where I wrote two more books between this post and the last one.
I got the idea for my 2nd novel shortly before finishing the first, and wrote the first chapter for it whilst making and then eating a sandwich in my kitchen. It was a sort of surreal experience, how the first person narrative just came to me amidst going about a very normal activity, like eating lunch. It’s about a guy named Troy who is an all-American walking cliche — the job, the condo, the steady girlfriend — whose life is upended when he encounters the sexiest, most talented woman he’s ever met…who just so happens to be a coworker. Who just so happens to show up at his work’s mandatory team-building retreat at a local high ropes course. Who just so happens to be up for the same promotion as Troy.
More on that later.
Because the 3rd novel takes place in the same universe and features one of the side characters from Troy’s story. I wrote it in three months during my busy season at work, a sort of fever dream of word vomit on the page. It came so quickly and easily I’m still trying to wrap my head around the reality of its existence. The story follows Greg, an average guy in every way, who happens to be a semi-closeted bi/demi person navigating some fairly significant religious trauma, which all comes screaming back when his ex from college, Benji, shows back up in Greg’s life on a short term contract at his place of employment.
Evidently, I have a thing for workplace romances.
At the moment, I’m in beta-reader mode with these two most recent novels, and my first is on the back burner while I decide the best way to go about making some not-so-small changes to its ending. A necessary evil in the novel drafting universe, all those pesky edits and re-writes.
But I’m getting ready to go back into the dreaded query trenches with Troy’s story (as of yet still unnamed), with the hopes that getting representation for one will bring me a couple of published books into the world. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll try my hand at self publishing and see where that takes me.
TL;DR: I have two new books that are ready for representation/editing/publishing, and I can’t wait to get them out into the world. Except for I will have to wait because this industry has one of the most lengthy, drawn-out waiting periods for getting anything done, and there are so many steps between where I’m at now and holding one of my own books in my hands that I can barely think straight about it.
Anyway…stay tuned and maybe someday in the not too distant future, I’ll officially be able to say I’m a published author.
WESTPHALL 