on finishing another book
february 2026 edition
The shortest month of the year has whipped by in a blur, but let me indulge in a moment of reflection. To simply breathe with you all, I do think we might need it.
The snow is melting, rain is pouring down, and it’s like a false spring. Still, cozy up and let’s have a chitty chat.
WRITING LATELY
I finished another book!
On February 13th, sitting in an incredible bed and breakfast, with a fire roaring and a McDonald’s ice-cold Coke powering me through, I wrote the final words of my F1 romance novel.
I’ve talked a bit more extensively about the writing process of this book than I have for any other draft. Perhaps it is because of this newsletter that I even took the leap to start developing the idea. Perhaps it’s because I don’t make YouTube videos anymore, and I see this newsletter as a similar medium. Perhaps it’s because I’m always wanting to reveal secrets and talk openly about my work.
Or the secret fourth option: all of the above.
I started this book on November 8th, and I thought I’d be able to get it done before the end of the year. Because, of course, absolutely nothing happens in December that could possibly derail my progress. If you want more in-depth thoughts about that, you can see December’s newsletter. And if you want to know why I didn’t finish the book in January, you can find it in January’s newsletter. (Apologies for dragging you all over my substack, but I don’t want to rehash such recent newsletters!)
Once I turned in Book 2, I had about two and a half weeks to freely do whatever I wanted. Part of that time was spent decompressing and trying to feel like a normal human being again. But most of this time would be dedicated to a writing retreat with one of my close friends, Lindsay Puckett. In November, we go, with many of our other friends, to a cute little Ohio town and have a lovely writing retreat. Because there are so many of us, we stay in a bigger house, but there is a bed and breakfast we walk past to get to our favorite coffee shop and we both adore the look of it.
So, since we live relatively close together, I invited her to come with me to the B&B and have a little writing retreat. I knew this dedicated time would be perfect for finishing the F1 book, and it felt fitting to finish it where I started it.
And I won’t lie, this B&B absolutely inspired me to secretly slip into another document and work on a story I’ve been playing with for almost a year, but I’ll keep that one a little closer to my chest for now.
On the first day, I spent the entire time rereading what I’d written. I hadn’t forgotten anything, because this book has impatiently tapped its foot in the back of my mind while I was revising Book 2. But I wanted to familiarize myself with the vibes, and the beginning of this book is good. There are a lot of interesting sprouts that I need to cultivate at the end of the novel, but I could definitely see the path this novel carves.
And so, I dove into writing the final six chapters. And I steadily chipped away at each chapter, writing the emotional beats I needed to feel like I could move on. But I realized my process for this book has been so different than others.
Usually, I’m a very complete drafter. I feel as though I can’t move on unless the whole chapter is completely fleshed out and actualized to the best of my ability. I assume this comes from my years of writing fanfiction and roleplaying. But something has shifted. This novel is incredibly insular. Its focus is solely on Darcy and Jasper and their carnal attraction to each other as it develops into something deeper and grows with understanding and empathy. The other characters matter, of course, especially with how their family interacts with them, but I wasn’t focused on developing those relationships within actual scenes. It was more that I knew what those relationships were like, told the reader through internal narrative, and explored the ways those relationships affected the characters by having Jasper and Darcy explore together.
So, all of that to say, I have left actually quite a few chapters with brackets and explanations of what I will write there, but unless it was directly integral to Darcy and Jasper’s relationship, I haven’t written it yet. A couple of years ago, even the thought of this would give me hives. But now, I know this was just how this book shook out and crumbled. And I could already see all of the threads I needed to pull tauter, all the pieces I needed to fit in better, and in revision, I’ll be able to add so much more.
This is the most underwritten book I’ve ever finished, and it’s still 90,000 words. Which, I know some of you writers might balk at, but my romance novels usually are around 110,000 to 115,000 words. And my fantasy novels are even longer.
So, there is a part of me that is almost excited to dive back in and expand and see what needs to be fleshed out. As soon as I have the courage to actually seek feedback on it. There is a deep-rooted fear that is clinging to my bones. And that comes back to the fact that this is the messiest and most unpolished book I’ve ever declared finished. And it’s taking quite a bit of convincing to get myself to understand that all of those more “complete” manuscripts were just as messy and in need of development as this one is. It’s just more skeletal, but I also think it’s good enough to stand on its own. I feel good about the place that it’s at, and I know I need another set of eyes on it.
