S. W. Raine

There’s a particular kind of magic that sneaks in quietly, over days and weeks, while I’m rereading pages, scribbling notes, learning new things, and occasionally staring at a project and wondering what on earth possessed me to start it in the first place.

We’re already over a month into the year now, and this is the magic I’m most excited to explore this year: returning to a familiar world I love, and learning an entirely new way to tell stories.

Both have been challenging. Both have been exciting. And both have reminded me why I love storytelling in the first place.

Returning to Familiar Skies

Most of January—and February so far—has been spent back in my steampunk world, working on Book 2 in the Adventures of Captain Keenan series.

I wrote the zero draft back in November 2024, and this year’s first step has been rereading it from beginning to end and leaving myself notes for developmental edits: changes to story structure, smoothing out plot holes, strengthening character arcs, and generally whipping the whole thing into the best shape it can be.

At last count, I have more than 300 notes waiting for me.

That number is… overwhelming. Enough that I may or may not have avoided opening the manuscript for a few days toward the end of January. Unfortunately, nothing gets published if I continue to ignore it.

But even with all those notes—and all the work still ahead of me—returning to that world has been so much fun.

I’ve absolutely loved stepping back onto an airship deck, hearing the creak of rigging, and spending time again with my favorite captain. That sense of adventure is still there. That spark of mischief hasn’t gone anywhere.

And every time I turn another page, I’m reminded why I’m excited for readers to experience this story when it’s finally ready.

But first… I have a lot of editing to do.

Learning a New Kind of Magic

At the same time, I’ve been exploring something completely new: screenwriting.

Learning screenwriting has become another part of the magic I’m most excited to explore this year, even when it means starting from scratch. It really does feel like being a beginner again. Equal parts exhilarating and humbling.

For me, the hardest part isn’t learning the terminology or the structure. It’s starting.

I did a lot (A LOT!) of journaling to figure out why I kept hesitating. Eventually, I realized what was holding me back wasn’t learning something new… it was the fear of beginner screenwriter Raine being judged at the level of four-published-novels Raine.

That’s a hard standard for anyone to meet, especially yourself.

So I did something that helped more than I expected: I created a separate pen name to use while I learn. A quiet little alter ego where I can experiment, make mistakes, and grow without feeling like every first step has to be perfect because it’ll be scrutinized.

Unfortunately, once that pressure eased, the next struggle was the blank page. What do I write? Where do I start?

I’ve been learning the language of scripts, reading screenplays, studying structure, and discovering formats I didn’t even know existed before—like vertical series and microdramas, short-form shows designed specifically for phones that tell fast, emotionally engaging stories in just a few minutes at a time.

It’s a completely different rhythm of storytelling. And it’s fascinating.

Ideas have been sparking in all directions, and I’m excited to keep learning and see where it leads.

Following the Spark

Returning to a familiar world and learning a brand-new form of storytelling might seem like very different kinds of magic, but to me, they feel connected.

Both are about curiosity. About stepping into the unknown (or back into the familiar) and seeing what’s waiting there. Both are about trusting the process, even when it feels messy or overwhelming or slow.

And both remind me that stories are living things. They grow. And shift. And they surprise you.

Sometimes they even lead you somewhere you never expected to go.

I don’t know exactly where all of this exploration will lead yet. But I do know I’m enjoying the journey.

I’m curious… do you enjoy seeing authors explore new worlds or storytelling formats? Or do you prefer when they stay in one lane? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Raine