Writer Unleashed
Writer Unleashed is a weekly podcast for fiction and memoir writers. It's a deep dive into story techniques, writing craft, and the mindsets that help you write with unstoppable momentum and create stories readers can't put down.
Writer Unleashed
275. The Mid-Draft Slump: How to Believe in Your Book Again
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Nanci Panuccio
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Season 7
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You started your book on fire. Now you sit down to write and feel blank. Or worse, you've started to feel disenchanted by your own story. If you've hit the mid-draft slump and started wondering whether your story is good enough, or whether you are, this episode is for you.
In this episode, I break down why writers lose faith in their books mid-draft, and why the problem is almost never the story itself. You'll learn the three shifts that will get you back in the room with your work.
This isn't a pep talk. It's a reorientation — one that puts you back in control of the one thing that was always yours: your experience of writing this book.
Intro
The Emotional Cost of Doubting Your Story
Writing Is Like A Relationship
1. Make the Process The Reward
When Outcome Focused Writing Leads To Off-the-Shelf Structures
The Mindset of Writers Who Are Still Lit Up Mid-Draft
2. Focus On What The Work Needs, Not What You Need From The Work
3. Deepen Your Craft
Reading Like A Writer
Growth Over Perfection
The Question To Bring To Your Next Writing Session