Last week, I sent out the draft of Martin’s Adventures—the first eight chapters of the story. I knew it still needed two more: one about growing up, and one focused on Martin’s birthday. That birthday chapter was going to be told in three parts: the celebration itself, the surprise at the end, and the aftermath of that surprise.

One of the folks I shared it with was Chuck from Studio Lester—a talented screenwriter and animation video creator. (Check out his work on Facebook, Instagram, or his website!) Chuck offered incredibly helpful feedback, especially around character introductions, pacing, and the importance of weaving backstory into the narrative naturally—when it’s needed, not all at once.

I’d been wrestling with an unsettled feeling about those first ten chapters. Originally titled Meet Martin, the draft felt disconnected from the rest of the series. But thanks to Chuck’s insight, I had a breakthrough. Now, the story starts at the end of the birthday party—with the surprise—pulling readers directly into the action. This shift not only brought better story flow, but also solved a plot hole about the surprise’s destination after the party.

With a few new characters added and some early exposition cleaned up (goodbye, verbal vomit!), the story now feels like a true beginning. I can finally present it all under one unified title: Martin’s Adventures—no standalone intro needed.

Huge thanks to Chuck for the feedback—and for helping this story level up!