A.B. Channing

Hi friends! DOUBLE blog update today, because the topics are two sides of the same coin and therefore best posted together. The first tackles the somewhat legendary one-million-word milestone as a hallmark of writing skill. The second is a cleaned-up repost of a blog originally posted to Wattpad under the title “There’s something no one talks about in the writing community.” It covers the idea of being a “serious” writer… and how few people actually care.
          
          Enjoy!
          
          https://www.abchanning.com/in-defense-of-one-million-words/
          https://www.abchanning.com/you-may-not-be-published-and-thats-okay/

Hey friends! Last notification from me for today, I promise. Over the last couple years, I've moved a number of former Wattpad books to Patreon. Teasers for those books are back up on Wattpad now, so anyone who likes my work can see what's available in other parts of my platform. If you thought I was back with brand-new Wattpad books, sorry to disappoint! My new stuff goes to Patreon these days. For now, at least... the self-publishing pipeline is moving along  :)
          
          That's all for me for now. Stay tuned for another (pair of) blog posts in the next week or so. Cheers!

New blog post alert! “Standalone with series potential” has become a favourite term of the publishing industry in the last ten years or so. Authors looking to query are encouraged to follow this model for maximum chances of success. But does it actually work on a structural level? Well… it’s complicated. 
          
          https://www.abchanning.com/standalone-with-series-potential-has-a-catch/

Hi friends! Did you know it's possible to predict the final size of your book before you've even started writing? If not, I've got a blog post for you. The timing is (of course) in honor of Wattpad's Open Novella Contest, which just launched on February 1st. This post formalizes a long-standing theory of mine that was originally inspired by the ONC's comorbid plague of novelitis, which provided fertile grounds for the study of what books outgrew their wordcount limits, and why. It's since been field-tested by authors and editors alike, and continues to hold. 
          
          https://www.abchanning.com/how-to-predict-book-size/
          
          Apologies in advance to anyone whose ONC plans, plots, or aspirations get thrown awry by reading this. It's not just you! I promise  xD

Hi friends! I'm back with another author update. I've made my Patreon schedule for 2026, with content at my free, $1, $2, and $5 tiers. All funds are currently going towards self-publishing Red Rover. 
          
          I'm aiming for weekly Patreon posts this year, including (but not limited to) flash fiction, inside looks into my notebooks and planning docs, sneak peeks at works in progress, research tidbits, exclusive novellas, and more. Read the full update below! A huge thanks to any existing Patrons who see this. You guys rock.
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/1601528315-welcome-to-the-chaos-profile-updates-%E2%9D%96-patreon

A countdown to Red Rover hardcopies, two offline series, and the general direction of my writing career… friends, my January 2026 author update is hot off the press! Long story short, I’ve been quiet on Wattpad, but busier than ever offline. 
          
          Happy new year!
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/1599746058-welcome-to-the-chaos-profile-updates-%E2%9D%96-author

Hi friends! Long time no see, and I come bearing MAPS! 
          
          If you've ever wondered whether I make maps for my books, the answer is yes—not my standalones, but all five of my completed or ongoing series (yes, I have two completed series and three ongoing) have map-like content in some form. Why have you never seen... well, pretty much any of them? WELL. I made most of them exclusively for myself, so they vary in roughness and detail. Some aren't even visual at all. But, as with many behind-the-scenes parts of my writing process, some people throw money at me on Patreon in order to see these details... so this one's for them. Posted at my $2 tier. If you check it out, enjoy!
          
          https://www.patreon.com/posts/maps-142385410

New blog post alert! Even as a Dark Fantasy and Horror writer, I am of the (paradoxical) opinion that killing characters is almost never good for a story. ESPECIALLY when it's being done for realism, but not only then. In this post, I break down six reasons why. Get it hot off the press on my website—link below! My whole blog is public and free to read  :)
          
          https://www.abchanning.com/6-ways-character-death-can-hurt-your-story/

❖ “The way home to Roshaska is marked by a spider's web of deep-sea Karu trails.” ❖
          
          Hello friends! I almost can’t believe I’m saying this, but… Kels is done? Today marks its final chapter. After almost six years of writing, five books, and a sum total of 522k words (down from 683k in rough drafts… yes, my editing process is crazy), I can finally hit “complete” on this series on Wattpad. It’s been a ride. I won’t wax lyrical about it here because I already did so in a thank-you chapter, but I’m going to thank you all here anyway. You’ve accompanied me on this journey, and that means the world to me. 
          
          Final Chapter: https://www.wattpad.com/1516548346-listen-to-the-water-full-series-wattys-2022
          Thank You: https://www.wattpad.com/1412955417-listen-to-the-water-full-series-wattys-2022 
          
          ❖ If you’re new here or have missed my previous announcements, this series will be the last thing I post on Wattpad. However, I have not stopped writing. I have not even slowed down. In the next few months, I’ll begin to share my release plans for upcoming books, and potentially news about a much-asked-for hard copy of an existing fan favourite. People who follow me on Discord or are subscribed to my newsletter will be the first to get these updates. If you want in on that, links are below!
          
          Discord: https://discord.gg/UD7t7pN
          Newsletter signup on the homepage of my website: https://www.abchanning.com/
          
          You can also find sneak peeks of some of my upcoming projects on my website’s dedicated books page: https://www.abchanning.com/books/ 
          
          ❖ Fun fact of the day: I first started Listen to the Water on December 30th, 2019. An entire pandemic has come and gone since then. I’ve graduated one degree, started and finished another, gotten married, adopted and said goodbye to a cat, written 27 more books, and started… uh… three more series? Two of which still live totally offline until I can launch them with a bang. Here’s to those future journeys  ♡

❖ “When we bed down that morning, I toss and turn so hard, I whack the rocks by accident and give myself several bruises.” ❖
          
          Hello friends! Sorry I’m a day late on Kels; I’m across the continent right now, so my sense of time is a little wonky. This week, Ande revisits an old home that doesn’t feel like home anymore. This is the second-last chapter of this series, so if you’ve yet to catch up, now’s the time  ^_^
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/1516548870-listen-to-the-water-full-series-wattys-2022
          
          ❖ Fun fact of the day: Though hurricanes brew up in tropical waters, they are incapable of forming over—or crossing—the equator.