March was unexpectedly busy, between social outings with friends and family, getting more involved in writing/book conventions and fairs, and planning a trip to Portugal this summer to celebrate a dear friend’s wedding. I had a lot of fun, but I’m glad the month is now over, especially since it means The Devouring‘s release is in a little over a week!
News & announcements
ARCs for The Devouring went out at the start of the month, and a couple of readers have already posted reviews on Goodreads and The StoryGraph! I know authors aren’t recommended to read the reviews of their own books, but the response has been very positive so far, and I couldn’t help it.
I’ve also been accepted as a mentee for the current round of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s Association (SFWA) Career Mentorship Program! I’m really excited for the opportunity to learn more about the industry, grow in my career as a writer, and connect with others in the community.
My first podcast interview is live! I was honored to be invited as a guest alongside Emily Klotz by From Tree to Book Writing Group. The episode is available on major podcasting platforms as well as YouTube.
Writing update
I took a creative break/mental vacation from Crucible of the Broken Moon this month to work on a self-indulgent project: The Heart Is a Weapon, a vampire novella I was hoping to complete at 10,000 words. After twenty days, I finished the first draft at 19,832 words! With the pressure to reach a certain word count by the deadline, the whole experience reminded me of last November’s novel writing challenge. Due to a combination of factors (both positive and negative), I wrote so much in the first week that I amazed myself. I slowed down in the second and third weeks, but all was well.
However, the first draft is a proper mess. I have always been a perfectionist, and though I’ve worked hard to let go of my impossible standards, perfectionism still presents itself in a lot of what I do. At some point while writing Heart, I realized the first draft was not going to be anywhere close to the final version, so I simply stopped caring about that. I wrote to put the plot to page, keeping in mind that every single scene can be revised and rewritten later. It was oddly freeing—and something I doubt I would’ve experienced or realized if I hadn’t taken this break from Crucible.
This may be another reason why drafting Crucible has been so slow: I’ve been writing it while trying to avoid rewrites as much as possible. My experience with rewriting most of The Devouring last year must’ve taken its toll on my psyche. Now, however, I understand it’s better to get the damn story on the page first. So much can and will change between the first and final drafts, and no amount of preparation beforehand can prevent rewriting. Will this changed mindset help me as I dive back into Crucible? I’m not sure yet. We’ll just have to see.
I am shelving Heart for now, but I have a list of edits to make when I eventually return to it. The time apart will help me clear my head and get me into a mindset for revisions, too. I’m still grappling with the realization that I’ve written a second book already, even though my first one hasn’t been released yet. I was expecting a long haul between The Devouring and whatever came next (which I assumed would be Crucible), yet here I am, a two-book author. It’s wild.
Recent delights
- I spent a good portion of March beta reading for my friend Isaac. His historical, swashbuckling farce The Duel in 1660 (tentative title) is an incredible masterwork of a book, and I loved every moment of reading it. Literary agents and publishing houses should be fist-fighting in the streets for the chance to pick it up.
- I attended a local author book fair last week, hosted by my local indie bookstore. It was awesome seeing all the tables set up with so many books. And what a variety! I saw nonfiction, contemporary romance, romantasy, science fantasy, and more. When I asked the bookstore staff if they were doing it again next year, they said they’d love to host it sooner than that—hopefully seasonally!
A. M. Shilling 
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