In The Heat Of Los Angeles [H.S.]

time for a little honesty

This is not a new chapter but an update on me, where I'm at, what's going on with ITHOLA and where things go from here.

So I originally had a plan for how to end In the Heat of Los Angeles that led to a sequel.

I don't know if I have it in me to keep writing chapters that range between 10-12k words a piece. And I really like the concept I've developed for this original novel that I'm working on. I've always had a dream of publishing a novel and while I love publishing fanfic, it's not something I necessarily shout to the world. And I feel like I lost my audience ages ago and that very few people are still reading what I'm writing in the fanfic arena, which could be very untrue, I have no idea.

So basically I need some help.

What would all of you prefer?

Option 1: End it with a solid ending that wouldn't necessarily require a sequel but could have some short stories to it. Then maybe if I'm motivated at some point in the future do a sequel. You'd get an ending for Harry and Evie with maybe a few little Harry and Evie stories down the road.

Option 2: End it with the sequel idea but go back to the shorter chapter lengths. A standard chapter for a novel is right around 2,500 or 3,000 words. So Mine have been WAY longer.

It's an undertaking that gives me anxiety and makes me not enjoy writing anymore. I sort of loved the sequel I had planned but I don't know that mentally I can dive into it. It's why I've spent this year writing pieces for A New Life in New York and London Calling. It's no stress. I can sit down, write what I want and publish when it's done.

I really want to have the chance to focus on this novel. I've got two people test reading it, both have enjoyed it so far, it's only a chapter so it's not much to base it off of. I can't decide if I eventually I want to publish it here, self-publish, or just put it on something under my actual name instead of 'raybansandcoffee'. It's something I've been debating in my head for a long time. ITHOLA originally started as me hoping if I wanted to publish it I could just change the character from being Harry into a fictional character. What I'm writing now is different and really fulfilling for me.

So help. Let me know what you'd like to see me do with ITHOLA. Give me some motivation. My writer's block on it has been killing me. I can write anything else, just not it anymore. The chapter length looms at me every time and I give up before I even get started.

Honest feedback is appreciated. If you started disliking ITHOLA at some point, lost interest, love it, hate it, love me, hate me, I need to hear it. Be brutal. I can handle it. Ironically enough, I decided to put 1D on for the first time in ages and as I write this I'm listening to Through the Dark. I feel like that's what I'm doing right now. Making my way through the dark.

And here's where the confessions come. I'm gonna sign this with my name instead of AM.

Thanks.

Annie

Yup. I was unoriginal in naming Annie in London Calling. I influenced a lot of her but even I refer to her in the third person because frankly, she's not me. I just used my name because I was struggling to name her and originally was just writing it for fun for myself and a friend when I decided to publish it.

I love each and every one of you for reading this, reading even a sentence of anything I've written in my life up to this point.