Some days, the words flow easily… others, I can spend hours refining just one paragraph until I feel I got it “right.” (And that’s not to say I may not be inclined to rework it yet again another day. 😅)
The process can feel tedious, arduous, and long… On the flip side, I can derive such pleasure from the constellation of words in a simple sentence. Like this one:
“They looked wordlessly and deeply into one another’s eyes, Claudia searching for answers to her unspoken questions, losing herself in the warm pool of darkness that seemed to be beckoning her in.”
Or the final sentence I chose to close out chapter 12 with.
The ending for that chapter was different before. Among the many things I’ve learned in this great journey of striving to become a novelist, I’ve learned that ending a chapter with the characters going to sleep is “boring.” Intuitively, to me, it was a great way to wrap up a chapter. You’d think, right? But, as my editor enlightened me, it also gives the reader the perfect opportunity to set down the book. I thought I was doing my readers a favor by giving them a chance to take a rest and turn in for the night. But my editor reminded me that the mark of a great book is that you *never* want to put it down. The best books keep you wanting to turn the page at the end of every chapter to find out what happens next.
Here’s how chapter 12 ended previously:
“She lay awake for a good while longer, marveling at the incredible experience the two had just shared—until she, too, eventually, fell asleep, with Lizzy nestled in her arms.“
And here’s how it ends now:
“Those sweet words turned Claudia inside out as she felt the vibration of Lizzy’s whisper warm against her ear.”
I’d love to hear from fellow writers about your experience with your process. The highs, the lows, the grumbles, and the moments of deep satisfaction. Tell me what you struggle with and what gets your creative juices flowing. 📝✨
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