openai-domain-verification=dv-haypaghH05T6HHasxxPArNxo

Author: Susan T. Braithwaite

Royal Navy veteran from Scotland. My journey into writing started with a screenwriting certificate program at UCLA Ext. Since then, I've worked as a freelance content writer, erotica author, proofreader, professional beta reader, and content editor. I'm now working hard on my dream writing career: romantic suspense author. When I'm not writing, I can be found drinking too much coffee, obsessing over yarn, and planning world domination with my husband, jezbraithwaite.blog, and our squirrel army.

Deniable Unit 1 Progress Update: Aug 22

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Progress Update

I haven’t posted any progress updates for around a week. That doesn’t mean I’ve been slacking off. Nope. I’ve spent the time focussing on genre, making sure that I’m delivering the goods expected in a romantic suspense novel. Man, it was time-consuming but so worth it. The outline is popping now. I’m really starting to love my characters. Until yesterday I had no visual on Adam (hero), but now I can see how he raises his eyebrow in challenge to Elle (heroine)—and understand how it makes her melt.

So, my last update had me at 46%. I’m super happy to share that I’m now at 60% on my intentional outline for Deniable Unit 1. 🥳 Onward!

Genre Scribes: Friday Fiction Writing Challenge #9 — Wetsuit

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Welcome to Week 9 of the Friday Fiction Writing Challenge! Here’s a complete list of all the posts so far. Feel free to join in.

This week’s random word is: Wetsuit

As prompt words go, this one is full of possibilities—most of them wet. Although, for some reason, during the first five-minute sprint, I went dry. Super dry. Like desert dry.

Here’s my first sprint (unedited):

Deniable Unit 1 Progress Update: Aug 16

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Super quick update: I’m now 46% closer to having my intentional outline for Deniable Unit 1 complete! #amwriting

Deniable Unit 1 Progress Update: Aug 15

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It’s been a busy day, so I’ll keep this progress update short. I’m now 36% closer to having my intentional outline for Deniable Unit 1 complete! #amwriting

Deniable Unit 1 Progress Update: Aug 14

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Progress Update

Quick update on my progress with DU1. I added a whopping 10% to my progress. 😃 I’m now 32% closer to done with my intentional outline. 🎉 #amwriting

Deniable Unit 1 Progress Update: Aug 13

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Progress Update

Quick update on my progress with DU1. I’m now 22% closer to done with my intentional outline. 🎉🤓

How It Went

I had a lot of reading to do today. I’m using Solid Story Compass, book two in the iterative outlining series, as my editing/writing guide. So, that’s where the reading came in. After the reading part, I got down to work with my co-protagonists: Elle and Adam. I spent most of the time checking their scene distribution for balance, making sure that I set up the bonding cues for both characters, and finally, I spent a little more time on their character arcs.

Onwards!

Deniable Unit 1 Progress Update: Aug 12

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Progress Update

Woohoo! I made major progress on my intentional outline for Deniable Unit 1. I’ve just completed my interim intentional outline. Basically, what that means is that I’ve locked down the plot. I’m now at 18% done on this round of pre-editing/writing. 😁

How It Went

Today was all about double-checking. Or is that triple-checking? I started out making sure that I hadn’t allowed the backstory to take over the plot—and made sure that it hadn’t created a new story goal. Then it was onto analyzing what kind of story Act I promises the reader, and if that follows through the rest of the story. And finally, I made certain that my co-protagonists were actively pursuing the story goal set up in Act I.

All this re-outlining can be daunting/annoying, but the outline I have today is miles better than the one I started with. I’m so glad I didn’t jump into the writing with that one—the editing would have been a nightmare. Roll on tomorrow!

DU1 Progress Update: Aug 11

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Progress Update!

Woohoo! I made progress on my intentional outline. On a Sunday, no less. I’m four percent closer than I was yesterday, so that puts me at ten percent. I’ve still got a lot of chipping away to do, but I’m that bit closer to my goal of having Deniable Unit 1 available in stores.🥳

How It Went

I spent the better part of today unravelling parts of the plot that didn’t belong in the story. It was quite tricky changing some of the plot points because they seemed like they belonged. They seemed to belong because I’d focused on the theme when I’d done the original outline. When I looked hard at it today, it became apparent that I’d switched from one type of plot to another.

Genre Scribes: Friday Fiction Writing Challenge #8 — Salesman

Week 8 of the Genre Scribes Friday Fiction Writing Challenge. This week’s word is: Salesman

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Welcome to Week 8 of the Friday Fiction Writing Challenge! Here’s a complete list of all the posts so far. Feel free to join in.

This week’s random word is: Salesman

Okay, this was a tough one. When the random word generator spat out salesman, my brain went blank. I had nothing for it. Like a lot of people, I’ve not had the best experience with them—especially car salesmen. But, tapping into my bad experiences gave me a starting point for the first five-minute sprint.

Here’s my first sprint (unedited):