Andy thinks he's lost forever when his aunt's chimney transports him and his dog, Chip, into the magical world of Emerraine. To get home, he must save the Hearthstone Village with Elsie, a young witch, and her Familiar against a dark plot that has b...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It's finished! My first ever book that I actually finished in less than three months! Andy Crow's Fantastical Summeris supposed to be a novella of 40k words, completed in two months. Now, it's sitting at over 50k words, a novel threshold, yay! I am so happy to be able to finish this and it didn't take me half a year to do so. But I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed not to be able to continue to the third round of the Open Novella Contest because the competition caps the maximum word count to 40k words. And even though I tried to trim some parts and edit scenes, cutting more than 10k words from the current word count... is hard.
For me, writing is akin to catching and wringing the necks of 300 free-ranging chickens. It's unpleasant and takes a long time. But let me be honest. I felt tremendous sadness after I finished writing this novel: writing that last word, last line, and putting the period that actually ends it. Not because the book I wrote was crap, but because I fell in love with the characters, plot, and everything (Not praising myself. I just loved my work very much). I felt as if I have nothing else to do anymore, the similar feeling I always get whenever I finished watching an awesome show or a breathtaking anime.
Sure, writing a book can get tedious at times. And you won't believe me. I am a procrastinator. In fact, a big one. Plus, I have this tendency to easily lose my concentration by small things. Sometimes, I'll look up from my laptop and wouldn't know why on Earth am I watching my cat sleep in front of me, my brothers run around the house or my mother cook.
Writing this story is such a huge challenge, especially since it is my first time. Children's books can be more challenging to write because you do have to get into the heart and mind of a child. There is this pressure of appropriate narrative tone, starting the story quickly, and writing lesser word count than the higher novels.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I would like to thank the people who had been a part of my wonderful ONC journey. Readers, book club partners, and graphic designers, I can't express in only just a few words how grateful I am to all of you.
To DauntlessShadowIce1, thank you for sticking with Andy till the end. Your precious reads and votes mean a lot to me and really encourage me to keep going.
To my book club partners, (jusdubs, ABCDEFGH10_1, RappyTheDinosaur, EmrysRhodri, basketballdemon, LayersofPlanes, YvonneKindle, DavidHLee) thank you, thank you so much. I have learned a lot from you, guys. You have all found mistakes in my work and gave great advice on how to polish them. Now that I'm at the stage of editing and revising, I can finally apply them all.
And another big thanks to these amazing graphic designers, Exequinne and Shreya_VA, for designing the two covers of this book.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Andy Crow's Fantastical Summer is a story in search of a place where one could belong, but it is soon discovered that fitting in is the greatest barrier to belonging. Fitting in then twisting yourself into a human pretzel in order to get them to let you hang out with them. Belonging is something else entirely—it's showing up and letting yourself be seen and known as you really are—love of gourd painting, intense fear of public speaking, and all. For all the times we spend searching in our lifetimes—seeking validation, love, happiness, joy from the outside world—the only thing ever to find is your own heart. Right there where it has always been and will always be. The only place it could be. Within the beautiful soul that is you. There was so much to unpack in this book and so many ways to look at it.
What are your metaphorical takes on this story? You can leave your thoughts here.
And also, I would like to pose some questions to you, dear readers, so I am aware of what things to change in my rewrite (this book needs serious work).
1. Currently, Andy Crow's Fantastical Summer is sitting between the 50-55k word count, which is longer than the usual intended words for middle-grade readers. Do you think the current length fits the story I wanted to tell? Or should it be shorter or longer for the plot points to hit?
2. General improvements? Plot? Character development? Story flow? Writing style and descriptions? Please be honest here.
3. Any unanswered questions that you think should be addressed? Did I miss any loose ends?
Ah, and one more thing. Andy's adventures won't end here. Andy Crow's Fantastical Holidays will be a series of fantasy children's books that chronicles the adventures of Andy, Elsie, and their small companions, Chip and Hex, as they discover more about the world of Emerraine.
Wondering what's next? Do watch out for another installment coming this Holiday season.
