✍️ Blog Update: Small Outlines, Big Battles, and Upcoming Vacation Rest

Hello everyone, standard check-in to give you a quick update!

I just posted a mini update on Instagram as well. As I mentioned over there, the outline I was working from was actually pretty small, but it gave me the foundation for three beautiful new chapters. These chapters act as a bridge leading into the beginning of the end of my book—which is super exciting!

Right now, I'm reviewing the next outlined section. My characters are officially entering the final battle, so my primary focus is tweaking the outline to make sure it aligns with everything I’ve added in recent drafts. Most of the material in this next chunk—labeled in my document as "When the Heavens Break"—is staying intact. Looking over it quickly, it’s another shorter section, but I’m working on making sure it packs as much of an emotional and action-packed punch as possible.

Navigating Burnout & Preparing for Rest

As you might have noticed in the Reel, I also mentioned that I’ve been dealing with a lot of job burnout this week. The general stress and anxiety from the fast-paced work environment have just been building up, taking a real toll on me. Even with things temporarily slowing down a bit during the summer, I still find myself feeling anxious, irritated, and worn out by the daily grind.

The good news? I requested the last week of August off for vacation—which is my birthday week! It’s going to be a much-needed break to get some real rest and, of course, make so much more progress on my book. I’ve noticed over the last few years that whenever I book time off for my birthday, the weeks leading up to it hit extra hard with fatigue and burnout. It’s like my body knows the break is coming and starts anticipating that time off a little too early.

Looking Ahead to the Next Chunks

With vacation just around the corner, I still have to tackle this current section, which I hope to finish by the end of the upcoming weekend.

After that comes the section labeled "Hearts in the Aftermath." This one is a total monster—the chunkiest of all chunky outlines in the entire book! That section alone spans almost 200 pages. I’ll likely spend the final week leading up to my vacation—and a few days into the break itself—diving deep into it.

I don’t have any grand, expensive birthday plans this year since I’m sticking to a budget and staying close to home. My main goal for the week is simply to rest up, spend quality time with my amazing Discord community, catch up with family, and make huge strides on this manuscript.

Until then, I’m doing my best to stay level-headed and hang in there for the final stretch. I’m riding out the current stress knowing that things won't be like this forever, and I firmly trust that my circumstances will be shifting very soon.

Thank you all for being here on this journey with me!