Tag: the dragon’s mate

My covid stories: Two years later

~ stephaniehaggarty ~ Leave a comment

In 2020 I arrived in Utrecht with Chris just in time for their lockdown. I didn’t have a job and couldn’t get one until I got my residence permit. Something I did in by August. So for the first time in years, I had 24 hrs of free time day after day after day.

I wanted to use this time to write many stories. But I didn’t. From memory I had burnout and forcing myself to write was slow and arduous. But somehow I managed to churn out two stories.

First came the novella at 23k. It’s a medieval fantasy story about a wizard’s apprentice and woodcutter’s daughter coming together to try and stop their king from owning a dragon. The second story is 16k and it’s a contemporary supernatural tale about a man who wakes from a car crash following a disturbing dream. It is also my first story where the main character is male. Something I’ve not really done before.

Both of these stories I came up with during 2020 and I was able to write them up to completion and publication within maybe six months for both of them. I didn’t work on them constantly. But I can’t quite remember how long I waited between the two. I know I was brainstorming other story ideas and such.

I’m proud of what I produced that year. I think it speaks about how determined I can be. It was also a lower year for me. I also think back and wonder if I was in higher spirits would I have produced more? But the time has passed and now it’s today.

I completed my 2020 goal :)

~ stephaniehaggarty ~ Leave a comment

I made myself the goal of self-publishing twice this year and I have 🙂 My novella The Dragon’s Mate came out in August and the novelette Matt and Rose dropped only a few days ago. Both are a $1.99 and are available through Amazon and Smashwords plus their networks.

I was worrying about not having Matt and Rose out in time because I seem to be going through a writing/editing slump despite having ample content to produce.

Next year I want to release three stories of any size. I think I can definitely get two out, but I should aim for the stars shouldn’t I.

My quarantine story is done.

~ stephaniehaggarty ~ Leave a comment

I did it. I published my quarantine story.

In the space of four and a half months;

  • I came up with a new story.
  • Wrote the first draft.
  • Did many edits.
  • (had a many more moments of anguish)
  • Created the cover image,
  • And published it.

My journey to this event was both straight forward like I stated above and just as bumpy. Between each step, I had many moments of anguish and worries that I wouldn’t get this done at all. After all, I have many uncompleted manuscripts. But I finished it. This might be my second fastest publication. If I was a lesser person, I might have given up when I got my feedback on the first beta read. But I fixed it rather than throw it away.

How was my mind during this time?

Well, I arrived just on lockdown, and that might have been both a blessing and a curse. I had no distractions, but I found them. I had nobody to talk to, but I might have shied away from them under the guise of writing. I had no job and yet couldn’t make writing my job. I was harder on myself than I should have been. However, I still managed to complete it 🙂

So what happens next?

Well, I have a bunch of other stories I came up with around the same time as The Dragon’s Mate, so I might work on those 🙂

Second draft of The Dragon’s Mate completed

~ stephaniehaggarty ~ Leave a comment

Digital-artistic-Sketch-of-a-Dragon-1146713332_2092x1438
My current quarantine project.

Just finished a second draft and I think I that I only have line and copy edits left to do. I was planning on changing the ending, but I now think it’s fine the way it is.

I can’t believe that this story is almost done. Could it be that I’ve gotten to this level where I can just churn something out and it be decent the first time around? Dare I hope that this is where I am now?

How did I get to this position? I suppose that it is because I not only had a rough plan; I am also more objectively critical about making decisions regarding my work. I don’t agonise over something and waste time. Also, the idea that nothing needs to be perfect is quite freeing.