Exploring the World of Books by J.P. Graves

The Struggle of Writing Never Ends

For the past few days, I’ve been struggling to make progress on my latest work-in-progress. It's a little ironic, considering the working title of the novel and trust me, the humor there isn’t lost on me but the struggle is real. One of the biggest issues I’ve run into is losing track of the book’s core plot within the larger narrative I’m trying to build.

This next book isn’t a direct sequel to In Darkest Dreams, but I am weaving in elements from that universe. My goal is for the story to stand on its own. If this is your first time reading something of mine, you’ll still get a full experience without needing to know anything about the previous book. But for returning readers, there are breadcrumb trails. Little Easter eggs that offer a wider perspective on the world I’m building. I’ve got two or three more books planned in this same universe, all following that format.

Balancing that has honestly been the most frustrating part of writing this book. Figuring out what’s too much and what’s too little. What details enrich the story, and what bogs it down. Deciding which characters should connect back to In Darkest Dreams, and how those relationships play out in this new context.

That said, I think I’ve finally hit a bit of a stride. Chapter 18 came together nicely after some heavy edits and rewrites. Unfortunately, those changes meant Chapter 19 no longer worked. So I deleted it. Completely. Along with one of the plotlines from the second half of the book.

After sitting with it for a day or so, I think it was the right call.

That plotline pulled focus away from the main character and diluted the horror elements I want to lean into. And with horror, the atmosphere and emotional core have to stay front and center. That’s the whole point.

So now it’s back to the storyboard to make sure that change doesn’t ripple through and break anything else I had planned. This is the longest thing I’ve ever written, and by far the most complex. But it’s good. It gives me chills. It makes my stomach clench, even though I know exactly what’s coming.

And I can’t wait to share it with the world.