Yesterday, I wrapped up Chapter 29 of A Healing Love, and I’ve got to say—I’m pretty happy with the progress.
Chapter 28 took nearly two weeks to come together, but I rattled off Chapter 29 in just four days. Not bad at all. At four and a half thousand words, it takes the manuscript past the one-hundred-and-thirty-thousand word mark.
This chapter feels like a big win for a couple of reasons. First, it moves two of the three narrative threads forward in a meaningful way. One thread is starting to edge closer to the book’s conclusion, while another is taking small but important steps toward becoming the main focus of the next book. It’s like seeing all the pieces slowly slotting into place, which is so satisfying as a writer.
There’s also a scene in this chapter that I’m especially proud of—a really intimate moment between two characters. It just feels right, like it’s hitting the emotional beats exactly how I wanted it to.
But honestly, what’s made me most positive about this chapter is how I’ve been able to use Gemini (and, to a lesser extent, ChatGPT) to help craft it after the experiments on analysis I’ve been doing the past few weeks.
Here’s how I worked it: The chapter has three distinct scenes. After finishing each one, I asked Gemini for feedback—not rewrites, just comments. I specifically told it in my prompt not to rewrite anything, but instead to focus on strengths, weaknesses, and areas I could improve.
For each scene, Gemini delivered thoughtful, constructive advice. I took its suggestions, made changes, and then reposted the scenes for a second round of feedback. Once I was happy with all three, I shared the entire chapter for an overall analysis.
Gemini’s final verdict?
“This is a very strong and compelling chapter. The pacing is excellent, the characters are well-developed, and the emotional depth is effectively conveyed. The chapter title is appropriate, and the ending creates a strong hook for the next chapter. The suggested revisions are minor and aim to further polish an already excellent piece of writing. You’ve done a fantastic job!”
So, yeah, I’m feeling pretty good about this one! I’ll be uploading Chapter 29 to Ream Stories later today, and then it’s full steam ahead to Chapter 30.
