The Work Continues

The Observer Effect was always conceived as a complete story told across a trilogy.

Publishing Whispers in the Dark was never meant to be a stopping point or a test run. The first volume sets questions in motion that were always intended to carry forward.

Now that Book One is on its way to publication, I’ve been working quietly in the background on Book Two — and that draft is getting close to what I’d call version 2.0.

That doesn’t mean it’s nearly done. But it does mean the shape is holding.

What Version 2.0 Actually Means

For me, the early drafts of a book are about discovery.

Version 1.x is exploratory: testing ideas, pushing on assumptions, finding the places where the story resists or collapses outright. It’s where you learn what the narrative is and also what it isn’t.

Version 2.x is different. That’s where structure starts to matter. Arcs line up. Consequences propagate more cleanly. The story behaves less like a collection of scenes and more like a system.

Book Two is crossing that boundary now.

That doesn’t mean it’s close to finished — but it does mean the major structural questions have answers, and the shape is holding under scrutiny. The work hasn’t become easier, but it has become more focused. I recognise the phases sooner this time, and I’m less tempted to over-invest in ideas that don’t scale.

No “Wait and See” Pause

I’ve seen authors finish a first book, put it out into the world, and then pause — waiting to see how it’s received before committing to the next one.

That was never really my plan.

This story was conceived as more than a single volume from the beginning. Book One sets questions in motion that don’t resolve cleanly by design. Continuing the work isn’t a reaction to reader interest - it’s a continuation of the same line of thought.

So while I’m not rushing anything, I’m also not waiting.

Sketching Further Ahead

At the same time, I’ve started sketching the outline for Book Three.

Not in detail — there’s no chapter breakdown yet, no scene-level planning — but the major pieces are there. I know where it’s going. I know which threads converge, and which ones are meant to break.

That high-level shape matters, even while Book Two is still in flux. It acts as a constraint on the middle book, helping prevent it from expanding in directions that would be difficult to resolve later.

It’s not about locking things in early. It’s about making sure the system remains coherent as it grows.

Where Things Stand

• Book One is on its way.
• Book Two is well into its second iteration.
• Book Three exists as a structure waiting to be filled in.

There’s still a lot of work ahead. But the direction is clear, the system is holding, and the next steps are already in motion.

Enjoyed this? Get the science behind the story → Join the list