I'm Still Learning

I'm one of those people who believe there is no one way to write a novel. Some people write by the seat of their pants, some outline and plot in great detail. I do both. For me, it depends on the project.

It's impossible for me to write a novel the same way twice. I've written four complete manuscripts so far and I've changed everything about my craft with each one. The first book I wrote in scenes from the middle out, the second in whole chapters from beginning to end. The third wasn't written in any sort of chronological order whatsoever and the fourth I powered through with 1,000 words a day.

My point is, I still haven't found what works for me when it comes to writing a novel. I'm still learning. Every day I learn something else, but what I have to keep in mind is that one way of doing things is not going to work for every project. My characters are not the same, my plot isn't the same and my skill level grows with each page.

So even when I get frustrated that I can't settle on doing something one way and sticking to it, I think I'm a little grateful. I wouldn't grow as a writer if I wasn't willing to try a little bit of everything.