This was a post I planned for just before the 12 Days of Christmas party, but I ended up doing other post and saving this one until later and whoosh! It’s January!
In this post I’ll be talking about my plans for finishing off the rather long and complicated series that The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy is … and how a small, over-achieving bit of me wants to do that this year.
(Also, before I forget, HAPPY NEW YEAR MA PEEPS. I hope 2018 is an amazing year for you! God bless!)
As you know, I originally planned on making The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy a four -book series, then expanded to a six-book series, and now I have ideas for multiple spin-off stories.
Weeeell, I do eventually want to finish this series and move on, but at the same time I can’t just abandon all the little plot bunnies swirling around in my brain. (A book about Caleb? Ned? Mr. Knight as a young man? Ooh, Mr. Knight’s childhood best friend who never appeared or was mentioned in a book so far? It’s a sickness …)
At its basic level, I will be done with The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy this year. (Hopefully.) I didn’t say this before, but I’m really hoping I can finish Book 5 (Alice Unanswered) and Book 6 (currently titled Through the Maelstrom) before 2019. It’s a bit of a pipe dream, but I think I can do it.
But … the spin-offs? Well, here’s my current list:
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Sail Away (novel)
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All Made New (novel)
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Let Heaven Wait (novel)
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God Love a Yankee (novella-ish)
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100 Facts About an Angel (novella/novelette)
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The Casual Observer’s Guide to Matchmaking (novella-ish)
So … three full-length novels, a couple novellas, and a shorter novella? Yeah, it sounds pretty crazy.
(Of course, I wouldn’t necessarily call Let Heaven Wait a part of The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, and the other two will be stand-alones.)
(Annnddddddd, if you want to get technical, Lilli Strauss’s series will be related to TCOAAI*, but … let’s not talk about that. My brain is exploding.)
*not typing that out again, sorry …
My Year In Writing
This year, I came up with a (very loose) schedule for my year in writing … and I’m going to try to stick to it. However, I can’t guarantee that that will happen.
Here’s what I have in mind:
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January
- Editing At Her Fingertips.
- Working on Alice Unanswered (outlining/pre-writing).
- Developing That Plot Bunny.
- (ALSO, publishing Flowers on the 13th is still happening!)
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February
- Editing At Her Fingertips s’more.
- Developing That Plot Bunny.
- Plan revisions of Beyond Her Calling.
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March
- At Her Fingertips goes off to the editor.
- Concentrate fully on Beyond Her Calling.
- That Plot Bunny.
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April
- Proof-read and publish At Her Fingertips.
- More revisions of Beyond Her Calling.
- A little more Alice Unanswered.
- That Plot Bunny.
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May
- Beyond Her Calling goes to alpha-readers (and I keep working on it).
- Still writing Alice Unanswered.
- That Plot Bunny.
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June
- Finish writing the first draft of Once a Stratton.
- Also keep working on Alice Unanswered.
- That Plot Bunny.
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July
- Finish Alice Unanswered.
- Still working on Beyond Her Calling. Hopefully beta-readers in here.
- That Plot Bunny.
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August
- Finish with beta-readers for Beyond Her Calling.
- Maybe editor for Beyond Her Calling in here. (It depends on me and my editor both.)
- Hoping to finish with That Plot Bunny.
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September
- Planning Through the Maelstrom.
- Might work on another project in here, but haven’t decided.
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October
- Planning Through the Maelstrom.
- Considering publishing Beyond Her Calling.
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November
- NaNoWriMo – Through the Maelstrom.
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December
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Start polishing Alice Unanswered.
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Note: I haven’t set most of this in stone and probably won’t. But that’s my general outlook for the year!
So, in summary, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy will never be finished because I am Star-Wars-ing it up over here. 😛
Seriously, though, it’s coming to a close! And I’ll have to move on! Because I’m not writing about Alice or Ivy (specifically) after these last two books (well, four, if you count editing). I’m writing about different characters in all the “spin-offs.”
I’m not sure how I feel about that. But it needs to happen, much as I love my girls. (Honestly, I think of them as children.) (More than any of my other charries.) (Perhaps because I have a lot in common with Claire?) (Except in our parenting methods … #spankyourchildsavealife)
And … I will still be looking for beta-readers for At Her Fingertips until the 10th of this month! After that, the signups will be closed. Thank you so much to those who have already signed up – several of you have started already, and your comments are so helpful!
~Kellyn Roth~
Social Media | Website | Book Blog
p.s.
Do you tend to add books on to your serieses? Is serieses a word? I don’t think it is. Or maybe I just invented it. I’m good at inventing things. Like serieses and serieses linked to those serieses.
