Over the last decade that I’ve been a serious writer (defined as someone who loses sleep at least three nights a week because their writer brain won’t shut up), I’ve become accustomed to the various stages of my writing projects.
There’s the initial honeymoon phase, where I’m convinced I have a fantastic idea and nothing is going to stop me from writing this amazing book that everyone will be clamoring to read.
Then there’s the coasting phase, when everything is running smoothly. Sure, it’s not as exciting as it was at the get-go, but the story is unfolding nicely, and I am still certain it will be a moderate success, or at least not an unfortunate stain on my legacy.
Next comes the dreaded muddy middle, when Imposter Syndrome reasserts itself. This is when it all goes to hell. I question my abilities as a writer. I second guess my judgment about this story in particular, and can’t for the life of me figure out why I ever thought it was a good idea. Over time, this part of the process has become an old friend of sorts. I nod at him, acknowledge his existence, and forge ahead.
After the muddy middle comes the yeah, I got this phase, where things finally start to click into place again, connections are made (often unexpected) and the story pulls itself out of the doldrums.
And finally, the downhill run. I know where I’m going, and I have a good idea how to get there. This is the phase where I go over the rest of the story in my mind and write down all the loose ends that need to be tied up, and as I race down the hillside toward the ending, it all becomes clear.
That’s where I’m at on Down the River, book two in the River City Chronicles. I just passed the 80% mark, and am now laying out the things that need to happen before the end. Almost all the secrets have been told, and the character arcs are bending toward conclusion. It’s such a satisfying feeling to see this journey, which I set off on last Spring, finally coming to a hopefully satisfying end.
There are still i’s t dot and t’s to cross, but I’m confident now that it’s going to be a good story. And what else can a writer ask for?
I hope you have joined me on the journey – it’s always fun to do a story like this as a weekly serial, so the audience can come along and experience it as I am. But if not, I hope you will give it a try when I finally release it in book form, later in 2025 or early 2026.
I’m on the downhill run!
To my writer friends, what are your phases of writing?