- 09 Nov, 2025 *
I’m working on a new book, which should come as no surprise. I started working on the latest manuscript the same day I finished The Breaking of the Vessels because I don’t believe in sitting idle for any longer than necessary. And I had this one ready to go —why not start?
As of today, I’m about 25,000 words in, and things are going reasonably well. I’m pleased with the work, my beta readers are knocking it out of the park again, and overall, the project is smooth sailing… except for one reader’s response to a character in the book.
The character’s name is Rosa, and this reader hates her. Just…
- 09 Nov, 2025 *
I’m working on a new book, which should come as no surprise. I started working on the latest manuscript the same day I finished The Breaking of the Vessels because I don’t believe in sitting idle for any longer than necessary. And I had this one ready to go —why not start?
As of today, I’m about 25,000 words in, and things are going reasonably well. I’m pleased with the work, my beta readers are knocking it out of the park again, and overall, the project is smooth sailing… except for one reader’s response to a character in the book.
The character’s name is Rosa, and this reader hates her. Just hates her guts. And for a while, I was deeply concerned because obviously, you don’t want anyone to hate anything about your book. Even characters like Rosa, who are aligned in a not-so-positive role, shouldn’t be hated unless that’s what you want.
I asked the reader what about Rosa rubs her the wrong way, and she told me. She listed Rosa’s primary traits, in essence saying, “She’s no good for XX,” meaning my protagonist. And that’s when I realized there’s nothing wrong with Rosa. Instead, things were going so well with my protagonist that the reader was feeling defensive on her behalf! It wasn’t that Rosa was miswritten. She’s written fine. She’s not the right person to be near my protagonist. A bad friend. A poor fit. And that’s the best kind of compliment to get.