47 Responses
A loose plan is better than no plan! 😃 (I personally have zero plan for the year, so good job! 😂)
Yes, that’s true! (Aw, well, I’m sure it will all turn out all right! I over-plan sometimes. Most of time, actually … XD)
Kellyn, you are so ambitious! My writing goal for 2018? … finish writing the second draft of Heritage Diaries #2. (And I don’t even like my tentative title for it) I feel so lame now. But I haven’t decided when to spend time on that, either. *sigh* And I can’t see the end of my series, either. I’m sure it will take years to finish.
I better start reading your books, or you won’t want me to beta-read for you anymore. Help!
CutePolarBear
Hey, don’t worry about it! Some people work slower than others – and unlike me, some people have a life to live. 😉 I’m a little nerdy about writing, haha, and in some ways it’s a big part of my life – but that can’t and shouldn’t be true for everyone, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about that! Work at your own pace.
Haha, that’s okay … take your time or don’t do it or whatever works for you! I’d love to have you beta-read for me, but if you end up needing to pull out, I understand. 🙂 And you have beta/alpha-read for me a couple times already, sooo?
Thanks. 😉 Yeah, I have a lot of hobbies/interests. Probably too many. What am I supposed to do, unsubscribe from blogs? Stop reading? Stop doing school? Actually, that last option sounds about right… except my mom won’t let me. 😛
*Stamps foot* I shall never pull out! I’m very opposed to not doing something to which I’ve committed. 😛
CutePolarBear
Haha, yep, stop doing school would be great … 😉 I definitely get you on too many hobbies/interests. I have a lot of interests, but I never do most of them. I just wish I had time to do them. 😛
Okay, if you want to! 😛 *is not complaining one bit*
I suppose it’s where one’s priorities lie. I like writing, but I like my other hobbies just as much. So I try to focus on them all equally. Still, some get left by the wayside. 😛
Well, you can’t do everything … but I guess you can do a lot of things if you make time for them! So yeah, it’s really just about priorities. 🙂
Oh my goodness, Kell! (You planned out your whole year????? HOW???? I need to learn how to do this……….Except for the fact that I DO NOT have as much stories to edit(okay maybe edit) or write!!! AHHHHHH)
The only thing I’m really working on is an add-on(’cause Piper…… 😛 ) for my NaNo story last year(LAST YEAR???? AHHHH!!!!! THAT’S SO CRAZY!!!!), which is BTW AWESOME so far!! 🙂 I should be working on a story I started earlier last year, that has like no words………..(’cause I did NaNo and realized just how many words you can write in a month…………) and is my longest one so far(’cause I’m a NaNo rebel…….. 😛 )
How do you write so much????? AHHHHH!!!!!!!
Goodness…….That’s a lot of AHHHHHH’s………………Hmm………….I guess I’m really scared……… 😛
Anyway, great job on all the writing and plans and stuff! 😀
P.S. I’m totally crazy. Everything is in parenthesis………. 😛
I am a crazy planned-out person, and no one should ever imitate me because they will go crazy. (I already am crazy so it doesn’t matter.) (I can plan until my eyes bug out …)
Sounds cool! Remind me what genre you’re writing? I think I remember, but I can’t say for sure … *doesn’t want to assume anything* *because I keep doing that and saying the wrong things* *shrugs*
Wellllll, you can work on that later! Haha, I was the same after NaNo. I’m like, “Whoa, can I seriously write that much in a month …? I guess I can. I really suck the rest of the year …” XD Does that make any sense? Or not? I don’t know.
I don’t, honestly! I just make plans to write a lot. 😉 But I think I can actually do it this year? I don’t have much to do other than write, sooooo???
DON’T BE SCARED! I’M ONLY A LITTLE CRAZY. (I lied, I’m crazy.) (Very crazy.)
(Nah, parenthesis are awesome!)
Lol…………..My whole family is crazy. So I guess I inherited it.
It’s actually the year 2010(I like seriously planned through most of of October and died in November)
Seriously! I’ve written more since NaNo though! I guess it helps……..Either it makes you like writing more or hate it.
Okay I need help with something. What is a semicolon for?? I have asked a million(not literally. Like three so far) and only one knew and she explained it to me, but I still have no idea where to put it!!!!
So would this be the right context?
He stared at me for a moment; then stood up and stepped over to the dresser.
Thanks! 🙂
No, that wouldn’t be the right context. For that sentence, you wouldn’t use any punctuation. (He started me for a moment then stood up and stepped over to the dresser.)
Semicolons are for separating two complete sentences into one. For instance, “He started me for a moment; he stood up and stepped over to the dress.” (Not that that’s a good sentence, haha.) A better example might be: “He started at me for a moment; perhaps it was difficult for him to accept that I’d eaten five chocolate cakes by myself.”
