Poet Voice- Episode 10: “Writing the Middle” and Perseverance

In this episode, I talk about “writing the middle,” or how to persevere through the lengthy process of writing a book-length project. I discuss Kate Gies’ new stunning memoir It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished, which is a memoir about medical trauma, Kate’s relationship to her body, and the many surgeries she was forced to experience as a child. I also give some practice tips and methods I’ve used to navigate projects that might take five or more years to complete such as co-writing with friends, accountability partners, setting word count or hourly goals, receiving feedback, and tricking yourself into finishing the project. 

Listen here:

Writing prompt: Think of an event in your life that brings up heightened emotions such as sadness, fear, or love. Try to think back to the first time you remember becoming conscious of this idea and write about the moment that this seed was planted. For example, if you had a terrifying experience being stuck on a roller coaster, write about your first memory encountering rollercoasters on television in a book, or the first time your brother told you about how much fun rollercoasters are.