Also, apologies for any spoilers that last page contains. I tried to cover details, just in case anyone here who follows me ends up reading this.

Screenshot of the end of Starfall, complete at 140,450 words!

Starfall is COMPLETE! At 140,450 words! At last, at last! A book of an only /slightly/ unpalatable length, and this before edits! I still need to go through and switch all the placeholders for actual names, but it is MOSTLY legible. 140,450 words in just shy of four months. 12/16/2025-4/11/2026

Screenshot of a Word document of a novel showing 133,133 words as the total word count.

Another very nice number. I have, oh, probably about another 1000-1500 words to go in this penultimate chapter then...last chapter and DONE. So close, so very close.

I did backtrack for the screenshot to avoid potential spoilers, thus why it's page 270 of 278.

Screenshot of a Word document of a novel in progress at 123,456 words.

This was too pleasing of a number not to take a screenshot of.

A screenshot of a Word document of a novel at 115,057 words.

And with that, we are officially in end-game! The course is set, there is no turning back. I'm guessing four more chapters? Maybe five? Still on track for that fabled 140k, but I think, maybe, this will be the closest to that target I've ever gotten. Onward!

BY PURE CHANCE, I've hit 100k on 3/16...which is notable because I started writing this book on 12/16 *exactly*. This was not planned. Honestly, I think this might win as the fastest I've ever drafted a book, assuming I hit my self-imposed deadline of 4/16.

We have officially crossed the 100k barrier! Book is a book and well on its way to becoming yet another chonk! Hopefully less of a chonk than previous books. Aiming for 140k; just need to wrap up this chapter, write one more, and then we start endgame. See? I'm learning! Sorta.

Understood. Merely verifying that the cap on QM was correct (it is). Thank you.

Small question, but may I ask how strict your word count cap is?

This time, it was all me! Mallt y nos is Welsh!

Malht (short a, sharp t) uh noss (rhymes with boss).

Dear agents: if you have a word count cap on your Query Manager, SAY SO. In your GUIDELINES. You KNOW you have a cap! Stop hiding this and letting me discover it after I spend an HOUR tailoring a query specifically to you, only to get a message of "Whoop! Nope! Your book is 10k above my range!"

Eren was raised for two things: political marriage and skirmishes. Sadly, the galaxy doesn’t have much call for a well-trained husband or sword-wielding duelist. Exiled and broke, he joins a fleet of science contractors and does the one thing he’d rather not: make friends. #WSPit #W #A #SF #LGBT

Omesu is having an existential crisis. Her gods might not be gods. Her calling might be wizardry, not petty magics. The man who may fulfill the prophecy is a liar and a spy for an enemy country. That same man is also her closest friend and definitely doomed to die. This sucks. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

As the half-cursed son of a farmer, priest Niran has learned to keep his head down and embrace the mien of a meek scholar. But when he’s summoned to act as confidante to his god’s crimes, he’s left questioning what a priest should do when he learns his faith is built on lies. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

Omesu had her life planned: be a weather-seer, marry her girlfriend, and become the head of her family, all before age 40. But when a fool claiming to be the incarnate shows up, she’s partnered with him as witness to his inevitable downfall. She is (understandably) pissed. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

To kill the witness is forbidden. However, bringing him to the verge of death and leaving him there for fate’s determination is, technically, allowable. But when two warriors assigned to watch over a death march break their mandate and commit one act of mercy, Asheru lives. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

Fake becoming a hero, suffer an existential crisis about the nature of prophecy, fate, reincarnation and predestination. Oh, and somehow kill a pair of living gods, all on a deadline. Worse, the prophecy wants to be fulfilled and is not above playing dirty. #WSPit #Q #A #F #LGBT

In the tropical city of Balara, magic is a privilege reserved for the upper echelons of society. When a serial murderer remerges and starts targeting magic users again, Investigator Kossa connects the method with his own past, but doing so risks bringing all his lies to light. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

Last batch of pitches!

Prophecy fulfillment is surprisingly bureaucratic—and marching on a mountain to fight god requires even more logistical planning. Luckily, Gev /was/ a quartermaster. Now, he just needs to get a bunch of anti-prophecy discontents to point their spears in the right direction. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

Eren has been exiled from his homeworld for his part in a political coup (translation: sent away to grow up so he’ll stop demanding melodramatic execution) but going out into the galaxy means getting a job. And making friends. And psychically piloting starships. And not dying. #WSPit #W #A #SF #LGBT

When mildly-heretical priest Niran is summoned to a private audience with his god, he finds himself embroiled in the fallout of his god’s confession to his part in a disturbing—and increasingly blasphemous—ancient murder and conspiracy to steal divinity itself. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

Gev has been declared the incarnate presumptive by one of the societal pillars of the island of Odiřa. Unfortunately for him, he still has six more to go, and it’s only going to get harder from here. Worse, he’s been partnered with a witness, something neither of them want. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

Just saying, it is VERY weird to pitch seven novels simultaneously in a pitch event. Usually, I have to pick just one and put all my pitches behind whatever's currently being queried/active.

Slice-of-life tale following ex-witness Asheru’s small-scale adventures as he lives life, falls in love, argues with his sisters, and works out how to share his love of cooking good food sans hands and eyes…y’know, except for that last bit, this sounds like a PBS show. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

The empire needs a spy, ambassador, and accomplished fraud. With the first choice dead, they get Gev, but creating the “prophesized hero” is an elaborate con and the chosen sucker is a level 50 quartermaster and a level 1 hero. #WSPit #Q #A #F #LGBT

Investigator-Brevet Maiv is partnered with a pedantic /ass/ and assigned the serial murder case that nearly ended his career. She has one week to prove herself. To get ahead, she obtains her partner’s memories from a dragon, but soon struggles to separate them from her own. #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT

Gev further embroils himself in the political aspects of the fate-business and struggles with self-identity. Omesu becomes a wizard. The gods are not entirely what they appear (when are they ever?). Oh, and everyone has seemingly forgotten the second half of that prophecy… #WSPit #W #A #F #LGBT