Seasons greetings my fellow Valcarans. I bring glad tidings - I have just completed the first draft of the sequel to The Soul Sector. Valcara Incorporated Book 2 will be released in 2022! That's right: more metaphysical musings, morally gray characters, and supernatural shenanigans await.
But before that happens, this first draft will undergo massive amounts of workshopping. I finished the first draft of The Soul Sector around this time last year, but it then went through about ten different revision cycles until it was ready to be published. So there is a lot of work ahead, but I am very much looking forward to it. The editing process is like assembling a gigantic puzzle, and if you know anything about me, you'll know that I love a puzzle.
Writing a first draft is basically throwing paint on a canvas with the slightest idea of what you hope the final portrait will look like. Then you get to the end and you're like, "What the heck is this second-rate Picasso?" But if you squint at it long enough, you realize there are hints of a fleshed-out story there, and you just need to mix things up a bit. A first draft is basically where you craft all the puzzle pieces; editing is the process of then fitting those pieces together to create a polished product.
One key piece in the editing process is receiving early feedback from readers. These 'beta readers' provide useful critiques that make sure the plot makes sense and that the story is on the right track throughout the editing process. If you are interested in being a beta reader for Valcara Incorporated Book 2, you can sign up here. I'll be reaching out to volunteers in early January with next steps.
I'll continue to share updates on the sequel and some other ongoing writing projects as we move into 2022. Thank you to everyone who has bought a book so far; if you've enjoyed reading The Soul Sector, it would mean the world to me if you could post a review on Goodreads and Amazon.
Happy holidays!