Analyzing alpha feedback & our stream schedule for the next month! :)

IT'S FINALLY TIME!

I received the feedback from all three alpha readers and now it's time to corral, parse through, condense, and otherwise analyze what they thought of A Closet Full of Cauldrons. Their feedback has already been SO invaluable, so I'm excited to tackle this next step of the revision process!

My main focus for this draft will be:
- smoothing the world-building in the first couple chapters,
- inputting another scene with the mUrDerEr into the story,
- casting stronger doubt on one of the red herrings,
- better explaining how the cauldron chose its victims,
- and introducing a few more locations, which I think will make the world feel all the more big and whole!

There was a split feeling on the ending. All three loved it (*whew*), but one debated if it dragged on too long. I also leaned that way, too, but the other two really enjoyed the easing into the conclusion and getting a resolution with each of the minor characters. I'm thiiiiinking that introducing another location will be the best of both worlds to keep it interesting and fulfilling. Fingers crossed.

I still have my own re-read to do, so I'm sure I'll come up with more little things here and there. As a whole, everyone really enjoyed it, they fully understood the whodunnit, and really loved the banter between the characters, which is all you want sometimes from your alpha readers bahaha. I want critique with a side of cheerleading at this stage.

Truthfully my main concern at this point is how quickly I'll get this next round done! I have no desire to rush anything, but also it WOULD be really fun to get this book out for publication about the same time that it takes place in-story. (So just before Summer turns to Fall.) Since we're nearly to June, that doesn't leave me with a whole lot of months. I might be delusional, but I think there's still hope bahaha.

That said, I'll need a whoooole lot of sprints to help me out! Especially since I'll be taking a two-week break (and be out of the country for a while) come June 18th or so!

My usual Twitch streams have been going strong at 9:45am (CDT) Monday through Friday, but I wanted to let y'all know that I won't be here on the 6th or 7th as I'll be attending my cousin's baby shower those days up in Dallas.

But we'll also have our Patreon Double Stream Days!

So for "May", we're going with May 31st & June 1st bahaha. I wanted to give us all as much time as possible to read the behemoth that is THE ANATOMY OF GENRES by John Truby for our book club pick. (I am VERY excited to hear what y'all thought of this.)

Our typical writing stream will be on Friday, May 31st at 6:15pm CDT. You can find the link here.

And writing sprints PLUS book club will be on Saturday, June 1st at 10:30am CDT. And you can find that link here! We'll probably still do about two hours of writing sprints before diving into the book, so plenty of time to get in some much needed words. :)

Then for our June double stream days, we'll plan for the 16th and 17th, just before I leave town! I'll share the exact times in the next post! :)

(And for our June & July book club pick, I'm thinking we revisit a new classic: BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert!)

As much as I'm excited to return to A Closet Full of Cauldrons, there's a little twinge of sadness at sidelining Murder Mystery Tennessee, my Religious Throuple project, and a YA fantasy that I've been outlining. (That sadness will quickly be tampered as soon as I get to re-reading ACFoC, I'm sure bahaha. I just need Bat 🦇 to be on the page for all those emotions to melt away.)

it's been such a fun time to refill the well and I can't wait to dive back into each of these stories after I complete this next draft. :)

Let me know how May has treated you! Have you made any fun discoveries in your stories? Any characters surprise you?

Hope to see y'all soon. And in the meantime, happy writing!!