Travis Warman, Author

 My blog has moved to:  https://txwarman.com/field-log  

On choosing a small Kansas town as the heart of a crime thriller. When people ask me where Serial Husbands is set, I tell them Junction City, Kansas. And the first thing most of them do is pause. It is not exactly the name that conjures crime thrillers. It does not have the dark glamour of Chicago or the gothic weight of New Orleans. It is a small town in the Flint Hills, anchored to the plains, with a history most people outside of Kansas have never bothered to learn. That, in part, is exactly why I chose it. The other reason is simpler and more personal: From 2011 to 2013, I was stationed at Fort Riley, barely 21 years old, young and restless and doing what young and restless people do when they are given a patch of freedom and a town nearby. I was not studying Junction City's history then. I was living inside it, whether I knew it or not. The Town That Was Almost Manhattan Here is something most people do not know: Junction City was supposed to be Manhattan, Kansas. In 1855, lan...

Over the past 8 months, Serial Husbands has gone through an incredible journey. What began as an idea grew into a manuscript, then into multiple drafts, and eventually into a story shaped by feedback from more than a dozen thoughtful beta readers. Along the way, the book evolved in ways I never expected. The characters deepened, the investigation sharpened, and the world surrounding the story expanded far beyond the boundaries of a single novel. For several months, I pursued the traditional publishing route and queried literary agents who represent crime and thriller fiction. That process gave me the opportunity to learn a tremendous amount about the industry and to refine how I think about this project. Ultimately, however, it also forced me to confront an important question: what kind of future do I want for this story and the world it belongs to? After a great deal of consideration, I have decided to publish Serial Husbands independently. This decision ultimately came down to o...

Writing a novel is rarely a straight line. Stories grow, shift, and sharpen over time, and sometimes the most important changes happen long after the first draft feels “finished.” Over the past several months, Serial Husbands has gone through an intense revision process across multiple drafts. The newest version, Draft 26, is the most complete and fully realized version of the story yet. This latest revision wasn’t about polishing sentences or tweaking grammar. It was about strengthening the emotional core of the story, clarifying the investigative logic, and expanding the world that exists behind the scenes of the novel. Thanks to incredibly thoughtful feedback from beta readers, I was able to step back and see where the story could grow stronger. Draft 26 represents the point where those lessons finally clicked. Strengthening the Characters One of the most important pieces of feedback I received from beta readers was that they wanted a deeper emotional connection to the character...

Since August, I have been revising this book almost every day. Draft after draft, pass after pass, often line by line. Draft 23 exists because of the time, care, and honesty my beta readers brought to this manuscript, and I want to say thank you. By the time readers saw the later teen drafts, the book’s structure was already solid. The work from Draft 18 through Draft 23 was about refinement. I focused on tightening language, removing redundancy, sharpening character interiority, and trusting the reader more. Small changes added up. Qualifying phrases were stripped out. Over-explained mechanics were pared back. Dialogue was cleaned for clarity and rhythm. Character reactions became more restrained and intentional. Continuity issues were resolved quietly, without drawing attention to themselves. The story did not change, but its edges did. A significant portion of that work came directly from beta feedback. Readers flagged moments of confusion, pacing drag, or logistical friction. They ...

I want to take a moment to talk honestly about Alastair and the Withering Moon . I wrote that book for my son. Not for the market. Not for trends. Not even with a long-term plan in mind. I wrote it because I wanted to leave him something tangible, a story that carried pieces of us, our bond, and the quiet magic of being a father watching his child grow. When I first published it, it was intentionally small and temporary. About thirty days. Friends, family, and a handful of early supporters. I even gave it away for free on Amazon for several days, because this was never about sales or visibility. It was about sharing something personal with people I trusted. As time passed, though, I realized something important. The book was not ready. Not in the way I want, and not in the way I would want it to exist publicly long term. That realization was uncomfortable, but it was honest. So I made the decision to pull it. There were a couple of behind-the-scenes details around the cover and re...

I wanted to take a moment to share where things stand with Serial Husbands, and to say thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey so far. As of now, more than 100 readers are actively reading the manuscript, and I am in the process of gathering and reviewing their feedback. I have officially completed Draft 12 of the book, which marks the end of a very intense writing and revision phase. From initial planning to this draft, the entire process took about five months, and it has been one of the most focused and meaningful creative experiences of my life. Alongside revisions, I have finished researching literary agents who are a strong fit for this project. I have also worked directly with a literary agent to optimize my submission package, including the query letter and supporting materials. My goal is for Serial Husbands to become my first traditionally published novel, and I am approaching that process thoughtfully and strategically. I am also incredibly grateful to share ...