Hello!
So, last update (December 8th), I dropped an incomplete piece (2.1K words of chapter three), promising I'd write about 500 more words to it later that day; naive, I know. Because, well, here we are ten days later, and I've written 1,700 more words to that chapter (now at 3.8K words).
The edited version concludes on a beat that sets the story in motion for an action sequence, which was supposed to be in chapter three, but would have bloated the piece (I didn't want to rush it); so, I've shelved it for chapter four.
Three things I've learnt in that time:
First: it's not about word counts; quality beats quantity in all the ways that matter. I think because the chapter wasn't complete last update, and didn't have all the cool ideas I wanted in there yet, I anxiously said, "Look, I've written this many words — despite that — be impressed," when it's the writing that should impress; not how much of it there is.
Second: I need to be more disciplined as a writer. I don't mean showing up — I'm at my desk every day, to varying degrees of success (on good days it's 500 to 1,000 words; on bad days, it's an odd 75; surprisingly, even the stuff I write on "bad" days reads pretty good the next morning). I struggle with "killing my darlings," as the great Stephen King aptly put it; that is, sticking to only the things I should say each chapter — which is hard, because I had the brilliant idea to discovery-write Eldritch Subs, partly because I wanted to know, once and for all, what kind of a writer I am: a plotter or a pantser. It's easy, when discovery writing, to be strung along by an idea I'm compelled to express in the moment, and that sometimes drags out scenes for longer than is necessary — I know that. But I'm reluctant to cut things out, because even the stuff that probably shouldn't be there — as it doesn't meaningfully progress the story — is hard-won. It could be a turn of phrase that suddenly sings after frowning at it for the better part of an hour because I found a synonym for "peachy," put the verb before the noun, or finally had the sense to add a semicolon and not another comma; I'll tell you, those moments are priceless. But I think I now know what editors are for. They're cutthroat where writers are sentimental.
Third: it's better to deliver a complete chapter late than an incomplete one on time; this, especially. For nearly two weeks, I agonised over those 1,700 words I've added to chapter three — time I could have spent drafting the fourth and perhaps fifth chapters of Eldritch Subs. That brought the story to a screeching halt; instead of moving forward, I was working on things I should've been done with. And did I need all of two weeks to complete the piece? Honestly, no; I've written more words in less time. But that's what happens when you set up expectations for yourself and others (imagined or real): the weight of them comes crashing down on you — not all expectations, certainly. Take my commitment to write "THE END" for this story; on days when sitting at my desk is hard, I re-read Eldritch Subs's synopsis to remind myself that I promised an ending, so I get back to it. With each chapter, it's "tell a good story." But with chapter three's edits, I kept thinking, "It needs to be more exciting," or "Make the revelation more compelling" — things I didn't really think about when writing the first two. So, from now on, if I don't feel a chapter's ready, I'll say so instead of dropping one that's half-baked.
Anyway, this was my roundabout way of saying I'm still here, telling this story to the best of my ability, and that sometimes it gets hard (I really need to get better at killing my darlings).
I've begun drafting chapter four, and I'm thrilled about revealing the true nature of the altar, the Batfolk, the game (if it even is a game), and Riley's role in all this. It's exciting stuff, but I'm going to take my time with it — give it the full two weeks every other chapter before it had — and hopefully tell a story that moves you. Expect chapter four, "The Altar," on January 4th, 2026.
I'm so grateful to everyone who's supported me so far — it means the world to this gremlin. See you next year; stay safe, and I hope you have a happy festive season. As always, thanks for reading!
— Boggart