The middle is definitely the trickiest part of the book to write: the introductory energy of the beginning has worn off and the ending feels an awfully long way away. Whenever I reach a sticking point I take myself and my notebook to a coffee-shop (park, library, bar—whatever your taste) where I let myself imagine. Somehow that brief separation from my manuscript helps me to see things clearly and refills me with the enthusiasm and direction to start typing again.

Once you begin writing, the most important thing is to keep going even if you hate everything you write (and you will, oh you will!). Most writers swing between thinking they’re gods or sods, but so long as you keep putting words down you can always come back later. You can’t edit a blank page.

Writing a book is like building a house: it takes time and effort, and you need a firm underlying structure to hold it together so that the pretty trims don’t collapse under close inspection. Give yourself the time to work out the direction in which your story needs to go.


Last updated on December 21, 2009 by Kate Morton