Facing The Fear: Next Luminovel Update

I’m excited to share an update about my next book, something I’ve mentioned on here before and even shown early prototypes for.

The book is a passion project through and through. It’s a story about an important journey that I think we all face in one way or another: wanting to do something we care about but hitting a wall of fear and anxiety. For me, that wall was portrait photography. That mix of nerves, self-doubt, and what I started calling anxt (a blend of angst and anxiety). The book follows what happened when I decided to do it anyway, documenting the messy reality of mistakes, lessons, and slow, stubborn progress.

At its heart, this book is about growth. Not the kind that comes neatly packaged, but the kind that’s full of wrong turns, small wins, and moments where you question everything. My big hope is that it encourages someone not to be put off by imperfection.

Whether it’s photography, pyrography, or painting.

Progress is supposed to be messy & chaotic.

Right now, I’m about 30,000 words in, just over halfway through what I expect the finished book to be. I still have a few more photoshoots to complete before I can call the photographic side finished, but if all goes to plan, those should be wrapped up in the first half of 2026.

After that comes editing, proofreading, and designing the layouts. I’m still deciding whether to handle that part myself or bring in outside help. Solid graphic design & illustration are valuable for the storytelling side, though it’s one of the biggest costs as an independent author.

If you’d like to help support this next LumiNovel, the best way is by ordering a copy of my previous book, Through Water & Ruin. Every sale directly helps fund this project and keeps the dream of producing high-quality, independent photo-stories alive. You can order a copy by clicking here!

Thank you for following along. It means more than you know.