15 Comments
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Martin Maenza's avatar

Getting to the point of revisiting my first two novellas for edits while still back-burner planning (in my head at the moment) the third one that actually slots in between the two completed ones.

Patricia Brooks's avatar

Thank you for writing this. It makes me realize that all my ups and downs, and my zero-page-edit days while revising my manuscript, are normal!😅 And I love how this journal-type blog post helps with accountability.

Matt Scott's avatar

I love how you know what your characters are about to be subjected to – mine still surprise ME at every turn. I really must get better at directing them...

M. A. Miller's avatar

The grace you gave yourself on the slower days feels just as important as the productive ones. Writing isn’t built in perfect streaks; it’s built in showing back up, learning your characters more deeply, and trusting that even small edits are shaping something meaningful over time. This really captures the quiet discipline behind creativity. If this resonates, I’ve been reflecting on the creative journey and learning to live and create in the present moment here: https://theeternalnowmm.substack.com/p/eternal-love?r=71z4jh

Jay VanLandingham's avatar

I really appreciate the way you go into detail about your writing and editing processes on Substack.

mayagirl's avatar

this was great — super helpful for my own writing and editing process 🫶

Emily Moss's avatar

This was fun to read! I love seeing other writer’s processes. And I definitely relate to the plot points needing to be interconnected. I’m working on that too!

Jack Coulombe's avatar

I love this insight, don't dwell too much on the no writing days — days without the physical typing or pen to paper inform our process just as much as the other days. Staring at the wall, thinking is writing and feeling the down days is writing.

Evelyn Kate's avatar

Writing is going great!! Got past my muddy middle block and making hurtling towards my All Is Lost Point. (Eeeeeeh I’m so excited to inflict yet even more pain upon my characters!) Plus writing some great cliffhangers so I’m not complaining.

Patti Johnson's avatar

This is a great post and very helpful. Thank you

Lucy Lambton's avatar

Very inspirational, thank you. Love your honesty. I'm finding editing hard, especially that I struggle with this annoying fatigue. I need to go away, without any distractions, and just write! And rest whenever I need to.

David Turnbull's avatar

I managed to finish a vampire story I was working on and send it a submission to an upcoming anthology. Whether it will be accepted or not is a whole new question.

Lee Addison Smyth's avatar

Editing is so hard! You're doing a great job!

Grief & Gratitude with Em's avatar

I love this so much and to be honest I am saving it for tomorrow so I can read it more thoroughly. I just got home from class (I’m in my master’s program) and I am tired, but I keep going back to thoughts of my manuscript. Your day by day and expression of inspiration and lack thereof is super helpful to me!! Because that’s writing. Some days I write thousands of words. Other days I write 0. Thank you for sharing and encouraging us to keep going. I am almost done with the first draft of my YA novel and my goodness I am nervous because of what is next— hella editing. Cheers.