The Weight of the Current Chunk: When Character Emotions Follow You to Work

So, I’m at the point where I just posted on Instagram that I am thirty-one chapters in. I have officially moved onto the next chunk of the book—well, I’ve been in it for the last few days now. I'm so happy with the progress, even though I definitely still have a ways to go.

I really wanted to come on here and talk about my feelings regarding this current section. It took a completely different route than what I originally had drafted. As I was rereading certain parts and bridging the previous chapters together, my mind started going a mile a minute with new concepts. I’ve honestly just been experimenting and flowing with those thoughts, seeing how the story would play out, and I really love where it's going. It just feels better. I feel like it hits deeper emotionally and is so much better than what I originally planned.

But I will say, weaving these new ideas into this chunk has been emotionally challenging. I am naturally an empathetic person, and I’m writing a very difficult few chapters for my characters right now. Not only do I feel bad for them, but warping something that was supposed to imbue fun and joy into something so horrific in their environment is heart-wrenching. I’ve felt so much genuine guilt, but it is so necessary for the story.

I can’t even tell you—I literally feel my characters’ emotions as I am writing! The empathy is so real that the feelings sometimes bleed into my day job. When I'm away from my phone and can't write, I actually have to keep reminding myself to step back and detach from their world.

Navigating that has been an incredible, eye-opening experience on its own. While this section has been really hard to get through, I know it won’t be the last time I have to write an emotionally heavy chapter. But as of right now? I think this specific chunk will remain the most difficult part of the entire book.

That is the update for now! Thank you all so much for your time, your support, and your investment in this journey. It means the world to have you along for the ride while I bring this universe to life. Stay tuned, because it's only going to get deeper from here!