What Writing Book 2 Taught Me
When I finished writing Obsidian Tide, I thought I had this whole “writing a book” thing figured out. Cue the dramatic irony music.
Writing Midnight Embers—book two in the Lumos Gems Chronicles—was a whole different journey. It stretched me in ways I didn’t expect, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and taught me some hard-earned lessons about writing, storytelling, and trusting myself.
If you’re in the thick of writing your second book—or even just starting a new creative project—here’s what I learned the messy, magical way:
1. Book Two Syndrome Is Real—and Normal
There’s something uniquely intimidating about a sequel. You're not starting from scratch, but you are trying to deepen, expand, and raise the bar. That pressure can lead to doubt—and that’s okay! The key is recognizing that uncertainty doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you care. Push through it anyway.
Tip: Let go of perfection. Just get it down on the page. You can (and will) make it better later.
2. Let Your Characters Surprise You
I had outlines. I had plans. And then my characters made different choices—choices that felt truer than what I had written down. That’s when I knew the story was evolving.
Tip: Don’t be afraid to follow your characters off the map. Some of the best plot twists are the ones you never saw coming.
3. Rewriting Is Not Failing
I rewrote the ending of Midnight Embers three times. Each version got me closer to the heart of what I was really trying to say. At first, I felt defeated by the process. Eventually, I realized I was growing through it.
Tip: If something doesn’t feel right, rewrite it. Don’t cling to a scene just because it was hard to write. Cling to what makes the story stronger.
4. You Don’t Need to Top Yourself—You Just Need to Go Deeper
Book two isn’t about going bigger for the sake of it. It’s about digging into what matters. I didn’t need to outdo the first book—I needed to honor it by growing the world and characters in meaningful ways.
Tip: Focus on emotional stakes, not just plot escalation. Readers fall in love with what’s at risk for the people they care about.
5. The Magic is in the Middle (Even When You Want to Quit)
There were days I wanted to scrap the whole thing. But in pushing through the middle—where everything felt tangled—I found the most powerful scenes. I had to keep going to get there.
Tip: If you’re stuck in the middle, keep going. It’s not a wall—it’s a door disguised as one.
Writing Midnight Embers changed me. It made me a more thoughtful storyteller. A more flexible creator. And a lot more forgiving of my own process.
So if you're in the middle of your own messy story, take heart: you're not alone. You're just becoming the kind of person who finishes stories—and that’s a transformation worth fighting for.
