My WIP - The Beginning of My Writing Journey

Writing a novel is like assembling Ikea furniture without instructions - except the furniture is made of words, and you’re both the designer and the confused customer.

Some may say it's ambitious to call a hint of an idea a WIP, and I tend to agree. Yet here I am, brazenly about to share what bits of this idea I can and calling it my Work In Progress.

If you've read my about page, you would remember me saying that I've written quite a few short stories in my youthier-youth and tried starting a novel or two without getting very far. I do have the fear that I will work on this idea and these characters and get a plot going, only to stand back and realise that I hate it or it's utter rubbish, but much like crochet, I am going to trust the process. I'm determined to finish this project, and the thought of holding my published book in my hands is what's driving me.

I've had these two characters rattling inside my head for a long time, and they were usually pushed down to become a faint hum, like background noise. Easy to ignore for a while. Periodically, they would resurface, and I would start to plan a world and plot for them before realising I hated the idea, and down again they would go. They've gone through about 6 iterations now, I think?
This time though, the world idea came to me while I was planning a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and the plot started bubbling up within it, and for once, it was me dragging the characters out and thinking - yes. This is what they were waiting for.

So What is This So-Called WIP?

I've dubbed it Project: Screech for now, with a tentative genre of Adult Fantasy. In my head, I'm seeing it as a kind of mix between Jujutsu Kaisen and Skulduggery Pleasant. I'm aiming for about 80,000-90,000 words.

I don't have a blurb for it quite yet. I only have a vague idea of how the plot will go, and I'm focusing on building up the characters for the moment, but I will keep you updated as I go.

What I can say is that it is a story in a Japan-China-inspired fantasy world. Jun, a demon slayer struggling with his own demon pact, and Shou, the last of a dying exorcist bloodline, battle dark forces to protect humanity. When a tip reveals demonic dealings within the emperor’s castle, they uncover a sinister plot that threatens humanity itself.

I'm quite excited to puzzle out how this world works. I've always loved the beauty in Japan and China and the rich culture that each one possesses, and I really wanted to imbue just a little bit of that in this fantasy world.

Who are the Protagonists?

I haven't quite decided if this book will have one or two POV's. Jun will be the main character, regardless, but I'm still playing with the idea of seeing some of Jun's demon moments through Shou's POV. Anyway, to introductions!

Name: Jun

Jun's story started when he died. Being able to see demons gave him the chance to make a pact with one - to bring him back to life. With a plan of revenge on the lesser demons who killed him and his father, he wanders, slaying demons when he stumbles upon Shou and decides to join his cause. All the while struggling to contain the demon within.

Name: Shou

I haven't workshopped Shou as much, but I know he is a descendent of a dying, noble, exorcist bloodline, but he is the last member that has the ability to see the demons, and he feels an obligation to help save the people of the world who cannot see. He is also a little shit.

As I said, I'm still workshopping these characters, so they're bound to change a bit, but I am enjoying playing around with them so far. Let me know if you want an update on their progress next month!

What’s Next? The (Slightly) More Organized Stage

I’ll be trying to turn this chaos into a structured plan. (Key word: trying.)
I'm going to finish workshopping these characters, creating an actual blurb and hopefully power through an epic outline.
If you want to follow along, stick around!

Are you working on a novel, too? Drop your ideas in the comments! Let’s suffer - uh, I mean, write - together. 🚀✨

✍️ Hop to it and keep writing! 🐸 - Krystal