Enael Rodriguez

My name is Enael Rodríguez, a spanish novelist, screenwriter, illustrator, painter, visual storyteller... Yeah, that's a lot, but I mostly focus on writing.

It is quite possible that the posts will have a mix of dialects but don't worry, it's all part of the charm.

My goal as a writer is to offer you a story so captivating that you forget it's time to sleep. I want you to experience my characters' emotions, to laugh with them, to cry with them, to fall in love with them… and, hopefully, for you to be unable to wait for the next page. I want to give you stories you'll wish to be a part of. I want to help you escape reality for a moment.

And I will do everything I can to achieve that and make sure you enjoy reading me.

I will post everything related to my novels and writing projects, story details, moodboards, character charts…

I also have a couple of short stories about my novel ready on Patreon, and will be adding more over time and as more of my novels come out.

My first published novel is Echoes of a Wish, a romance story with contemporary fantasy elements. The novel tells the story of Griffin, a twenty-year-old boy who has just entered a prestigious university in a new town. But Griffin is not alone, for the past five years he has been accompanied everywhere by Dalia, a shooting star he made a wish to when he was about to do something crazy as a teenager.

You can buy the book here!

And you can also read the first three chapters for free here!

On the other hand, I also have another novel called The Legacy of the Sea. This novel has Charlie, a young but notorious pirate captain whose goal is to find the treasure left behind three hundred years ago by the pirate Runa Ivrin, considered the queen of the seven seas and an exceptional witch. To do this, she's going to have to put up with the presence of a navy soldier, though she'll definitely be getting on his nerves, too.

But they will have to learn to work together if they want to claim the treasure, as the cursed island they must venture into guards the remnants of Runa's ancient magic. Charlie, however, isn't afraid of curses or enchantments, because she is no ordinary pirate.

If you are interested in Charlie's adventures, you can clic here!

Aaaand, if you want to read the entire first chapter for free, you can do it right here.

I have a Substack page where I post monthly updates to track my own writing progress, in case you'd like to take a peek.

Thank you for reading me!

It took me a day longer than usual, but here is this week's recap.

To be honest, there isn't much to tell. This week, between the new routine my trainer gave me (it leaves me pretty wiped out), sudden family gatherings because of the summer vacations, and the fact that I'm completely hooked on a novel I started reading last weekend, I've been a bit out of it.

Even so, I managed to make some progress editing the third chapter of Liam's novel. In this second draft of the manuscript, I'm focusing on polishing plot details, adding small touches to the atmosphere, and catching the occasional typo.

I’ve managed to give the characters a bit more consistency, as well as a better balance in how much spotlight each one gets. We'll see how it evolves throughout the chapters, but for now, I'm happy with how it's turning out.

I haven't done much on the drawing side, but I did start developing that new novel that's been nagging at me for a while. I have the title, and several characters are already defined.

It's a story that's going to be very, very gritty, especially at the beginning. I'd even classify it as a story for not just a 18+ audience, but 25+. I'll be tackling some... pretty sensitive topics, but I plan to include a trigger warning for those who will read it, along with a list at the end of the book detailing the potentially disturbing themes it covers. That way, you'll know exactly what you're getting into.

Though, of course, I have to write it first, and I'll be doing that alongside the second book in Charlie's series. I feel like it's necessary, the lightness and playful vibe of Charlie's novel is what will help me cope with the emotional and mental toll that this other novel is going to take.

But it will be worth it, I promise. No matter how much I screw over my characters, you already know I can't leave a story with a sad or bitter ending.

And that's all for this week.

I started this week at full throttle with chapter 2 of Liam's story. It’s almost there, I just need to review the very last scene and then I can say it's ready. The details I’ve added and the changes I’ve made are mostly to flesh out the characters and a bit of the novel's atmosphere.

The beginning of the story has a specific pacing, and I need to lay down a solid foundation before diving into the next section.

On the writing front, truth be told, I’ve been jumping between Charlie’s second novel and that other story I told you about last week that totally hooked me. To be honest, I’ve come up with a couple of cool little things for that story, especially for a character I’ve been wanting to fit in somewhere for a very long time.

This finally seems to be the story where they belong.

I can’t say much more about Charlie’s second book. I know where I want to go with it, as well as the conflict I want to handle in this part. What I’m still not so sure about, and I’ll figure it out as I go, is a specific aspect of the ending.

But I’m not worried. I always end up figuring it out.

As for the Charlie illustration I have pending, I’m this close to finishing it. Just yesterday I finished the shading, and all I have left are the lights and a few effects to make it look even better.

I also have an illustration planned for the new story featuring my favorite character, as well as a couple of looser sketches with the rest of the characters, something a bit more like a cartoonish comic style than what I usually do.

I think it’s going to be really cool.

And that’s been all for this week.

How would you feel if I told you that I’ve just had one of the best weeks, creatively speaking, of my entire life?

First of all, I’ve finished revising and editing Liam’s first chapter, and I’m right in the middle of the second one. I love what I’ve done, the details I’ve added, and the subtle nuance I’ve given to one of the characters. This is definitely going to give the story a lot more momentum later on.

Usually, I tend to use the weekends to rest a bit more and write less, but I doubt I’ll be able to contain myself this time for a few reasons.

