Writing: How I Wrote My Next Book

I began writing my second book four months before I launched my debut novel. Sixteen months later, I completed my first draft of my manuscript for my next story. My second novel will be a sequel to my first book, which is currently titled Patience.

It took me four years to complete my manuscript for my first novel. I wrote my manuscript for my next book in less than half the time. Because it took me ten years to eventually self-publish my debut novel, I never imagined I would have the drive to write another story. So, how did I end up writing my next book?

Inspiration

My debut novel is an entirely fictional story. However, I did use some of my personal experiences from my teens and early twenties to build the plot. Probably the most prominent example would be me and my main character having Asperger Syndrome.

My experiences of navigating adulthood while having autism ultimately convinced me to write a continuation of my debut book. For my next story, my lead character’s experiences with having autism will play a much bigger role. As with my debut novel, my next book will be a fictional story with some of the plot based on my own personal experiences.     

Writing Process

Initially, I had started off strong with writing my second novel. I was writing a lot, and I was consistent with when I would write. One of the reasons I was able to write so much was because I had a lot more leisure time than when I was writing my debut novel. I didn’t have homework, college applications, and school to take time away from writing a book.

I had a job when I began writing my second book. However, because of the pandemic, I had a lot of downtime. During the lockdown, I had at least a few weeks of paid time off from work, and I used that time to start writing my next book. When I returned for work, I had a week off every other week, and I used that time off from work to continue writing. I was also writing whenever I had downtime at my job, and I had plenty of it.

However, as the months passed during the pandemic, my motivation to write began to significantly dwindle. At the time, I was going through personal struggles and eventually, I would only write in sporadic moments. There were times where I didn’t write anything for weeks. There were also times where I knew what I wanted to write, but I didn’t have the motivation to write it. If I had remained consistent with my writing, I would have finished my manuscript a lot sooner than sixteen months. But I’m proud to say that I did finish writing it.

What Now?

Although my manuscript for my next book is complete, I have no intention of getting it published soon. After all, it’s only my first draft. There’s a lot of revisions and editing that needs to be done. But more importantly, there are some things I want to work on before I begin the process of publishing my second novel. With any luck, my efforts will build a foundation for success with my next release.

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