Allison Winn Scotch: Remove Your Ego From the Process Entirely
In this interview, author Allison Winn Scotch discusses utilizing writing approaches from different genres for her new novel, The Insomniacs.
Allison Winn Scotch is the New York Times-bestselling author of nine novels, including Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing, In Twenty Years, and Time of My Life. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and their two rescue dogs, Hugo and Mr. Peanut. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
In this email, Allison discusses utilizing writing approaches from different genres for her new novel, The Insomniacs, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Allison Winn Scotch
Literary agent: Elisabeth Weed, The Book Group
Book title: The Insomniacs
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: April 14, 2026
Genre/category: Commercial fiction
Previous titles: The Department of Lost and Found; Time of My Life; The One That I Want; The Song Remains the Same; The Theory of Opposites; In Twenty Years; Between Me and You; Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing; The Rewind; Take Two Birdie Maxwell
Elevator pitch: Four sleepless strangers find their way into each other’s lives and work together not just to solve one another’s problems, but to find one of their own when she goes missing.
What prompted you to write this book?
I had gone through a series of ideas that I was semi-excited about but not totally all in and, for me as a writer, I need to be all in for the book to really come together and gel. As a middle-aged mom, I am often wide awake at 3:00 in the morning, as many of us are, and the notion came to me literally in the middle of the night: What would happen if all of us found each other and tried to solve the problems that were keeping us awake? The idea spun out from there, with my editor and agent encouraging me to take more of a mystery plot-based approach than I have in the past … it was a new muscle for me to flex, and challenging at first, but I am so glad they pushed me to break out of my comfort zone.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Ha, I’m already ahead of your questions! It took about two and a half years, but one to one and half of those years was waiting for publication, as I finished the draft well over a year before its release. As far as how the idea changed, my first few drafts were just about a group of people working their way through their lives and their problems in the middle of the night with the help of these new friends who were still somewhat strangers. My editor and agent really really pushed me to make it more plot-based, and I am not above saying that I resisted—a lot!—mostly because I had never written a book with this much mystery/thriller elements involved, and I felt way out of my depths. Once I finally figured out how to get a handle on it, however, it made all the sense in the world, and I’m extremely grateful for their insistence.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
One thing I really appreciated was that my publisher announced the cover, which I really liked, but after getting some feedback on what was resonating with early readers, they completely overhauled it (with my blessing). It was an extremely thoughtful approach to gleaning what was resonating for readers and trying to match the visual product with the words inside. In the past, we’ve just decided on cover art we all were happy with and moved on. This felt more like a partnership between the story and the future reader, and to me, it felt like such a thoughtful forward-looking approach.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
How much it shifted what types of books I pick up and enjoy. As mentioned, I have always written more character-focused books, and I likely gravitated toward those stories as well. But once I figured out the rush of writing around a plot, not just characters, I was pretty surprised at how much faster-paced the read felt. And that translated to books I now enjoy. Of course, I’ll love great detailed and nuanced characters forever (and to be clear, I still care very much about that in my own work) but the propulsive plot has a chokehold on me now, and most books that I find myself enamored by these days are much more plot-based. It was a really interesting lesson for me, after nearly 20 years in this career. You can still learn new things about the process, your skill set, and your ability to pivot!
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
That found family is possible all around you. I love the notion that family is who you choose it to be, and these four characters find that support, love, and acceptance in the middle of the night initially via Sudoku. I think about this a fair amount: how some of the dearest people in the world to me were once strangers, and it reassures me that friendship is all around us, waiting to be found.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
My age-old advice is to remove your ego from the process entirely, and this really proved true with this book. I started over several times, like throwing out 150 pages both times, trying to figure out what it was my agent and editor were asking for. If I had tied my ego to those first rounds, the book never would have become what it did. Ego gets in the way of hearing constructive criticism, which is designed to make your work better, not hurt your feelings or insult your work. Take editorial criticism with an open mind and assuming the best of intentions: Your work will be stronger for it.
