Introducing The Next Novel

Hi! It’s Shayne.

You’re receiving this because at some point you signed up for my TinyLetter.

Going forward, I’ve decided to take this email newsletter in a different direction. I’m currently at work on my third novel and I’m going to document, via a series of weekly emails, the process of writing it. 

Introducing: The Next Novel

Each week, I’ll send an email about some aspect of creating a book from scratch — plotting, researching, drafting, revising, tools I use, tricks I’ve learned, people who inspire me*. 

Why?

When I started my first novel (which is currently one of those novels-in-a-drawer most writers have), I had no idea how long it would take — or that getting to a finished first draft was basically the 200-yard mark in a marathon.

I went into my second novel with what I thought were eyes wide open and still encountered a ton of surprises along the way.

This time, I understand my process enough to think about it from the outside, and I figured that might be interesting or valuable to others, especially people who are engaged in similar creative pursuits.

Plus, as a 100% Obliger, I know that promising to write about my writing will hold me accountable and help me finish the thing.

What’s the novel about?

It’s about a young woman who works at a house museum and finds herself under the influence of a charismatic new boss. While she tries to figure out whether she can trust this person, she is also discovering more about the woman who built the house, an eccentric modern architect with an uncovered past. 

Cool. What now?  

If hearing about someone else’s process — the successes, the failures, and all the fuzziness in between — sounds interesting to you, then great! You’re already signed up! Feel free to tell a friend.

If this is not something you want in your inbox, please opt out by hitting the unsubscribe link below. As someone who fiercely protects my own inbox, I promise I will not be offended.

Love you all. 

*Speaking of people who inspire me, how classy are this logo and banner designed by Alison Weust? This novel is set in my hometown of Rockford, IL, and it makes me so happy to collaborate with a Rockford-based artist from the get-go.