Stuck in the Middle (With You)
Writing is romantic. Editing is war. And this week, the battle's been rough. I’m deep in the editing phase of book two in the Woolsey series, and I’ll be honest, this part is my least favorite. The first draft felt like a victory—getting William’s journey from beginning to end, pulling together all the historical threads, and weaving in the real genealogy behind it. That part felt like a win. But now I’m knee-deep in what I call the scene surgery stage. It’s where I go line by line, digging out all the places where I was telling instead of showing. My first drafts are heavy on chronology—what happened and when—because I want to make sure the family story is honored as accurately as possible. But in this round, I have to turn dry facts into moments that feel alive. That means cutting. Rewriting. Doubting myself. Putting a scene back the way it was. Then rewriting it again. It’s a spiral of second-guessing that could rival any tornado on the Kansas plains. And time? Let’s just say it’s not in abundance. I work full time and steal an hour here or there on weekday evenings. Most of my writing happens on weekends—which lately have also involved helping my husband restore the Hummer he bought me (his idea of a romantic project, and honestly, it kind of is). But this week? He threw a monkey wrench into our plans—
—or should I say, a finger in the fan. Yes, literally. He cut off the tip of his finger at work. So our restoration project is paused while he heals… which, while definitely not how I wanted to gain more writing time, means I might have more hours available for scene rewrites in the coming days. So here I am, bandages, character arcs, and all—fighting through the messy middle. If you’ve ever edited a big project, you know the pain. It’s slow, and it’s hard, but it’s where the magic happens. Thanks for sticking with me through this part of the journey. I’ll keep plugging away, scene by scene, until William’s story shines like I know it can. So pardon me if this is a short and sweet newsletter, but I need to get back to my editing. Amy P.S. I’d love to know—what’s your “messy middle” right now? Doesn’t have to be writing. We all have one. Hit reply and tell me what you’re pushing through—I’d love to cheer you on too. | 
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