The Year of The Book—Inside the Writer’s Brain on Their Emotional Journey to The End

How do you write a book? Three simple steps. First, get a good idea. Then write the book. Then finish the book.

But no matter how you handle your storytelling process—you outline, or you don't—your emotional process also has a pattern of its own.

(5 Steps to Avoid the Muddle in the Middle of Your Novel.)

I've discovered that in between those three simple steps, there's actually a rhythm, an architecture, an arc to writing a novel. I've just finished book 17, and I have come to the astonishing realization that even though the books are different, the authorial arc is the same. Every time.

And knowing that is going to make book 18 be—well, not different. But more manageable. Because I know what's going to happen next. Oh, not in the book, but in my writing life.

Here is the year in the life of each and every one of my books. In other words, a step-by-step look inside the joy, fear, neuroses, pitfalls and triumphs in one writer's mind. And since it happens this way every time, maybe it’ll be less terrifying when I tackle the next book. Maybe.

Because a writer’s emotional journey to The End is more than three steps. It’s 30.

I will never have a good idea again.
I will never have a good idea again and my life is over, and I am utterly and totally doomed. I have no idea how I wrote my other books, and I will never be able to write another one. What am I going to do? I'm going to have to tell everybody that I cannot do it, and no one will be happy about this. Plus, I will have to give back the money.
I have an idea!
It's a terrible idea. I will never have a good idea again.
I have a possible good idea. Possibly. It's possibly a good idea.
It's a terrible idea. I am so doomed, there isn't even a word for that.
I have a good idea. I do, I really do. This is going to work.
It's a fabulous idea! I cannot wait to write this. I type “Chapter 1.” I am so excited, I fly through the first chapter. I fly through the second chapter. New York Times bestseller, here we come. There’s a story question, there’s conflict, there’s a wonderful main character. Or two.
When I hit page 36, I know it is a big turning point, if I can get to page 37 the idea will hold up for the rest of the book.
I hit page 37! I rock, I am such a rock star, the process never fails me, this is absolutely going to work.
Page 100. And without even working on it very hard there's a massive twist. I am a genius! I am an utter genius! This is my calling and my passion. FABULOUS.
Page 105. Okay, now what? I've got 285 pages to go, what the heck is that going to be? How is this story going to last for all those more words?
What does someone want, and what will they do to get it? How far will they go to get it? What would someone really do? What is the worst thing that could possibly happen, and what is worse than that? I asked myself all the questions that are supposed to work. Sometimes they do.
Time to reassure myself! Writing a book is a process, I say. One page at a time, one word at a time. Don't worry about the end. The end will come when you get there. Just type type type type type even if it's terrible just keep going, just keep going. Just keep going.
Sometimes this is okay. Sometimes this is terrible. Most of the time I don't know which. Procrastinating. Maybe I’ll alphabetize my books. NO. Write.
Page 300. Ohhh no, it's going to take too long to get to the ending. The beginning is way too long. I'm really going to have to cut the heck out of the beginning because if I write at this rhythm, this will be 500 pages long and that's never going to work. I will just keep going, and cut later. But what should I cut? How do I know?
Still, maybe I should go back and cut now.
No, I'll just go ahead. I can’t cut until I know the ending.
Page 350. Getting there! If only I knew what the ending was.
I totally don't know the ending. I’ll edit from the beginning, editing is good. I’ll also take out all the uses of “baffled” and “somehow” and “maybe.” Edit edit edit. And the momentum will swing me right into the ending.
Nope. Lots of wonderful edits, but I still utterly and totally don't know the ending, and moreover I have created a mystery that I cannot solve. I should have thought of this. I wish I had an outline, but I don't know how to make outlines. And I don't want to make an outline. I just want the ending.
I don't have an ending. I have 110,000 words, and no ending. This is not good. Who lives, who dies, who tells the story. I have one of those.
See #14. One word at a time. Something will happen. It’s worked before. Keep going keep going keep going.
I totally don't know the ending. Still. And the deadline is two days away.
The deadline is one day away.
Wait! I might have it! Yes. I have it.
Deadline day. Typing like a maniac. Typing like crazy. Working working working working working. EDITING EDITING EDITING. Taking out “actually” and “of course.” And “little.” Wearing my special hoodie.
Done!
Not really done. Checking checking checking. Rewriting. Cutting. Cutting cutting cutting.
DONE! For now at least. But that is enough.

And I hit SEND. At two minutes until deadline, sometimes, but I am incredibly grateful.

Now. I need a new idea.

**Check out Hank Phillippi Ryan's All This Could Be Yours here:**

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Hank Phillippi RyanAuthor

USA Today bestselling author HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the author of 16 psychological thrillers. She’s won five Agatha Awards, five Anthony Awards, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. As on-air investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, she's won an unprecedented thirty-seven Emmy Awards, as well as many more journalism honors. A past president of National Sisters in Crime, a founder of Mystery Writers of America University, and a board member of International Thriller Writers, Ryan lives in Boston. Her newest novel is the cat-and-mouse suspense ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS. People Magazine calls it “a nail-biting thriller.”