I’m just going to hold it close to my chest for a little while longer.*
The relief of finally being able to say this draft is done has been immense. And also freeing. Because I’m always looking toward the next project, the next book, the next story. And with every book I write, I learn more about the process, about myself, and I continue to reaffirm that this is the life I was meant to have. I love writing so much, and it’s everything to me.
Even if it changes and is terrifying and hard.
*By the time you’re reading this, it’s already in my agent’s inbox.
UP NEXT
So, I’ve basically written two books in two months. One revision and one completion. But there is still so much on my plate, and I am so grateful for that! I’m extraordinarily lucky that I have so many books I want to write and that I have so much time to devote to them.
I will be back on deadline for Book 2 at some point this month and into March, but until then, I have several plates spinning in the air.
Because of publishing timelines, I’m prioritizing working on what I’ve always referred to as book four in the BACKHANDED COMPLIMENTS universe. It’s an Olympic-based book, so if we sold it, it’d make the most sense for it to come out in 2028. Which, once again, depending on timelines, might mean it comes out before what I’ve been calling book three. The numbers are pretty much arbitrary, more used as a way to denote which is which when I talk about them. Luckily, most of the romance books that I write aren’t strictly chronological. They’re standalones that can be read in any order, connected by world and characters, but the stories aren’t reliant upon each other. So, really, when I say book three, it’s more of a way for you, the reader, to know I mean Livia’s book, and book four is Claudia’s book. They would ideally come out in that order, but it isn’t imperative that they do. They could flip-flop.
Anyway, all of that explanation to say that I’m diving into the headspace of Claudia for her Olympic book. Which actually works great because there are Olympics happening, so the vibes are there. Even if they’re decidedly colder than what will be in Claudia’s book.
Last year, I wrote and developed Livia’s book into a full synopsis, which I intend to do fully with Claudia’s, too. And then, I will also work on a chapter-by-chapter bullet point outline for myself so that when I go into writing either book, I am ready and can crank through it in about two or three months.
Alongside this, I’ll also be working on the same things for the next two F1 books. As I said in January, they’re the books that have really just sunk their claws into my brain, and I want to work on them the most. It’s hard to describe because I’m also excited for Livia and Claudia’s books, but they don’t have the “new book” idea shine still on them. I’ve had their plots and main ideas pinned down, for the most part, since July 2022.
Who am I to deny the muses when they whisper to me? When they fill my head with the ideas for these books and beg me to open up the document and wrangle the ideas into place? That isn’t the way I work, so I will also be working on them too, just filling my brain with as much inspiration as I can and creating stories I’m excited to jump into.
I originally did have an order for the F1 books, but I’ve shuffled it around more as I began to understand the characters and their connections. And excitingly, I also picked titles for the books! Are they good titles? Nope! But will they do for now? You bet!
And finally, my other priority is to work on the first royalty romance book. I have a synopsis and pitch for it, but now it’s getting to be time to write the first few chapters and really hammer out the voice and the details. There is a part of me that wonders if this book would be served better to be in first person? Should it be single POV?
Luckily for me, I’m going to finally watch Bridgerton Season 4. The original idea for the royalty romances was born out of the second season, completely captivating me. And it is an undeniable reference point for what I want the books to feel like, even if they’re more of a spiritual sister than an actual homage.
So, lots to do, but this is a great time to practice these skills! I am a drafter by heart, but the outlining and exploration of the plot before writing are skills I wish to hone in on as I grow as a writer within my career.
Tune in next month to hear how it all goes, and maybe I’ll show more of what I do to actually get myself back to my favorite part of the process: drafting!
WHAT I’VE BEEN CONSUMING
BECCA’S BOOK LAUNCH
My good friend, Becca C. Smith, has released a new book! Grandma’s Little Secret is available wherever you like to buy your books! It’s inspired by true events and is such a fast-paced and thrilling ride. I devoured the entire book on my train ride to New York City to see her and go to her book event! It is fast-paced, drips with 80s nostalgia, and had my heart in a vice. Emma’s inner world is so creative and rich, which balances well with the secondary perspective, which gives context and nuance while also exploring ~family trauma~ and ~generational trauma~.
