I am BIG: When the Characters Take Control

The Ghost of the Digital Footprint and Learning from Mistakes

Writing and publishing recklessly comes at a price, and sometimes the digital bill is a heavy one. In 2023, after finishing a novel born entirely out of raw impulse, I made the mistake of launching it through a co-publishing house that didn't work out, featuring an unstudied cover and a manuscript completely devoid of critical oversight. That hasty edition—born of inexperience and a lack of proper guidance—left a digital footprint in search engines that still haunts me today in the form of books that no longer represent me. The consequences of dragging that publishing past along are real, and part of my current work involves dealing with it, reclaiming the novel the way it should have been born from the very beginning. Because indie publishing and independent authorhood demand rigor, and learning from those early stumbles is the first step to doing things right.

When Your Characters Speak to You (and Steal 120 Pages)

I am BIG was born from an urgent need to tell a story and give visibility to the underprivileged. It poured out all at once, like a premature birth and completely without the necessary filters: without proper proofreading or copyediting—back then, I didn't even know how to find the correct em dash for dialogue—, without stylistic revision, and without beta readers. But the most curious thing about the creative process is that characters take on a life of their own. In this case, some who were initially meant to skim the edges of the plot began demanding their own space, asking for more prominence. The result? One hundred and twenty extra pages of parallel subplots that enriched and added depth to the novel, but also opened Pandora's box, forcing me to rewrite dialogue and delete, add, or modify scenes.

The Danger of Timeline Tangles and the Role of "Beta Readers"

And that’s where I got myself into a real mess. Wanting to give a voice to those characters demanding their moment in the spotlight, I began getting tangled up in dates, causing a continuity nightmare that didn't add up anywhere. It became necessary to rethink the structure, create new supporting characters, and rewrite entire dialogues so the narrative engine would function seamlessly. It is precisely at this stage that the role of beta readers becomes vital. Bringing them plot doubts, subjecting the manuscript to their critical gaze, and letting them catch continuity errors that escape your own eyes after staring at a screen for hours is what saves a novel from shipwreck.

The Result of a Job Well Done

This time, yes. With time, dedication, countless hours of work, and the rigorous filter the story deserved, I am BIG is finally a consistent, well-rounded novel endowed with that unmistakable literary style I strive for in every project. That seed born of passion and social urgency has transformed, after a long process of maturation and polishing, into the solid work readers deserve to find in their hands.

It is, at its core, a cry for humanity, an honest look at what we call "disability," and an invitation to look beyond our own bubbles.

Today, with the perspective that time and experience provide, this novel finally has the shape it always deserved. I invite you to discover it and let its story move you.