Project Sari
Title: Sari (placeholder)
Format: Novel
Date Started: January 26, 2026
Status: Work in Progress
Word count: WIP
Draft number: 1
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Pitch: (Draft)
Updates
5-4-2026
Project Sari is a new novel I’m currently working on. I’ve started drafting it January 26 this year. It’s another fantasy novel, inspired by the Spanish colonized Philippines. If you know, you know.
Why only now?
Because my laptop died some time last year. The graphics card finally gave in after four years of owning it, using Photoshop on it and editing videos and all other stuff. I have a mini PC now as a workhorse, and don’t have to wrestle with the janky controls of editing a website in a tablet. Thus, the very late update.
Why are you writing a devlog?
Because AI. I mean, I’ve been writing logs for my novels for some time now. I’ve done so in my first two novels. Nothing changed really. I’m still writing my novels long hand, only that this time, I’ve included my outline and my entire thinking process using pen and paper, which I will upload once the novel is in the querying stage. Yes, I’m still not giving up on getting traditionally published, but I’d like to self publish and would like to make it my priority.
Current updates.
I’m now, I think, three fourths of the way through. But this is the first draft, so I know that can still change. I’m still in the building stage and far away from the revelation stage. But still, I’m getting the momentum going. I don’t know how many words I’m in now, since I’m writing this long hand. But I already have a lot of filled out makeshift notebooks (already at book 10 and each book is 20 pages each). I’m on to the second formal mission for my FMC, but this is where she will meet the MMC. But a lot will still happen in between now until them finally joining force to defeat my antagonist.
5-5-2026
Today I realized the importance of adding chapter indexes and a quick summary in my notebooks because I tried looking for how many armor my FMC made and for whom and what’s its properties were and I spent a good 1 hour looking for the information I needed. So to indexing it is!
5-6-2026
Put in some words. Nothing new.
5-7-2026
It’s hard to focus on writing when it’s 42 degrees Celsius, extremely humid, and I feel like I’m having a fever who kept on peeing because the only way to stay cool was to keep on drinking cold water. Sucks.
5-8-2026
I really find it easier to find building up the story when it comes to my FMC side, than with my MMC side. Maybe because my MMC was working for the antagonist side? That might be my bias. Today I realize that I might be working on an enemies to lover trope but not really. Maybe from two warring factions but not really enemies to lovers.
5-11-2026
Man, action really scenes just really flew by me when I’m writing it. Is it a bad thing or a good thing? We’ll know during revision phase.
5-12-2026
Outline day today. I finished my more detailed outline yesterday and I am once again stumped. I mean, I just need to flesh out my more vague outline into a beat that I can easily follow. And thus, outline day.
5-21-2026
Did I just forget to update the devlog? Lol anyway. I bought myself some pad of paper and pencils and began writing the life of the couple that is in the past, simply because I think writing with these tools removes the frivolousness of writing, and thus the pressure to have a perfect execution. I mean, I could easily waste these papers and pencil and not worry about wasting money, compared to some expensive Rhodia pad and a Sailor pen ink. I can basically write shit and not worry about it because at least I’ve written it. So far, I think the major challenge I have is getting the writing down because I’m so cautious about the execution. Like, I want to nail the perfect execution the first time. Sometimes that’s possible though some thinking, most of the time it’s not. And then it would turn into procrastination, until its final form came as a writer’s block. Not good. Therefore, we need to make writing frictionless, by having the option of tools I can use whichever I feel appropriate for what I’m currently writing.
Writing related update: I’ve now moved on from the couple’s story and was able to integrate it with the current timeline without being clueless as to how to move forward with it.
5-22-2026
There are a lot of writing advice out there on the internet, and it’s important that you don’t listen to them. Remember that writing only improved through reading, editing, and revising. Maybe even workshop if you can find one and can afford it.
5-25-2026
Again, the writing session always go well whenever I’m working on my FMC. I’ve written so many pages that I don’t know if it’s from the good outline, from the series of journaling I did to remove the blockage, or it’s just that it’s my FMC again. I ought to continue writing and take advantage of the momentum. Maybe I’ll do it after this update.
5-29-2026
So I’ve just finished the last arc to start the arc to the end. I know that sounded confusing, but basically I feel like all my actors are on stage and I’m ready for the final act - the showdown, the revelation, the twists, the sacrifices, and the turning point of all the characters’ arc. My FMC and MMC are now together but they will soon separate again to embark on each other’s quest. They basically changed positions to experience each other’s lives. Unfortunately, my outline also ran out. I started my outline yesterday and I’m finishing it now. I could also write today if my health permits me.
6-1-2026
And would you look at that? It’s already June. Deadline month. Dread. I was finally stumped (again) after writing a decent amount. I have to figure out how to execute this transition without being deus ex machina about it. Transition moments are kind of hard to write for me, simply because they’re boring. They are action scenes, it’s just – you know what, maybe I should use this opportunity to flesh out the world that I’ve built. I’m going to make some landmark stuff here and there.
Photo by Pierre Herman on Unsplash
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