on Anne R Allen:

Was your writing process a long and winding road for anyone else here? And by writing process, I mean “a reliable way you’ve been able to approach the page that allows you to finish books.”

I struggled for decades to find my process. And I do mean struggled.

I’d open a Word document for a new book idea, just like all my writing friends, and start typing away. As newbies do, I’d get stuck. . .

Write a few more scenes. . .

Feel lost inside my story. . .

Finally, usually between 100-200 pages into the book, I’d figure that idea just wasn’t enough to sustain a novel. I’d start another book, and repeat the cycle all over again.

Sometime during this nightmare of a process, I’d sneak out of the novels and write a short story to ground my brain. It had the bonus of giving me a boost, since it would prove that I could finish something (and so I wouldn’t feel like such a hack).

It was an endless cycle of words and ideas and hope and failure. My brain grew crowded, my soul grew cranky, and my writing mojo grew very very thin.

Other writers could finish books the linear way…so why couldn’t I?