’m at the tail-end of the first draft of Chuck the Chosen and the reality that once I’m finished, it will feel real. I can’t explain it and I’m not sure anyone who hasn’t written a book would understand what words just can’t convey, but reality is setting in for me.

I’m going to do this.

I might not be successful. The truth is I am trying to remain positive but not entirely delusional. There is a very good chance that this first book will gain a small amount of readers, if that, and it will take multiple books before I see the type of return I’m hoping for.

But it’s still the fact that I’m doing it. Me, I’m doing this. I wanted this since I was 11 and I’m making it happen.

I might end up sounding a little arrogant here, but that’s kind of kick ass if I may say so myself.

Now, this blog has very little following but for the few who are reading this, and for those who may come to find it afterwards… keep going. The self-doubt always fades and you’ll find more often then not that a strange but confident voice is in the back of your mind.

That voice was created because of your hard work. You put in the time to learn a craft, or maybe you’re not a writer at all. Regardless, you put in the work, you dedicated time to learn, to grow. You put aside ego, you learned to work around your mood. You pushed through the downs and rode through the highs.

And that is something to be immensely proud of. I know I am.

Okay, so now for an update. I’m going to try and be at 60k by the end of today. I think this first draft will come in just shy of 70k or roughly in that ball-park but I’m hoping to up that word count in the 2nd and 3rd drafts as I add in more description (I have come to realize that I haven’t, not once, given a description of what my main characters look like…the blasphemy!).

I’ve started looking further into cover art and editing. All the fun (expensive) stuff. I have a decent idea of what I’m thinking for the cover and a friend had to endure my fever dream of a canva attempt. Needless to say, I don’t think cover art is in my future and it was and is a hot mess…but at least I have an image in my head that I will have to attempt to verbalize in some way to someone with actual artististic ability.

Next up, rejections! I got another rejection for a short story, yippee. Oh, how that rejection pile is growing. I had sent in a comedy piece to The New Yorker so I really hadn’t thought I would get it anyways. I’ve already found another magazine to send to, so crossed fingers.

This is the blurb I sent them…I thought it was funny.

Shy MacShannon is a Canadian writer who loves to make people laugh. Her hope is to one day be so funny that no one, not even your mom, could deign to say otherwise.

When she isn’t making people laugh (or more accurately, laughing at her own jokes while others watch concerned) she can be found curled up on the couch with her two dogs, a book and most likely her phone. She refuses to admit what her screen time is though, don’t even bother asking.

Might at well have some fun with it, right?

Also!!! I’m hoping to find out by the end of this month whether I’ll finally have an agent for my children’s book or if I’ll be on the search again, so crossed fingers for that too!

What else?!? I read An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn because Netflix is rude and keeps putting up only a handful of episodes…so I know how it ends. It was very cute, I will admit. Now I’m flipping between the third Dungeon Crawler Carl book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Penelope and Colin’s story. Obviously I know what happens…but their story was the cutest to me) and Wuthering Heights…I found a copy of the Puffin edition and couldn’t help myself.

I think that’s it for now.

As always, stay writing so that one day you get to truly and unapologetically, call yourself an author.

Oh! And you can follow me on IG, Threads, and now you can support me on Patreon! ❤