Reviewing my November Novel writing progress, 2025

I spent a good portion of the month trying to finish up the first draft of the sequel to Light Keeper Chronicle: The Unspoken Prophecy. If you’re not familiar with it the Light Keeper Chronicle books are books that I’ve been working on, in one form or another, since I was in grade school.

The books follow seven kids who are brought to another world, a place called Garibain where they are told by ancient wizards that they are heroes of prophecy. the main catch is: They’re not allowed to see the prophecy.

I started the month with 37,227 words already written and, as of publishing this post, I’m at 63,069 words. My end goal was to be at 90,000 words for the month but, as life and stress has caught up with me, I don’t expect to hit that in the next five days.

That said I’ve roughly than doubled my progress in the book and am closer than I’ve ever been to a finished draft. With luck, I’ll have a draft I can give to early readers by the end of February. From there, publication will just be a matter of sorting out time and funds so that it can happen.

I will say, stressful as November has been with this project, it has been really good for me, and fun, to come back to these characters and this world. This is the kind of story I grew up reading and enjoying and I think if I handed this to a 7th grade version of myself, he would be excited to read it. After having these characters stuck in different versions of “book one” for so many years, it feels great finally being able to grow them past that.

A fun addition to the month was the #HumanVoicesOnly event on Nov. 21. The virtual event is meant to celebrate human performers and writers during a time where anxiety around “A.I.” is growing among creatives in both fields.

Rae Witte, who narrated The Wilderlands, was kind enough to narrate a page and a half of text from Light Keeper Chronicle #2 and it turned out wonderfully! Here’s that segment here for your enjoyment.

I’ll also charted my progress on social media this past month, so here’s the snippets of writing I shared and the days and progress associated with that passage.

Day 1 - 2068 words written (39,295 words total)

"You're not working with Dassin, are you?"
"No," Walter said.
"The last time you were here, he didn't turn you into, like, a sleeper agent?"
"No."
"... You're not lying, are you?"
"I'm not lying."

Day 2 - 1707 words written (41,020 words total)

Lithrail spoke. “If she cuts you again, that is a kindness. Should she break a bone, that too is kindness. A cut or a broken bone here is a lessoned learned. One that will keep your life from being cut short elsewhere if you learn it well.”

Day 3 - 2213 words written (43,233 words total)

He saw the barbed head—twice the size of the boat he sat in—burst from the ocean. Its mouth opened as it breached the surface, revealing to Walter the morbid smell of rotting fish and dozens of scythe-like teeth.

Day 4 - 1108 words written (44,331 words total)

Wygam had a grin on his face and a mercenary swagger in his step. A spear hung on his back, but he didn’t draw it as he planted himself in front of the dryad, took her hand, and kissed it for an instant before she pulled away and punched him across the face.

Day 5 - 676 words written (45,007 words total)

"He is lying," a metallic voice rang down.
The coil of the giant serpent began to tighten.
The ship quaked but didn't break. "Both of the Warlocks are attempting to deceive us," the metallic voice spoke again, warped and impersonal and bitter.

Day 6 - 1019 words written (46,026 words total)

Arrows from the enemy vestal fell on the crew of *The Northern Dagger* like black rain, staining the crumbling deck red.

Days 7, 8, and 9 - 3400 words written (49,426 words total)

"You don’t know me, do you, girl? I am Naedden. I am the Roach of Ondara, the Rat from Tarus. I am Naedden, and I will be the end of you and all Element Keepers that oppose me.”

Day 10 - 598 words written (50,022 words total)

Mysaln clicked his tongue. “Please, girl—Zandar took the time to inform me of your distaste for blood. ‘Potentially problematic,’ he said. Be glad that I am aware of this inclination of yours away from violence or else I might consider this little display a threat."

Days 11, 12, and 13 - 1483 words written (51,505 words total)

Walter could see the boundless body of the great snake. It seemed as though he was trapped in a vast underwater web with cords as thick as tree trunks.

Days 15 and 16 - 1974 words written (53,479 words total)

Perched on a distant stone shelf, Walter saw what seemed to be a sunken tower. Several stories high and only lightly encrusted with barnacles and ocean life, the tower seemed surprisingly study for a building so far beneath the ocean.

Day 17 - 1715 words written (55,194 words total)

“It’s talking to me,” Walter whispered.
*Shhhh,* the dolphin whispered in his mind.
*Don’t let them know.*
“It’s talking to me and telling me to tell you it’s not talking to me."

Day 19 - 2428 words written (57,622 words total)

The Warlock was pale as death. Rinsed with blood and lit by the rising sun, his once purple robes seemed a burning red twice as terrible as burgeoning dawn.

Day 21 - 2,378 words written (60,000 words total)

Chapter 22: Thieves of Anger and Sorrow

Days 22 & 23: 3069 words written (63,069 words total)

"Is that what you plan to do when you’re grown? Stand shoulder to shoulder on some fortress wall with your brother and father? Peace and justice and your kin behind you while the killers and cowards that make up the rest of the world stare you down?"

With all of that written and done, I’m going to take a break away from blogging for the rest of the year and hopefully spend that time finishing up Light Keeper #2 and getting other parts of my life sorted out.

I’ll take December off and plan to return on Jan. 7. Until then, stay warm and enjoy your holidays!

*****

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Light Keeper Chronicle: The Unspoken Prophecy is available for physical purchase from Schuler Books, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon or wherever you read ebooks.

The Wilderlands is available for physical purchase now from Barnes & Noble and Amazon or wherever you read ebooks. The audiobook is also out now on most major platforms.