Burned by Embers: Novel November success & Reflections

Word Count: 66,869 / 50,000
Status: Draft 1 Complete

The Finish Line (and Beyond)

Novel November has officially wrapped, and I’m thrilled to say Burned by Embers crossed the finish line at 66,869 words—well past the 50K target. The draft is complete. It’s rough in places, missing a few connective threads, but it’s alive. And that’s the victory worth celebrating.

The Struggles

• Momentum vs. Messiness: Some days the words flowed like wildfire; other days, every sentence felt like dragging embers across stone.
• Shifting Arcs: The story refused to stay in its original lane. Characters rebelled, arcs twisted, and I had to let go of old scaffolding to follow where the narrative wanted to go.
• The Sprint’s Toll: Writing at this pace meant accepting imperfections—scenes that need fleshing out, dialogue that needs sharpening, and gaps that will demand attention in edits.

The Successes

• Breaking the Target Early: Hitting 50K ahead of schedule gave me breathing room to explore deeper layers of the story.
• Salvaging More Than Expected: Pieces from earlier drafts found new life, woven into this version with surprising strength.
• Finding the Emotional Core: The biggest breakthrough was finally reaching the heart of each main character. Their motivations, wounds, and desires crystallized in ways that made the story feel inevitable.

What Comes Next

The draft needs to cool. I’ll step back, let the embers settle, and give myself space to see the story with fresh eyes. Editing will be its own adventure—fixing broken threads, sharpening arcs, and polishing the raw energy into something that truly shines.

In the meantime, I’m excited to move onto other projects, carrying the momentum forward. Burned by Embers will wait patiently, and when I return, I’ll be ready to refine it into the book it’s meant to be.