Running on Coffee and Chaos: My Royal Road Writathon

Cat’s Chronicles | Stories of Becoming

On becoming a "ghost in real life," the chaos of creation, and why I'm writing an entire 60,000 word prequel novella for free.

Hello everyone,

I have a slightly delirious update from the writing trenches.

A few days ago, I officially joined the Royal Road Writathon, a massive community event where authors pledge to write a huge number of new words in a very short amount of time. My goal was to write 55,555 words in just five weeks.

Well, it's been five days. And I'm already over halfway there.

It turns out I don't really have an "off" switch when I'm excited about a project. I've basically become a “ghost” in real life to get this done. I'm fitting in writing sprints at 5 AM, on my lunch break, and in those quiet, stolen moments late at night. My sleep schedule is a disaster, my house is a mess, and I'm pretty sure my blood has been replaced with 80% coffee and wine. It's chaotic, it's exhausting, and I'm honestly having the time of my life.

The reason it's just pouring out is because this is a story I've been dying to tell. The project for this Writathon is "Cat's Chronicles: Stories of Becoming", the official prequel novella to The Sea Queen's Shadow.

This isn't the main saga; this is the "Ghost's Memoir.”

Adapted from my original plan to create short stories, those stories are framed by Cat in her secluded Cape Town villa, a few years before the main story begins. She's in hiding after a close call in France, and to busy herself, she's inspired by Max's old journals to finally write down her own history.

This novella is her memoir, telling the true stories behind the "keepers" she carries in her trunk: the burgundy silk from Valeria's cloak , the tales of two hats that represent different parts of her past, the Ottoman dagger she "earned,” the humming silver brooch , and the barometer for trouble, the bleeding painting.

It’s her life with Max , her first lessons in survival, and her journey to becoming the ghost that Killian eventually finds on that Manhattan rooftop. I'm so thrilled with how it's coming out, especially given the super-tight turnaround.

And here’s the best part: this entire 55,555+ word novella will be available, in its entirety, completely free on Royal Road, and will stay that way. It's my thank-you to the amazing, passionate community I've found there. (And, in these 5 days, it’s over 500 views already!)

This also means my posting schedule is... let's call it "chaotic." Instead of a clean, weekly post, I'll be uploading chapters as soon as they are written and pass a quick readability edit. It's a raw, real-time look at my creative process.

I'm definitely going to need a long nap (or a full-on coma) when this is over, but for now, I'm just so energized by this story.

The story page for "Cat's Chronicles" is live on Royal Road right now. You can "Follow" it to get notifications as I continue this wild, chaotic, sleep-deprived sprint to the finish line.

Thank you for being on this journey with me.

All the best,

T.L. West