Okay. Thanks! 🙂
Five chocolate cakes!!!!! That’s a lot! 😛
Haha, same, though! My family is nuts …
Oh, neat! Haha, I plan a ton, so yep … I mean, I didn’t as much as I should have this year, b ut yeah.
Yes, it depends … for me, it helps, for others, it’s pure torture!
Good luck with all that, Kellyn! I’m trying to plan out my year too…it’s not looking as busy as yours though. 😛
Haha, well, I tend to overplan a lot … XD
YAYYYYYY YES YOU MUST DO THIS SO THAT I CAN READ ALL ABOUT ALICE AND IVY
ALSO I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THIS BEFORE, BUT…ALICE UNANSWERED WILL HAVE PETER IN IT (HOPEFULLY) AND I LOVE PETERRRRRR 😀 #afop
Anyway…hehe. I’m pretty sure series can be plural or singular…a series, multiple series…but serieses is cool too. 😛
And yes, I do add serieses upon serieses. 😛 But only for certain novels. Like, I have some vague ideas for Battle Song spinoffs, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever write them. But for this other novel I wrote with my friend, I could write spinoffs forever on it. (Actually it’s the novel that my Iris novella is the prequel for.) I have backstories and side stories and so many things that I could write forever and ever on. 😛 So you’re not the only one.
Anyway…”That Plot Bunny”….so mysterious! *is very curious*
OKAY, I SHALL TRY. Although I can’t make any promises. *glares at life and other things that get in the way* *glares at brain for procrastinating* *is it my brain the procrastinates?* *and can you really glare at your brain?* *oh well you know what I mean*
YES IT WILL. I am soooo excited about it, especially since instead of just a few scenes from Peter, there will be half Peter half Alice … and yep! That’s super exciting!
I think I’ll just stick with serieses and look like an idiot. 😉
Yay! *is not alone* *grins* It’s a disease, though … you start and you can’t stop … but then if there is a story to be told, who are you not to tell it??? XD
Haha, yeah, I’m going to talk about that soon I hope …
YAY. *also glares* *glares at your brain because I can do that* 😛
YAYYY THAT MAKES ME VERY EXCITED!
True! I mean, who else will be able to tell the story the right way?
Yay! 🙂
Eeep! Your writing year looks like so much FUN! I’m simply hoping to get my happy little book’s second draft done (finally) and then I’ll be calling this year a success! 😂😂😂 #underachiever
And YES! All of my story ideas usual start out small and compact, and perfectly able to fit inside a standalone novel, but then, quite miraculously, THE ENTIRE STORY EXPLODES INTO A THREE-PART CLIFF-HANGER EXTRAVAGANZA. It is quite terrible….
DUDE! I really need to read your books!! One of my smaller New Year goals is to try and support more Indie authors (even though I am pretty much a broke marshmallow 😂😂) and I totally need these books in my life!!! They sound amazing!!!
Nah, I’m an overachiever; you’re not an underachiever. That’s a great goal! Good luck with that! Let me know if I can help in any way. 🙂 But yeah, I’m hoping it will be fun and not too much work. 😉
YES EXACTLY. I always come up with neat, nice, compact little story idea and then … THERE ARE SEQUELS AND PREQUELS AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE YOU CAN IMAGINE AAAAH.
Awww, thank you! I mean, if you want to do a review, you could read them for free, haha. 😉 BUT … that’s a great goal! Indie authors are cool, pardon me saying so. Let me know if you need recommendations. 😉
I wish I was an overachiever! It’d help me cut through some of my perfectionism and procrastination… XD Aww, thank you SO much!!! I’m really excited to finally get this draft done, so hopefully I can actually do it! XD Oh, yeah, I get that! I think for me, it all depends on how I look at the projects. Whenever I view my writing as something I HAVE to do, I always get really burnt out and unmotivated to actually sit down and do it. But when I look at it (or try to, at least XD) as something I’m excited about and want to do, the words always seem to come a little easier…
YES!! It is so hard not to take every single loose thread and expand it into its own little series!!!! But I mean, obviously this would appease the fans, though, right?? More spin-offs and prequels and sequels means more time to stay in the beautiful world you’ve created!!!!
Oh, I saw that!!!! But I didn’t want to just, like…take your book for free, if that makes any sense! XD So whenever I get the chance, I’m gonna try and buy them, and THEN review them. XD (I’ve also got a lot of things on my plate now, so I probably wouldn’t be able to review them as quickly as I’d like to, anyway. XD) YES! Indie authors are DEFINITELY cool! Oh my word, I would love recs!!!!
