While these steps have largely remained the same throughout the trilogy, Elison said The Book of Flora proved exceptionally difficult to write. I think about it like that, and get busy taking apart the trap”. When your sink doesn't drain, you don't assume something is wrong with the faucet. … When I get stuck that way, I go looking for the reason why. “Writer's block is a complicated question.

I read everything I write out loud.'Īt any point in the process, should Elison face writer’s block, she searches for underlying issues. I tune the prose, make the last changes, and get a feel for the book that doesn't come from any other method. I catch errors that way that I'll never see in silence. 'I read the entire book out loud or get my husband to read it to me. Once Elison finishes the solitary process of writing a first draft, she seeks feedback from her writing group or a beta reader, sometimes choosing a very specific reader who can offer her a particular perspective. This sets up the rest of my day to feel productive and settled, and I don't fret about fitting in time to write. One thousand gets breakfast, and 2,000 earns me my freedom for the day. I like to set goals for myself: 500 words gets me a cup of coffee, for example. 'I write first thing in the morning whenever possible. I know many writers over-write, but I never have. I gain 10-20 percent of length in the second draft. My drafts are typically light-a skeleton sketch, not fully fleshed out upon the page. When the time has passed, I've got enough distance to look at it critically and start making it better. Moving on to another project is the best and most complete way to do this. I put it out of mind, don't open the file, think about other things. Then, I put the book away for six weeks or so. I do not re-read or edit as I go, and I try not to talk too much about it in this stage. “I churn out the first draft in huge chunks, writing 10,000 words a day when I can get the time alone. Elison described her typical writing process.

The unnamed midwife trilogy