As you may have heard, I’m writing my third book. The working title is A Tale of Two Hurricanes: Surviving Beryl and Melissa. I’m pretty sure the title will stay because it tickled me to think of it.
ProWritingAid, the tool I’m using to help me make sure my grammar, spelling, and other things are on point, is running a contest where you submit the first 5000 words of your book. The top prize is $50,000.
I’ve already written over 5000 words; however, what I currently have requires polishing. I realize that the first 5000 words don’t have to be perfect, but I want anyone reading the first 5000 to want to read the rest of the book, so I’m trying to make it as enticing as possible.
This book feels more like my first book since I’m writing about my personal experiences with the two hurricanes. The book I published two years ago was a deviation because it was about my first dog, Lulu. It was the closest to fiction I’ve written to date, with Lulu narrating her story.
Instead of writing about depression after losing my dad, I’m now writing about my experiences surviving two hurricanes in two years. Two very different, yet traumatizing experiences.
Regardless of the book I’m writing, my goal is to have each one, regardless of topic, be better than the last. I’ve learned a lot after publishing my first two. While I didn’t hire an editor for my second book, I did several grammar and spelling checks to make sure they didn’t detract from the story. If there’s anything I’ve learned, hearing your content read aloud is the best way to catch when something doesn’t sound right.
The contest deadline is March 31. If I continue at the pace I’m on, I should reach 5000 words by the end of next week, so I can go through everything and revise where necessary.
$50,000 wasn’t the incentive to write this book. I realize that I’m a storyteller, and writing books, whether they’re fiction or non-fiction, is my happy place.