One of those reasons is that I want to continue Charlie's story as soon as possible, but the biggest reason I can't wait to write is that I've come up with a brand-new story. All week long, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, the characters (I already have the main cast and the villains pretty much fully designed), the world (fantasy, of course), and the conflict, which, honestly, is a bit darker than what I’m used to.

But it has something I just can’t resist. I have the beginning, the conflict that drives the protagonist forward, and I have the ending. There are some scenes in between that I already have in mind, but most of the mid-story plot is something I’ll figure out as I write it, just like always.

I don't know how long would it be, or if it'll be one or two books (or three). There is a lot to tell, I have a lot of details of the world in my mind, but we'll see.

Who wants to know what it's about? 👀

Now, on the drawing side of things, I’m halfway through a new sketch of Charlie and someone who will be one of her newest and most important companions in the second book. Can you guess who it'll be?

That’s all for this week.

Well, after taking last week as a little vacation, this week I’m back at it with Liam's novel.

I jumped right into editing, and I have to say, I’m absolutely loving the results. I finished the prologue in just two days, so I quickly moved on to the first chapter.

I haven't finished proofreading and editing this chapter yet, but I can already say that I am really, really happy with the changes I've made. The opening is better, more elaborate, and I’ve added a few details to give the characters a couple of extra layers to make them more interesting.

There is a key element, a small object, that has become a fundamental piece for the entire plot. And the best part is that it goes completely unnoticed. I absolutely love that!

On the other hand, I’ve also been taking notes for Charlie's second novel. I haven't continued writing it this week, but I’ve gathered a good amount of information for one of the characters over the last few days. I don't think I've ever had so many saved videos on animal behavior.

As for the plot, there is a clear idea that follows the entire saga. The only things I'm missing are the details and how far I want to go. I know who the character accompanying Charlie will be, I have their name, their past, their role, and a few secondary characters. I just need to fill in the blanks in between.

But hey, that's something that, as always, I’ll figure out as I move forward with the story. My main focus is editing and proofreading Liam's novel (which, by the way, I still don't know whether to keep the title I gave it or think of a new one), but soon I’ll start writing The Heir of the Earth. I'm really looking forward to continuing Charlie's story and seeing the look on your faces when you read what it's actually about.

After all, there are more secrets that Charlie is hiding, and some of them she doesn't even know herself. ;)

That's all for this week.

This week has been more about resting than anything else, but, even though I haven't been particularly focused on writing, I’ve taken the time to go over a few details to keep in mind for when I dive into revising and editing Liam’s novel.

My plan was to spend at least two of weeks letting the manuscript breathe, but I don’t think I can hold out that long. It’s very likely I’ll open it this weekend and start editing the whole thing.

I have plenty of scenes in mind to add, as well as two new characters who, while secondary, add another layer to one of the main characters. Not to mention the scenes I left half-finished, especially in the final chapters.

One thing I have been tinkering with is the second novel in Charlie’s saga. I’ve got a short fragment of the first chapter where I introduce the second protagonist who’ll be joining her.

Is it too early to ask if you’ve already read The Legacy of the Sea? I’m dying for you to meet the second main character and, especially, a specific one who’s going to become very, very important to Charlie... even though I haven’t actually started the story yet!

A hint about that character: they are 55 centimeters tall.

And that’s all for this week. It’s been a quiet few days without much hustle and bustle, and honestly, I can’t go much longer without getting back to the keyboard.

What a week!

The heat from the changing season is starting to become more obvious and, honestly, the urge to take a little trip to the beach and ignore the gym for a bit is growing, too.

But not even the rising temperature could stop me from sitting down to write, and thanks to that, I’ve achieved two things this week that are worth celebrating.

The first thing is that I’ve finished the first manuscript of Liam's novel! (Go me!)

It’s a manuscript full of holes, clearly, but it’s finished and that’s what matters. There is still a lot to do. I’m going to set that story aside for a week or two before returning to it. I need to fill in scenes, edit weak dialogue, add some characters, maybe even a chapter or two, and ensure that the information and plot explanations are exactly where they should be…

Yes, there is still work ahead, but I’ll get to it after a break.

In the meantime, and here comes the second celebration, I have something to keep me busy while Liam "breathes"

I’ve started writing the second novel in Charlie’s saga, The Heir of the Earth!

I have a couple of things clear about this novel. For example, a specific character who is going to become indispensable for Charlie for the rest of the saga, and another one who is… a bit more "special"

It will likely be a bit more serious than The Legacy of the Sea, but not by much, I can assure you of that now. Charlie has always been characterized by that light, absurd humor that I love, so I’m not going to let that get lost even if there are some heavier themes in the mix.

There’s still little to say about it, but I’m really looking forward to seeing where this novel takes me (even though I already know the ending).

On the drawing side, I’ve finished another illustration of Charlie and started another one featuring one of the scenes from the novel that I had the most fun writing.

For next week, I’ve been considering whether to write some summer-themed short stories. One with Charlie and her crew, and another with the characters from Echoes of a Wish. I’m not sure whether to do one with the characters from Liam’s novel too, since you don’t know them yet.

It’s something to think about.

And that’s been all for this week.