Writing a novel is a long and challenging process, but it’s also an incredibly rewarding one. In this post, I want to share my personal writing journey and the process I’m using for my current novel, code-named Project A.E.O.N. I hope that it will inspire and motivate you on your own writing journey.

For me, it all started with NaNoWriMo 2020. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and is an annual writing challenge to write 50,000 words in the month of November. I decided to give it a try and was determined to finish my novel. The challenge gave me the push I needed to get started. I finished it, and it became the first draft of my novel.

When I started writing my first draft of Project A.E.O.N. I had a basic idea of where the story was going, but I didn’t have all the details worked out. I knew that the first draft would be rough and that there would be a lot of work to do to refine and improve the story.

For the NaNoWriMo challenge, my primary focus was on getting my ideas onto the page as quickly as possible. I wasn’t overly concerned with issues like sentence structure, grammar, or word choice—my goal was simply to get the story out of my head and onto paper.

By allowing myself to write freely and without worrying about getting everything perfect, I was able to tap into my creativity and bring the story to life in a way that felt authentic and true to my vision. While the resulting first draft was far from perfect, it gave me a solid foundation to build upon as I moved into the revision process.

Looking back, I can see how far the story has come since that first draft. The characters have developed, the plot has become more intricate, and the themes have become more nuanced. It’s a testament to the power of revision and the importance of not getting bogged down by the details in the first draft.

If you’re just starting out on your own writing journey, remember that the first draft is just the beginning. Don’t worry too much about getting everything perfect – focus on getting the ideas down on paper and let the story evolve naturally over time. With hard work, dedication, and a willingness to revise, you can turn a rough first draft into a polished and compelling novel.

As I am right in the middle of the revision process for Project A.E.O.N., I’m finding that it’s less hard work and more of a joyful exploration of the world and characters that I’ve created. Despite the many challenges of revising a first draft, I’m having a lot of fun getting to know my characters on a deeper level and exploring the themes and ideas that drive the story forward.

The revision process is a chance to refine and improve the story, to make it stronger and more engaging for readers. But it’s also a chance to spend more time in the world you’ve created, to engage with the characters you’ve brought to life, and to explore the themes and ideas that matter to you.

For me, revising Project A.E.O.N. has been a rewarding and enjoyable process, full of surprises and discoveries. It’s given me the chance to see my characters in a new light, explore different plot twists and turns, and refine my writing style in a way that feels more true to my voice.

If you’re in the midst of revising your own first draft, remember that it’s an opportunity to learn and grow as a writer, and to have fun exploring the world and characters you’ve created. Embrace the challenges, stay open to new ideas, and keep pushing forward—you never know where the revision process may take you!

Once I’ve completed the second draft of Project A.E.O.N. the next step will be to edit the novel and fix any common writing errors that may have crept in. This includes checking for grammar mistakes, correcting spelling errors, and ensuring that punctuation is used correctly throughout the manuscript.

After that, I’ll give it out to a selected group of test readers for feedback. Test readers are a crucial part of the writing process because they can offer insights and suggestions that I may not have considered. I’ll take their feedback into account and then edit the novel one more time, bringing it up to a third draft.

Finally, I’ll give it to a professional copy editor and then a proofreader. This final step ensures that the novel is polished and ready for publication.

Writing a novel is a challenging and rewarding experience, and the process of bringing it from an idea to a finished product can be a long and complex journey. However, with the right tools, process, and support, it can be a fulfilling one.

In this post, I’ve shared my writing process for Project A.E.O.N. from the initial NaNoWriMo challenge to the revision and editing process. While this post has been fairly long, there is still so much more to cover when it comes to the writing process, such as feedback and editing. In future blog posts, I plan to delve deeper into these topics and share the tools and processes I use to help bring my stories to life.

If you enjoyed this post and want to stay up to date with my writing journey, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter. You’ll get exclusive access to writing tips, updates on my latest projects, and more, including the chance to become a beta reader and get sneak peeks of my work in progress. You can also support me on Ko-Fi if you’d like to help me continue to create more content like this. Every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to sharing more insights and tips with you in the future. Happy writing!