How to Get Clear on What Your Book Is About

Writing scenes that won’t end up in your novel matter as much as the ones that will.

Photo by Shopify Partners from Burst

On January first, I uploaded an article announcing that I knew what the book I was writing would be about. I had it all figured out… or so I thought.

15,500 words later, I’m here to tell you I was wrong.

I’m still writing the same book. My characters remain, and the storyline is basically the same, but it’s taking a different direction. One I didn’t envision.

You might be wondering why I didn’t create an outline to not waste time. Believe me, I tried, and it didn’t work for me. I had to write the journey to stumble upon an idea worth following.

“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

I don’t regret the time I spent writing those 15,000 words. There’s material I can use, details I’ve learned about my characters, and more. Even if I don’t use anything, my efforts didn’t go to waste.

I uncovered what I didn’t want to write to land upon something worthy. All of those words were necessary parts of the process.

If you’re still unclear as to what your novel is about, there’s hope. Take it from someone who took a…