Well, I don’t know if overachieving cuts perfectionism … seems like it would just strengthen it. But you never know. XD
Well, good luck! Oh, yeah, I definitely get that feeling. Sometimes deadlines can help me … but other times they make me want to give up … and sometimes I do!
Yes!!! If only more authors would write thousands of amazing sequels and such! We should have a talk with our favorite authors about this … 😉
Okay, sounds good. 🙂 Hmm … what are your favorite genres?
Yeah, that’s true… XD Apparently I’m doomed to be an underachieving procrastinator for the rest of my feeble existence. XD
Awww! Thanks!!!! EXACTLY! It’s terrible. Deadlines rarely make me motivated, unless it’s the bluest of the blue moons.
YES!!!!! We could start a petition or something…. XD
Oh goodness, I love a lot of genres… Um… I think my FAVORITES as of right this instant are fantasy (DRAGONS!!!!) or maybe Sci-Fi? And then just about everything in between, as well. XD
Don’t say that! You can accomplish stuff … you just got to work at it! Maybe form little habits and work up to a regular schedule or …?
Oooh, that’s a great idea! We should definitely. “We, the undersigned, want sequels and sequels and sequels.” 😛 😉 BUT SERIOUSLY. I totally want this to happen!
Hmm … Indie fantasy. I don’t know a ton of authors … I can think of H.L. Burke, Hope Ann, and Kendra E. Arnek … but I know of this Indie fantasy site called “Fellowship of Fantasy” which would be a cool place to find recs! http://www.fellowshipoffantasy.com/
(I thought I had already posted my comment for this, but now it’s not here??? RETYPE TIME!!! XD)
Yeah!!! That’s what I think I’m going to try and do. I mean, I do try and write everyday (or at least every weekday, because WEEKEND!!!) but I think I need a stricter time frame in which I need to write… Perhaps I can get a calendar or something. XD
YESSSSSS!!! Me too!!!!
oh my word!!! Thank you so much!!! Actually, I THINK I’ve seen H.L. Burke somewhere… Twitter maybe??? I’m not sure… But I’ve never read any of their work, so I’m definitely going to be checking all of these out!!! And eep! I’ll be checking out that website too!! Thank you so much!!!
(Uh-oh … that happens sometimes. *glares at WordPress angrily*)
Writing regularly helps! I don’t really have a schedule (*coughs* because I write all the time and ignore real life), but I need to get one so I can make time for life. XD (I’m a weirdo, sorry. 😉 )
Yeah, she’s my sister and I follow her on Twitter, so maybe you saw a post I liked or something? I don’t know. 😛 You’re very welcome!
(I know!!! It’s the worst!!! :(( )
Hahaha!! That sounds perfect, though! Life is severely overrated. XD
Oh my word, are you serious??? I didn’t know this!!!! Now I definitely need to check out her stuff! Man, that’s so cool that you have a sister who writes, too! I’m all alone in my family when it comes to writing. XD
YES, LIFE IS SEVERELY OVERRATED! Who needs it!?
Yes, I’m serious! Yeah, it’s awesome! I mean, we write verrrrry different books, so we don’t run in the same ‘writing crowds,’ lol, but y’know. 😉
PRECISELY!
Oooh, yeah! Different genres have different crowds. I’ve never really thought of that before, actually… That is SO cool! Have you and your sister ever thought about combining your genres and co-authoring anything together??
Yeah, it ends up being like that a lot of time. No, we haven’t. We don’t get along super well. 😉
Aww, no! I’m sorry! :(( Trying to co-author something is complicated, anyway. I much prefer doing it solo. XD
Yes, I’ve done a couple co-authored novels, but I’ve never finished one.
Oh really?? I’ve never actually tried a NOVEL, exactly, but a friend and I once tried to write a script fanfiction type thing for Cinder. It was awesome. XD (we never finished it, either, though. XD )
Ooh, neat! That sounds super cool. 🙂
It was definitely something! 😂😂😂
GO KELL GET THAT PLOT BUNNY FINISHED XD
WAIT WHAT???? CAN I SIGN UP TO BETA READ??? *dies*
Good luck with all your books!
OKAY I WILL.
Yes, you can! Until the 15th, that is. Then I’m gonna shut down signups and make sure it goes out to everything! 🙂
Awesome! 😀 I’m so excited!
And then there’s me who has no plan whatsoever at all. XD Awww, I missed the beta deadline. 🙁 I hope that your book is a wondrous success! Which of course it will be. 😉
Awww, sorry, Enni! Hopefully you can read it later on in the writing process. 🙂 Thank you so much … you’re so sweet! <3
Hehe, I just want to beta/review eveyrthing. XD That would be lovely! You’re welcome! <3