SmokeAndOranges

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

SmokeAndOranges

@AmariOkito You are very welcome! I've done the same  xD  One of the novel-plot examples I gave in the post was sneakily from an ONC dropout of mine. 
          	  
          	  I can't even count the number of times this theory has saved my a$$ since I came up with it, so I can see why and how so many people have to bail on the ONC because their stories outgrew the contest. Sometimes it's even certain prompts themselves that are impossible to make novella-sized, but people who fall in love with them don't realize upfront exactly what they're getting themselves into. 
          	  
          	  So I hope this helps at least a few people. In my own experience, once you start to see book sizing issues, you start to see them everywhere!
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AmariOkito

@SmokeAndOranges This theory seems pretty accurate. I've often given up on the ONC because the development needed for the story to be viable exceeded the word count. Thank you for this, it's very insightful.
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SmokeAndOranges

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

SmokeAndOranges

@AmariOkito You are very welcome! I've done the same  xD  One of the novel-plot examples I gave in the post was sneakily from an ONC dropout of mine. 
            
            I can't even count the number of times this theory has saved my a$$ since I came up with it, so I can see why and how so many people have to bail on the ONC because their stories outgrew the contest. Sometimes it's even certain prompts themselves that are impossible to make novella-sized, but people who fall in love with them don't realize upfront exactly what they're getting themselves into. 
            
            So I hope this helps at least a few people. In my own experience, once you start to see book sizing issues, you start to see them everywhere!
Reply

AmariOkito

@SmokeAndOranges This theory seems pretty accurate. I've often given up on the ONC because the development needed for the story to be viable exceeded the word count. Thank you for this, it's very insightful.
Reply

SmokeAndOranges

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

SmokeAndOranges

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

Season3ofii

@SmokeAndOranges That’s so incredible!! Congratulations!1!1!1!
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SmokeAndOranges

@Season3ofii Yup, this is not a drill. I'm pretty freaking excited. There's nothing quite like the possibility of holding one of my own books in my own two hands, and letting other people do the same  :D
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Season3ofii

@SmokeAndOranges YO NO WAY WHAT??? IF YOU SELL THE RED ROVER COPIES AND SOME GET TO IRELAND IM BUYING ONE TRUST
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SmokeAndOranges

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

SmokeAndOranges

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/

SmokeAndOranges

❖ “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  ♡

SmokeAndOranges

@MaskedParkers Yup, married my best friend this past spring! In fairness, that was a plot twist even for me (I live in a dystopian romcom now... long story) and I've been kind of on the down-low about it, so even some people on Discord didn't know  xD  The last six years have been one hell of a ride. Thank you, and I hope life has been treating you well!
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MaskedParkers

@SmokeAndOranges Hold up! You got married?! I missed so much! Congratulations!! It's so amazing to see how far you've come! I feel like I've been there since the beginning and it's because of Wattpad that we became friends. I'm so proud of you!
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SmokeAndOranges

❖ “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.

SmokeAndOranges

❖ “I don't think we're going to get the final island Kels.” ❖
          
          Two chapters left in Kels! This week, a visit to the end of the island chain ends… unexpectedly.
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/1516548401-listen-to-the-water-full-series-wattys-2022
          
          ❖ Looking for a masterlist of all my books? I’ve finally got one up on my website, covering Wattpad, Patreon, other forms of publication, and some teasers for upcoming books as well! Check it out here:
          
          https://www.abchanning.com/books/
          
          ❖ Fun fact of the day: Some sharks are more social than scientists once thought, and return to the same social groupings day after day when it’s time to hunt—for years.

SmokeAndOranges

❖ “Like it does every time, holding on for dear life to a sea-goddess tail for half a day reminds me why "enjoy" is never the right word for this.” ❖
          
          Hello friends! We are into the closing stretch of Kels, with three chapters left until the end of the series (!!!). This week, Taiki returns to Roshaska to figure out what role it will play in the ocean’s recovery. 
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/1516548721-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/
          
          ❖ Fun fact of the day: Earth has more volcanoes under the ocean than on land.

SmokeAndOranges

Rocks Can Dance is COMPLETE on Patreon! 
          
          Hi friends  :D  For those who haven’t been following, I'm talking about the standalone sequel to White Crystal Butterflies, a Sci-Fi Thriller novel and one of my 2021 Wattys Shortlisters. RCD is nearly twice its size, with a full romance arc amidst a high-stakes planetary plot involving political corruption, resource exploitation, and humanity learning to live on planets that may or may not be alive. 
          
          The final chapter is up: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51-alex-136731493 
          
          BUT as it turns out, this series isn’t done yet… there’s one more book left to go. More details here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/136740540
          
          I’m also stewing away on new projects behind the scenes, but more on that in a few weeks when Kels finishes, too  ;)
          
          Cheers!