Writing Update #1: First Drafts & Swamps
I recently came upon this phrase:
Swamp aesthetic?
The question mark isn’t a typo. That’s actually how Pinterest user Lilian phrased it, and, beside the photo of the slimy water that caught my eye, another tentative but important question:
A vibe?
Prescient stuff. And not just because Ancestry.com recently confirmed that my DNA literally does hail from swamps—though that was undeniably validating. What’s exciting is that “swamp aesthetic?” summarizes a lot for me with two simple, algae-covered words. Past (just covered), present, and future.
lol. Welcome to the blog.
The Present
Finishing off the Veilfall series, while momentous and wonderful, was also a bit disorienting … because what the heck does one say to the internet next?
The thing about novels is that they are inherently slow. “Long-form content,” Mark Zuckerburg probably said with a shudder of horror. It takes me about a year to write a book, and though my next project is well underway (see The Future), I’ve been struggling with what to post in the meantime.
When I say that swamp aesthetic matches my current life, I mean it in, well, the Shrek way? If my tiny office is a swamp, I’m the weird solitary creature that lives there. Which actually sounds kinda cute, but I’m a bit too introverted to talk when I don’t feel like I have anything to say.
I don’t want to fill your Instagram feeds with ads for a book you’ve already read. And ever since the humiliating Tiktok incident of 2023—which involved me posting a grand total of three failed skits that were deleted by the end of the day—I’ve set a firm boundary around video content: no skits and absolutely no dancing.
The algorithm is probably already screaming.
I do, however, love connecting with all of you. I love talking about writing and books and infuriating (but lovable) characters. Not to mention, I prefer the transparency of everyone knowing what I’m working on, how it’s going, etc. And although I’m terrible at remembering to take photos, I am decent with words.
So … blogs.
A vibe?
The Future
Current WIP: Project Butterfly
Draft: #1
Today’s word count: 80,000
Anticipated release: Mid 2026?
I promised you swamps were relevant to everything, and they are. Mostly because the setting of my next series (!!!!!!) is the epitome of “swamp aesthetic?” and I am in love.
I’m going to be an asshole and reveal very little right now, because so much can change from first draft to publication. But here’s what I can say:
It will be another duology
Romantasy because OBVIOUSLY
There’s a quest
And some unavoidable prophecies
AND a new and gorgeous setting
I love smushing bits of our world into fantasy settings, so there will be some urban fantasy elements, though not as much as Veilfall. The relationship between technology and magic is more entwined in Project Butterfly, but I certainly wouldn’t say it’s a traditional fantasy. Sure, there aren’t any cars in the manuscript right now, but my characters wear jeans and sneakers, so do with that what you will.
The setting will also be visually less gritty than Veilfall’s. ENTER SWAMPS. I’ve been especially obsessed with lily pads—shut up, swamps have ponds—mossy greens, and all things art nouveau. Pretty, right?
But don’t get too cozy. I said the setting is less gritty. I make no promises about the plot!
As for the current draft, all that’s left to write is the climax of the story, and I’ll almost certainly have it done by the end of the month. I expect it to come in at around 100,000 words, though that doesn’t mean much this early in a project.
First quote hot off the press
I fully subscribe to the idea that first drafts should be purely exploratory. Messy to the point of incoherence. When you leave things rough and dirty, the story remains malleable. It’s essential that an early draft doesn’t become too precious to chop up/delete/reorganize, otherwise you’ll get stuck perfecting stuff that doesn’t work.
Which is all to say the book is really really bad right now.
But, like, in a good way.
That’s about as far as I can stretch the swamp theme, so I’ll leave it here. For today.
I’m hoping to post writing updates monthly, and I’ve got some ideas for other posts too (what I’m reading/loving, some stuff on writing process)! I’ll make sure to crosspost everything on insta, so you can always keep up with me there.
As always, thank you for reading my words ♥️ I can’t wait to get this blog up and running!
— Annika
