{"id":1332,"date":"2026-07-15T10:35:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?p=1332"},"modified":"2026-07-15T10:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:38:21","slug":"one-draft-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?p=1332","title":{"rendered":"One Draft Down!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>11PM. Sunday, July 11th. I typed my two favorite words and put the first draft of a new Seraph novel to bed. 40 chapters. Just shy of 500 pages of manuscript. I am happy with the results.<\/p>\n

It took a little longer than I anticipated. When I outlined the book in 2021, I truly believed I could write it in less than a year. Life intervenes sometimes. I went through a bit of a life crisis, uprooted my Clark Kent life and initiated a move cross-country. Somehow, in the move, I lost a set of my notes on the current section I’d been working on, which really threw me for a loop. It took me over a year to find my rhythm again while settling into a new home and a new job (and after being essentially homeless for the first five months, which is a story all on its own).<\/p>\n

How to recover? I read what I’d written so far. I went back to my original outline. And, I spent some time listening to my characters — especially to Ray. Turns out he had some things to tell me, things about his past life and his imperfect nature that I hadn’t realized yet. It lit a fire. I made a commitment to write bit by bit every day. I wrote the last 25% of the book in the span of about two months. (I note, Seraph took an accumulated 25 years to get to print. My second book — still in a drawer — took about 10 for a beta draft. This one took 5 years. At this rate, in a few years I should be cranking out a new book every six weeks! 🤣)<\/p>\n

And here it is. The biggest thing I’ve written, to date, and with a different title than the one I started with. It’s in my wife’s hands now — my alpha reader, number one fan, and talented book designer. From there? Rewrites rewrites rewrites. I won’t make a prediction about a release date yet. But in the grand scheme of geologic time I’ll just say, SOON.<\/p>\n

I can’t wait for you all to read it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

11PM. Sunday, July 11th. I typed my two favorite words and put the first draft of a new Seraph novel to bed. 40 chapters. Just shy of 500 pages of manuscript. I am happy with the results. It took a little longer than I anticipated. When I outlined the book in 2021, I truly believed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[34,32,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-seraph","category-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2rDfa-lu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1060,"url":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?p=1060","url_meta":{"origin":1332,"position":0},"title":"The Author Pokes His Head Out of the Bunker for Fresh Air and Some Updates","author":"admin","date":"August 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been a hot minute since I've posted ... well, anything up on this here site. I spent June and a good hunk of July taking a very long and satisfying nap. Since then, I've been spending my writing time on the sequel to SERAPH. The working title is TRAGODOI,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?cat=34"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bunker-2359436_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bunker-2359436_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bunker-2359436_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bunker-2359436_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bunker-2359436_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C794&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":920,"url":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?p=920","url_meta":{"origin":1332,"position":1},"title":"UPDATE: Seraph Release Rescheduled to 3\/16","author":"admin","date":"March 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Life happens, and I need to push the release of Seraph back one week. Kindle and print copies will now be released on March 16, 2021. Those of you who pre-ordered from Amazon should get an email notice from them some time today. Thanks for your pre-orders and your patience.","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?cat=34"},"img":{"alt_text":"Seraph cover","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-Teaser-full.png?fit=613%2C792&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-Teaser-full.png?fit=613%2C792&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-Teaser-full.png?fit=613%2C792&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1125,"url":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?p=1125","url_meta":{"origin":1332,"position":2},"title":"SERAPH Kindle Countdown Deal Starts 9\/20","author":"admin","date":"September 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm celebrating SERAPH's 6-month bookiversary with a Kindle Countdown Deal! Starting Monday, September 20th, you'll be able to pick up the Kindle editions of SERAPH for $.99 (as always, if you're a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can start reading for free today). Check out SERAPH on Amazon. The Countdown Deal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?cat=34"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/seraph-kindle-countdown.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/seraph-kindle-countdown.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/seraph-kindle-countdown.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/seraph-kindle-countdown.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/seraph-kindle-countdown.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":766,"url":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?p=766","url_meta":{"origin":1332,"position":3},"title":"Seraph Cover Reveal!!","author":"admin","date":"February 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Less than a month until I release the Seraph upon the world. Today, I'm excited to share the cover. Several months ago, I commissioned Actual Magick - an artist whose aesthetic fits right in with the urban fantasy style - for some original artwork that would capture the tone of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?cat=34"},"img":{"alt_text":"Seraph cover","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-Teaser-full.png?fit=613%2C792&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-Teaser-full.png?fit=613%2C792&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-Teaser-full.png?fit=613%2C792&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":903,"url":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?p=903","url_meta":{"origin":1332,"position":4},"title":"Release Day Is Coming!","author":"admin","date":"March 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"In less than one week, Seraph will be released on the world. My thanks to all of you who've already pre-ordered the Kindle edition. I am beyond grateful for your support. Starting March 9th, the book will be available for immediate order at Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. Within\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?cat=34"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Seraph-Teaser-half.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":748,"url":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?p=748","url_meta":{"origin":1332,"position":5},"title":"Seraph Cover Teaser","author":"admin","date":"February 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"We're less that a month away from the release of Seraph on March 9th. This Friday (2\/12) I'll reveal the cover for the book. Until now, here's a little glimpse of what's coming. I'm so thrilled with how it all came out, and I can't wait for you all to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/?cat=34"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-TeaserBanner.png?fit=821%2C313&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-TeaserBanner.png?fit=821%2C313&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-TeaserBanner.png?fit=821%2C313&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jcmckenna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seraph-TeaserBanner.png?fit=821%2C313&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1332"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1337,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1332\/revisions\/1337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcmckenna.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}