“Wonderment Within Weirdness”: Why My Debut Novel is Grand and Ambitious
When people think of debut novels, they often imagine modest, concise works—stories that are careful, restrained, and manageable for a first-time author. In contrast, my debut novel, Wonderment Within Weirdness, is over 600 pages. For many readers and writers, that alone might seem unusual for a first book. Debut novels typically aim to prove a writer’s skill without overwhelming themselves or the audience. But from the very beginning, I wanted my novel to be grand in scope. I wanted it […]Wonderment Within Weirdness: A Story That Contains Everything
When people talk about novels, especially debut novels, there is often an assumption that they will focus on one or two central themes. A book might be primarily about adventure, or love, or war, or philosophy. Some stories lean heavily into action, others into introspection. Many books are structured around a specific narrative focus, and that focus shapes how readers understand the story. But when I look at my debut novel, Wonderment Within Weirdness, something stands out to me in a very […]Wonderment Within Weirdness Is Weirdly an Anti-War Novel
Sometimes you write a book and only later realize what it was actually about. That might sound strange, but it happens more often than people think. Stories have a way of revealing their deeper meanings after the fact, sometimes months or even years after they are written. When I first wrote my debut novel, Wonderment Within Weirdness, I was not sitting there thinking, “I am going to write an anti-war novel.” That was not the plan. The goal was much simpler and honestly much more chaotic. […]Four Years Later: Connor, Silence, and the Things Addiction Leaves Behind
Before You Read: A Necessary Disclaimer I need to say something before you continue. What you’re about to read is the heaviest thing I have ever shared publicly. Not just on this blog. On any blog. On any platform. This is not a dramatic exaggeration. It is a sincere warning. I have written about difficult topics before. I have written about personal growth, loneliness, identity, frustration, politics, science, and the complexity of being human. But this piece is different. This one […]Part philosophical inquiry, part spacefaring odyssey, Though the Night May Be Dark is an exploration of community, survival, and the timely question: what kind of world do we want - and what are we willing to risk to achieve it?
#indieauthor #queerbooks #sciencefiction #AutisticAuthors #debutnovel #fuckthesystem #bookstodon
One Year as a Published Author: Reflecting on an Unexpected Journey
February 15, 2026 marks a milestone I never quite imagined I would reach, at least not in the way it has unfolded. One year ago today, I officially became a published author when my debut novel "Wonderment Within Weirdness" was released into the world. As I sit here reflecting on the past twelve months, I find myself almost disbelieving that not only did I publish that first book, but I somehow managed to release two additional books during the summer of 2025, my poetry compilation "My […]Spotlight #bookreview: ROOM 706 by Ellie Levenson, a tense, thought-provoking & multi-layered novel with an ambiguous ending. @ellie_levenson @sjplit #debutnovel #literaryfiction #domesticfiction #bookgroups #bookdiscussion #bookstagram #booksky
http://stacyalesi.com/2026/01/27/spotlight-review-room-706-by-ellie-levenson/