I also went to New York City for her book event! Luckily, I live in Pennsylvania so I just hop on the train and in about six hours of clickity clacking along the tracks, I arrived in the Big Apple! I had a lovely lunch with Becca, her sister, Davaisha, and her publisher, Zara! And then we made out way to the Barnes and Noble on 5th Avenue and Becca signed their stock of Grandma’s Little Secret! (And they also had BC, so I too got to sign them! If you want a signed copy 😉)
Becca’s event was held at the Barnes and Noble in Brooklyn. And the whole event was streamed live (if you want to go back and watch it!) and it was such a fabulous time! I love going to author events, especially for authors that I know well and love. But it’s going to be something I prioritize in my life going forward because I love listening to author’s talk about their process, their passion, their little quirks! And there is so much magic in getting my book personalized and signed and get to be a little piece of this greater story.
I’m sentimental by nature (blame my Cancer moon) and I’m just so proud of Becca. So, I’d love if you went to bought her book in your favorite format and supported her and her passion too. 😍
HEATED RIVALRY
I finally did it. I finally watched Heated Rivalry, only about three months after everyone’s initial hype.
And let me tell you, I was kind of foaming at the mouth to watch it. First of all, I ran a semi-successful yaoi hockey tumblr back in 2012, so this show might’ve actually given thirteen-year-old Katie a heart attack. However, I refrained from watching until now because all that I saw about this show made me think it was quite similar to Jasper and Darcy’s story.
And for one, I didn’t want to be unduly influenced whilst in the midst of writing the book. And second, I didn’t want to look at this fully finished product and compare my first draft to it. But on February 13th, I finished my book, and on Valentine’s Day, Lindsay and I went to hang out with our other bestie, Jessica, and have dinner at her house and snuggle with her dogs. And on a whim, Lindsay suggested we start watching Heated Rivalry as a way to celebrate not only the holiday, but also my finishing of the F1 book. So, yes, we did watch the “hockey porn” show together and yes, it was as fantastic and amazing and fun and squeal-worthy as you can imagine!
We watched the first three episodes, and while I enjoyed the first two episodes, the third was spectacular. I LOVE the flirting, the sweetness, the chemistry; it all had us GASPING and SHRIEKING and pausing to breathe because it was so good. Unfortunately, Lindsay and I did have to leave in the morning, so we couldn’t finish the last half together.
But Lindsay and I hopped on FaceTime and watched it on our laptops and the final three episodes were quite good. It is quite a good romance show and I did like that it didn’t linger in the angst. It was so fast-paced and it made it more fun to get carried along with.
Was it perfect? No, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I am so unbelievably happy that so many people love it and are wanting to have more queer media, because in my opinion, we can never have enough. And truly, it inspired me to continue creating my queer art and expressing queer joy, because it was so joyful and clearly crafted with a lot of love.
NONFICTION
I am trying, desperately, to break out of my reading slump. I have a list of fiction books I want to crack open, but it’s just been hard. I go through seasons like this, when books don’t hold my interest because I’d rather be writing them. And of course, I’ll cycle back to being so uninspired at my keyboard that I need to swallow someone else’s work whole in order to feel creatively charged.
However, over the last year, I’ve gotten more into audiobooks and into nonfiction. I never thought I’d be that girl, but I think my newfound love of nonfiction comes from the fact that I know I’m not a nonfiction writer. I don’t write about myself outside of talking about writing and my opinions on things, but at this point, I read fiction, and my default is to critique the work, even if it’s within my own mind. And even if I love the book, I am still taking note of how they did what they did so I could try it for myself within my own stories.
But with nonfiction, I am able to turn off my critiquing brain and enjoy without those types of thoughts. I don’t completely turn off my brain, but it’s more like I slip into the skin of the writer and drift with them. I have a goal of reading twelve nonfiction books and the one I finished on my drive home from Ohio was Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green. The audiobook is narrated by him, and he does such a good job weaving the broader scope of how Tuberculosis touches everything and everyone, and also grounding it in the story of a boy named Henry and his family. I loved it, and the last third had me sobbing on the highway, desperately blinking the tears away so I could see my exit.
I’m looking for even more recommendations because I’m really loving nonfiction at the moment. I have a full list that continues to grow because I am craving it so much. So, if you’ve read one that moved you, please let me know!
All right, we’ve made it to the end of the newsletter and the end of February.
As always, here are your dog photos for being patient with my ramblings.
Blue turned three this month, and he’s the sweetest boy. Bunny is still a menace to society and all who know her, unless you’re petting her head and telling her she’s a good girl.
And of course, Bear is enjoying his leisurely retirement with my mother.
See you when hopefully it’s actually spring!
Earning my star