the end for project.wanderlust is here, at least for now. all i can really say is, what a journey it's been to see the first completed draft at its end. being part of the 3% of people who get the draft done is surreal in itself, and it's crazy to think i wasn't one of the people who didn't give up at the end.

i still remember this all started out as a minor script assignment in a college creative writing class about five years ago. it was to write about two characters who inspire change and action within each other's lives, and going the YA route was the right way to head for it for the sake of staying on theme with the task at hand. the first feelings i had upon writing the initial excerpt was excitement; excitement for my own curiosity as a growing writer in a class i've always wanted to take, and for who these characters were and the contrasting lives they both lived.

it wasn't until two years later where i thought: what if their story expanded into something bigger? what if this boy and girl i wrote about became something of their own, and what sort of potential, drive, did i hold within me to bring something of my own creative will into this world?

and now here i am, with the many takeaways i'd like to share with you all in this experience:

1. Be okay with your writing becoming shittier and shitter as you go on.

You know that meme of a drawing of a horse where it looks really good at first and by the end it looks like a stick figure? That's pretty much how I felt about this draft as I progressed towards it. By the time I got to the last chapter I was finishing, I felt like I was pulling things out of my ass at that point.

Sometimes, in order to keep going, you just need some degree of substance, and not think at all. Whatever virtually comes to mind should be written down without having to worry about whether it makes sense, fits the character's overall actions and personality, worldbuilding, etc. because as long as there is something there, improvements can be made.

In order for the first draft to get done, your feelings should be mostly, if not, completely off. I say this because your own perfection and pride will 100% prevent you from seeing it through to the end. if you let your mind speak, then that's when all the second guessing and imposter syndrome begins to set in. There will be the moments where you'll cringe and cry at your writing, and feel like you'll want to rip your hair out trying to make sense of anything that you're doing in the plot, with the characters, themes, and stakes. Trust me, throughout this draft I've been there. But keep on going. You have to.

2. You can be both a panster and plotter at the same time.
This project all started with me simply discovering writing at first. It was pure passion for how these two characters interacted with each other. For instance, my two characters were at school just as the last bell rang talking in the hallways, and when the FMC discusses her own inner conflict, she gets a push of inspiration from the MMC. This was where the overarching theme kicked in, and I thought, this might be good enough to work off of.

My book eventually needed a skeleton as a foundation of so I wrote out a few sample stakes and conflicts to get the story going, which then led into locations and worldbuilding, and then a bit more into the characters, etc. The discovery writing I did eventually built itself into something on it's own.

Switching back and forth between the two can especially help if you have writer's block or if you can't figure out the direction of where the story is heading next.

3. Existence first, fixes later.
get the damn thing to exist first. Fixing, editing, and developing parts of the book will only delay it's cohesive existence all together, and building off of the initial draft will help you get to the next parts you were hoping to work on. This was something I struggled with at first because I just wanted it to all work out on the first round. I quickly figured that this wasn't smart because I would probably be working on it forever if I went down this route. the last chapter in particular was the hardest because i recently moved in with my fiance, and having to get into the routine of writing the past month has honestly been hard. they say if there's a will, a way is found, and i am glad it worked out.

4. Not knowing everything is sometimes the best thing.
i didn't know squat about my characters at first, which is completely fine. Hell, I didn't even know this book was going to turn into third person pov. When you let yourself free without the complete restraints of an outline or with a strict pitch, your horizons and potential will broaden. i found this important because it makes you get out of your own way, and comfort zone. embrace whatever your mind comes up with it and write it down because it might be useful later on.

5. Focus music // sounds // ambience will be your best friend.

any sort of actual music will keep me distracted so the next best thing i had were sounds of nature of and ambience from youtube that fit the overall vibes of what i was writing for a scene, or an action done by a specific character. not only did it help me keep focus, but it also helped keep my mind in line with what i was writing. the "flow state" was reachable this way within about an hour of work. 12 minute breaks in between each block doing something the opposite of writing also helped me from overthinking about the work i had done, and pushed me forward. many of these moments involved me watching gilmore girls.

6. Remembering the fun and purpose of your writing.

sometimes i would forget why i'm doing this during the moments of struggle. it's a testament to what i could as a writer, but also what creative spark do i have within me that can be reignited again? what would it take to stand out as the black sheep from my family and do something truly meaningful for me? all of this work had to lead somewhere, and i'm happy that i continued on because it has led me to other great things!

overall, writing a book is something not many people say that they can do or ever did. it's a big endeavor and challenge to take on, and what makes me proud of it is seeing its current finish line and all the possibilities that come with it moving forward with developmental, proofreading, and copyedits. i'm so grateful and thankful to experience this part of my writing journey, and i hope you all can follow me along on the project i have next!

take care, and thanks for listening.

until next time!

• juju <3