For me, writing the first draft of a story is a little dizzying. Some moments, you feel like the words are tumbling out of you and you can barely keep up with the speed of your thoughts and this can go on for chapters, once you get on a roll. But when the words slow down and a red light beckons, the best thing to do is NOT write.

I’m learning with my third book to take my foot off the gas and stop, for a while anyways, and that for me means going back through my research, seeing what path the story takes from this point on.

Some things can be simple and very easy to fix, while others, if you’re impatient can mean that you’re writing your way into a hole. I prefer to keep my head above ground so I spent a few hours today sorting through the mess of papers that had become my research.

When I first looked at it I just felt overwhelmed. Too many words, topics, ideas and useful facts.

But when it comes down to it the magic is in letting go, but first it means collecting myself, reminding myself that I have the reins and then settling back into the flow. All in good time because there is no prize for finishing first. The prize is in the story revealing itself and the joy of the process.