Starting a New Book

As an author, finishing a book feels like a tremendous accomplishment. That feeling is the best high ever. But soon after, another feeling takes control, one with an even bigger high. It is that of starting a new novel. Because there is something magical about starting a new book.

Before the chapters are written, before the scenes are shaped, before the characters fully reveal who they are, there is this quiet stage where everything still feels possible. That is where I am right now with Jackson.

The story is there. The ideas are waiting. The characters have already started whispering. But before I dive too deeply into the writing, I need to understand the shape of the book.

For me, planning a new story usually begins with a mix of structure and instinct. I like to know where the emotional journey is going, what the major turning points are, and what questions the story needs to answer. But I also want to leave enough room for surprises, because characters often become most interesting when they refuse to behave exactly as planned.

Planning helps me see the bigger picture. It allows me to move from scattered ideas to a story that has direction. I use notes, chapter ideas, character questions, scene lists, and timelines to slowly build the world of the book.

At this stage, nothing has to be perfect. That is important to remember. A plan is not a cage. It's a map. And sometimes the best scenes are found when you take a different road than the one you first imagined.

For Jackson, I’m especially interested in the line between control and trust. Between human emotion and artificial intelligence. Between ambition and morality. Between a discovery that could change lives and the people willing to do anything to control it.

All this makes the planning stage both exciting and intense. Because the more I plan, the more I realize how much is hiding inside this story. And that is the part I love most. It's the moment a new book stops being just an idea and slowly starts becoming a reality.

Until next time,