It’s been quite a while since I last updated the website. I haven’t posted any new blogs since the release of my Backstreet Boys book in 2023. When I made this website, it was to promote the book and for any future books I may release. Right now I’m still editing my novel that I’ve worked on for a few years now. I normally don’t like to blog about myself so I haven’t used the website in a while. Things have changed for me this past year, so I’ve been busy.
I took a step back from the Backstreet Boys’ fandom. Aside from the fact that the group has been on a break. Right now, my interest in them isn’t what it used to be. I’m still a fan, but there are other things that I want to accomplish and need to focus on, such as my novel.
With the website, I plan to update it more. I’ve thought about a few things I could do with it. Possibly write book reviews, share more book content, write more about the progress of my novel, and other things. I made a poll recently on social media and the majority of the response wanted to see a mix of all the above. So, I’ll try to do this more often.
I have added some videos about the books I’ve read and my ratings on TikTok and Instagram in September and another video in December. Last year, I’ve read 17 books and only two were five stars. If you’re interested in seeing these you’ll find me at writtenstars85 on both apps.
My plan is to be more active on social media. While TikTok was banned in the U.S. for a short time and it is back now, we just don’t know what the future will be after the 90 day extension. Since I joined TIkTok two years ago I’ve noticed views tend to be higher there than they are on other platforms such as Instagram. For example, when my Backstreet Boys book was released I created a little video that stated it was available now. On TikTok it gained 20.5K views. The most I’ve gotten on all of my videos. Over on Instagram the same video only got 1.4K. That’s a major difference. So, the process is to figure out how to navigate getting more views/engagement on other apps as that isn’t easy.
It’s crazy to see that an app that has helped people make a living has the possibility of being banned for good in the U.S. That was my plan with the app as well, but I’ll have to look elsewhere. Aside from that I may do other bookish things, but I haven’t decided yet. I also thought about updating the website’s overall look. Stay tuned to my social media. I’ll share updates on what I plan to do.
Editing Takes Time and Patience
When I started editing/writing my novel I didn’t realize it would take this long to finish. I’m currently only on chapter 29. There are days when you’re stuck, and days when you don’t write at all. It’s taken longer than I thought it would, but in the end it will be worth it. I think once I get over being stuck at certain parts of the novel editing the rest will come more easily.
Right now I’m at over 81,000 words. I was aiming for 90,000, but I feel my novel will be at least 100,000 if not longer. I’m nowhere near the end. It’s possible once I’m finished I’ll look over this and make more edits to it. I want this to be as good as possible. It won’t be perfect because everyone has to start somewhere. I’ve cut out things already from what I’ve previously written. Things that I felt either didn’t add to the character development or felt unnecessary. At times I had characters repeating things so I needed to eliminate that. I found myself adding new scenes and dialog as well. Things that I felt added or made the story better.
Originally when I wrote this back in 2020 it was at least 200,000 words. That’s 69 chapters and a prologue. I wrote a sequel novel that continued the story of the two main characters. It was much shorter than the first story. I’m not sure what I’ll do with the sequel. It will depend on how I finish the first one.
The Next Step
I’ve never published anything myself so I’m looking into doing more research on self-publishing. It won’t be easy to get a publisher without having an agent so I think this may be the best way to go. I’ve noticed, thanks to TikTok, many authors went this route and eventually got picked up by a publisher once their book became popular. Or have stuck with self-publishing and have made a business out of selling their books themselves. It’s something I feel would be a better option for me at this time. I’m not sure when exactly I’ll finish the novel and publish, but the plan is to get it done soon. Even if some days it is a struggle for me.
With that said, if you’d like to receive updates on the progress, sneak peeks, or just to chat follow me on Blue Sky. I joined a few months ago and recently updated the handle to reflect my website’s domain. @writtenstars.com. You can also follow me on Instagram, Threads, TikTok and X. I’m not sure how long I’ll stick with X because there have been things that I’ve seen that have made me not enjoy the platform as I once did.
Thank you to everyone who has stuck around while I navigate plans for the website and my novel. It’s not an easy process, but I’m hoping to make the website a place for everyone who loves to read to enjoy.
