How to make writing easier

I’m in the middle of my eighth novel, and it's by far the easiest book I’ve ever written. Remarkably, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to write this story when I first pitched it to my editor. Now the hours fly by when I’m working on it, and it’s constantly on my mind. 

It's true that I did some heavy lifting before I even wrote the very first sentence. I use several exercises to figure out my protagonist and major plot points—and how those are at odds in order to create page-turning tension. 

But the real reason this book is a joy to write has nothing to do with structure. It’s because I’m leaning into what I do best as a writer. There's humor. There's heartbreak and a central love story. And above all, there’s scene after scene exploring what a gift it is to be alive and on this planet at the same time as the people you love. That’s the kind of story I most want to read—and so it’s the story that I’m now writing. 

As a writer, I’ve spent hours upon hours trying to fix my limitations. I chose bigger concepts! Better sentences! New themes! The result of that was so-so books that weren’t … well, me. It's no wonder they didn’t work out.

But last year, I had a revelation that changed everything. Rather than worrying about what I didn't do well, I decided to do more of what I had a knack for. The result is a book that’s practically writing itself—and I have a hunch that it’s my best yet. 

So if you’re wondering how to make writing—or anything else in your life—easier, I have a suggestion: Stop trying to fix yourself and start making the most of what already works. 

—Camille