July 11, 2026: Act II so far

Guys, I can’t express how proud I am of my transition from Act I to Act II. Transitions are usually something I struggle with but my outline did a lot of the hard work there for me. My friends & husband know that I planned very detailed outlines before I even started writing this book (yes, more than one!), and I have a trusty method of mapping out scenes to help me stay on track throughout the process. Any fellow writers out there, DM me on Instagram or submit an inquiry for the outline template. It’s not an uncommon form of outline, and definitely not binding. I use it as a loose template to help me pace the action. You now know the title and setting, and a brief bit about the story, but stay tuned for more about each of the characters from my debut novel.

Character Profile: Olivia Montclair - Coming August 01

K. McClendon

July 18, 2026: [almost] halfway there!

Now that I have really fallen into the groove of my writing process, I plan to start making these updates a weekly thing (cue applause)! Act II is well underway now, and in fact we are nearing the halfway mark!! The second half of this book is the whole reason the book was ever supposed to be written and I cannot wait to write it. 

Now, some of you might be like, “Why start the good stuff in the second half?” 

To which I would reply: this stuff is so powerful it had to be earned. The intensity would be entirely lost if you hadn’t seen the journey to get there. I promise, the first half may not be the reason the book was written but it is necessary to accomplish what the second half holds.

Don’t forget! Character Profile: Olivia Montclair - Coming August 01

K. McClendon

July 22, 2026: HUGE writing day!

I know this is a random, mid-week post, but today has been insane. I wrote over 4,000 words today alone after having a bit of a slump over the weekend. I’ve blown through the first half of Act II, and we’re now over halfway done with the draft as a whole!!! I have already flagged some stuff for me to go over when I get to revisions, but as I like to say: that is a problem for future me! I wrote a total of four chapters today, and that may not sound like a lot, but these are packed chapters! The midpoint scene is like what I planned the whole book around, and as soon as I started on it I just kept going. Now I’m basically knocking at the door of Act III, which is INSANE!! I had originally planned for this draft to be finished around Thanksgiving, but now I’m seeing what looks like the finish line on the horizon (until revisions and editing, obviously). 

NEXT SATURDAY - Character Profile: Olivia Montclair

Leaving you with my fingers sore from typing,

K. McClendon

July 25, 2026: major updates this week!

We have officially surpassed the halfway mark!! Celebrations will occur this weekend, don’t fret ;) I’ve also run into some interesting stops on this writing journey, one of which being the decision of cover art for this book. I am chronically indecisive, so this is a nightmare for me, but I think I have a strong vision for what I don’t want, so that’s at least somewhere to start. The scenes I wrote this week  are some of the best scenes I think I’ve ever written, and I can’t believe in a few weeks I could have this first draft finished. I have had nothing but immense support from my friends and family and I could not be more grateful for each and every one of them. If any of you are reading this, I love you <3 Act II is actually close to done, thanks to my mega writing day on Wednesday, so we’ll be entering Act III soon! Please buckle your seatbelts and return your tray tables to their locked and upright position, we are about to prepare for landing!

Character Profile: Olivia Montclair - 7 DAYS

Bye for now :)

K. McClendon

August 01, 2026: Entering Act III

Sorry today’s update was posted a little late! This week I got most of my writing done by Thursday, as I had some weekend plans I was not going to miss. I have finally finished Act II and we are breaking into Act III! I cannot believe this draft is so close to being finished. But that means the editing series will be coming soon!

Check out the Character Profile for Olivia Montclair under the Character Profiles page!

Bye for now,

K. McClendon