Deadline Set

By the end of the summer I plan to have a manuscript ready to query agents. My goal is to traditionally publish or at the very least hybrid publish. I am an illustrator as well as a writer and I know most printing houses don’t allow you to do both, however the majority of my marketing has been through my artwork, so I am confident my work will speak for itself:

Currently, draft 11 is nearing the halfway mark. I have taken a small break from acting projects (for the most part) to give it my full attention. The thing I am most proud of about Bridge Heart, that even after its name change from Bridge World along with all its rewrites, it has remained the same story. All that has changed is maturity: of myself, the characters and the way in which the story is told. Being primarily an actor, my writing has leaned a bit too much on dialogue, like the script of a play, forgetting the importance of exposition, description and all those fun things readers enjoy. Since my editorial assessment in October of 2024, I have been pushing myself to remember these key aspects of storytelling. It is hard to break old habits, but breaking them I am. The fullness of the book is hitting the page now, and it’s a delight.

The core plot points of Bridge Heart have undergone little change, I’ve mostly just spaced them out. I had the misconception that raising the steaks and escalating the plot meant throwing in more curveballs and big story events. But actually there are other ways to heighten the tension without dumping more information on top of your readers. Now I am applying pressure to my characters, not by revealing earth shattering plot, but rather pushing them into uncomfortable everyday dynamics: the simple politics between them, expectations getting dashed and small mistakes that lead to big consequences. I am adoring the new material coming from this, and I can’t wait to share it. Once draft 11 is complete and I have given it a full run down, I will post Chapter 1 to this site. I have not forgotten my promise.

Now I have no idea what will come of querying agents, but I have heard it can take a very long time especially for novice writers. But I remain undaunted and resolute. I won’t cut corners out of sheer impatience: this project deserves my full effort. I will get Bridge Heart done and properly.

Stay tuned!

M. R. Strange