book – Rachel Potts

What have I been up to? A lot. I promise.

Boba providing support as I trudge my way through edits.

It’s been a little over a year since I’ve updated everyone, but I promise I’ll make it worth your time. Or maybe not. You can be the judge of that. Who am I to presume?

The first and most important piece of news I have for you all is that I have completed my first draft of my new novel. I know, I know. You’re feeling emotional. It’s ok. It’s a big deal. The moment you’ve all been waiting for. Well, maybe not THE moment. The moment you are all probably waiting for is for it to be published and readily available for you to devour. Timeline on that is… well, to be determined.

After taking a few short weeks to step away and reflect, I am fully dedicated to the editing process. Starting with my last chapter. God, I need to rewrite the last chapter. But I’m here, writing this post for you all instead. Let me be clear, I am NOT procrastinating. No, I’m not. Writing this post for my fans (dare I call you fans) is important! But I promise, I will rewrite the last chapter soon. Very soon. Soonish. Like, in the next couple of weeks or so.

It’s not that I’m intimidated, no. Rewriting the ending is a normal thing. Didn’t Ernest Hemingway have like 15 versions of the ending for A Farewell to Arms or something like that? So, I know it’s ok. And I will rewrite it and it will be great. Hopefully, I don’t have to write it 15 times for that to happen. We will see.

So, onto the novel. I have been pretty tight-lipped around the plot. Often describing it to those that inquire as a “contemporary fiction, coming-of-age novel about young adults.” Is that enough for you? Well, ok, I guess I can give you a little bit more. You deserve that much just for making it this far.

The novel follows Judith, or Judy as her friends call her, and her friendship with her best friend Ellie. The story picks up after college at Ellie’s wedding but explores how their friendship begins and how it survives the tides of change that are so common among many of us and our relationships. Judy is forced to adjust to her best friend being whisked away by a new husband and the loneliness from a recent break-up, as well entering the workforce after college and facing life as a real adult. It’s a moment that defines many of us in our early twenties and can have lasting consequences – good or bad.

How was that? Hopefully enough to pique your interest. Also, let’s keep in mind that I’m still in the editing process. Things can change, though I don’t anticipate a change that will affect anything I just described to you. But who knows?

I will say, I am very dedicated to getting this novel edited and into the next phase – publication! Yes, because I know you have been waiting for so long. Certainly not because I’m tired of looking at it. No, certainly not.

In the meantime, if anyone has any hot tips on a good editor, feel free to share! You can share them in the contact form on my website or by DMing on any of my social media accounts

Thank you for sticking around! I hope to have a more exciting update for you soon.

Is there a new novel coming? Or am I just a big tease?

Picking lavender in Oregon instead of writing

I recently had a friend ask me, completely out of the blue, why I gave up on my website. I stuttered, totally surprised by the question.

“Well I – I mean, I… well, I kind of just forgot about it,” I managed to choke out and then blurted, “Plus, it’s not like I’ve had a lot to add.”

I tried to explain that I hadn’t really been writing for awhile. Had I given up on my novel? No, that’s not it. I just… I’ve had a lot of life changes, ok!

I was in grad school, there was family drama and illnesses, I launched a new career, and then, to top it all off, I moved across the country.

Excuses, excuses.

Going to a Jason Mraz concert instead of writing

Well, it will please you all to know that I’m back at it! Or maybe it doesn’t. How should I know? And to clarify, by back at it, I mean that I’m writing again. So, I guess I have something to put here on this forgotten website now.

And I’ll have you know that, in January, I wrote a whole chapter. That’s right, you heard me, a whole chapter! Not a very long chapter, mind you, but a chapter nonetheless. But then there was February, March, April…. Let’s just skip over those months (because that’s what I did with my writing) and jump straight into May.

In May, I gave myself a long look in the mirror and thought, you have to get your shit together, Rach. Either get it together, or give up. Well, I don’t want to give up. I want to write. And that was that.

Well, almost. I still lacked the right kind of motivation. I reached out to some writer friends who recommended blocking out a few hours a week where I wasn’t allowed to do anything but write. I think they stole this advice from some famous author, but honestly, what do they know? Nothing. I’m gonna sit in front of my laptop for hours and not do anything else but write? What a joke. I’ll be on my phone within 10 minutes. And that’s even if I turn it off and leave it in the other room. My phone addiction is off-the-wall. But that’s a discussion for another time.

Hiking Angel’s Rest trail instead of writing

No, no, no. I need accountability partners. So, I searched for a writing group to join in my new city. I’d been missing my writer community since my hiatus due to starting grad school in 2019, and I knew I needed to get myself back into that community. But I didn’t want a critique group, I just needed some likeminded peers to hold me accountable. Well, after days of searching (ok, maybe hours… ok, maybe minutes), I found a group through Meetup and signed up for my first meeting.

And that was it. Really. No, really really. I went to my first meeting back in early May and, not only have met some incredible writers here in the Portland area, but have actually made progress on my novel. REAL progress, guys. For the first time in a long time, I think I might actually get this damn first draft done. So, the answer is yes, there is a new novel coming! I promise.

That’s really it. That’s all I have to update you guys on right now. I will try to be more consistent in updating my website and not forget about its existence again. I’ll try to give you guys a glimpse into my writing process and also little nuggets of what you can expect in my next novel. It may not be consistent, but hey, it’s better than nothing! I guess, anyway.

Just Down the Street, Across the Ocean

The cover, synopsis, and publication date have FINALLY been finalized. Guess what? You get to see it all first! Check it out!

The main character, Katherine, takes a break from her average, boring life; a life that has slowly drained her of the energy and happiness she once knew. A neighbor’s broken sprinkler inspired community gossip and disapproval, making Katherine question what her life has really come down to and where it is going. Out of nowhere, she quits her job and travels to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a writer and to find a part of herself that is missing. Will Paris have the answers she’s looking for or will she further lose herself?

Just Down the Street, Across the Ocean is NOW AVAILABLE on Kindle!

Find it here: Just Down the Street, Across the Ocean