The Very Energy-Efficient Job of Editing!

Hello everyone!

No, no Rokus has kidnapped me (yet). I totally didn’t disappear from blogging for three days on purpose. Nope. I just got a little (okay, very) distracted by the book series I just fell in love with: Throne of Glass. And then I spiraled. Again.

You see, I suddenly realized that her Wyrdgates and my portals might share a suspiciously similar vibe.

Hmph.

Aaaaanyhoo, I’ve finally decided to share where I am in the Alien Fighters series, as I promised a few posts ago.

Blastttt the trummmpettt…

✨ Book editing and agent hunting! ✨

So, I started Book One back in December 2024, after I finally accepted that my previous book, The Dragon's Redemptor, wasn’t going to work out (read this post to cry along with me). And honestly? I didn’t think I’d ever finish Alien Fighters. My hope of becoming a published teen author died with The Dragons' Redemptor.

(Spoiler alert: the hope woke back up before we could have a proper funeral. So, no eulogies and no caskets.)

Anyway, like I said in that post, I did decided to do everything differently this time.

Enter: Bolts of Leadership

(Though back then, it was called Scattered Teams, after the first book of its old Power Rangers fanfic version too. How did the title change? Don't remember. Don’t ask me. It just happened. The End.)

But let me be honest, after writing the first three chapters, I yeeted the whole thing into the trash (not literally, cool your rolls). I was frustrated because I was still trying to force it to follow the fanfic plot, and it just kept landing flat. Flatter than a… pancake.

I later picked it up again in January 2025, right after going to church, pep-talking myself, reading other books, and reminding myself why I started this whole dream in the first place. I imagined what it would feel like for other people to hold my stories in their hands.

And then, I really began.

Now, naturally, I’m a fast writer. I would have finished the book in two months… or less, if I hadn’t gone and gotten myself distracted by other books (Spy School, Charlie Joe Jackson, you know the ones…).

I finally wrapped it up by April. Technically, early May. (Because I wrote "THE END" on paper in April, but like, the real final-final version came a little later.)

And then—plot twist—I sent my very first query letter to my dream agent. Even though I knew the book was a bit rough. But the agent was closing to queries soon and I was like, “NOWAY!”

Now, let me just say I was editing as I wrote (thanks to my trusty sidekick), so technically it wasn’t a messy first draft. I hate mess. If my first draft isn’t near-perfect, I will literally consider quitting. It’s a threat. It’s a promise.

Buuuut… according to said dream agent (who haven't replied yet), my word count is way too long for a middle-grade novel. Over 83,000 words. Yup. Cue the dramatic editing montage.

Now I’m stuck on an editing cliff, trying to slice down the word count without chopping off the heart of the story. And trust me, it’s been a rollercoaster.

And to make things worse, my dear, dear brain keeps throwing new ideas at me like, “Surprise! Here’s a new term you totally could've used!” Which is...not helpful, Brain.

Anyway, I really hope my dream agent gets recruited by Kattyn himself and meets the team when they’re finally ready. Fingers crossed.

So! Over to you, famz—what are you up to these days? Writing? Reading? Spiraling? Spilling tea? Gimme all the juicy updates! 💬🍵