Hannah J Boddy

I have a truly, truly terrible habit when it comes to finishing things… I just don’t.

I don’t finish them. I get to about the 80% mark and run out of steam – it’s why I am so proud of HFHS, as it is the first novel that is entirely my own, and has a complete narrative arc that I think works for it. Having got to the end of it, I was excited about writing Book 2, and so that helped me to fuel the momentum to finish it.

Except now I’m nearing the end of Book 2 and I have run out of go. The work that is coming out feels ploddy and insufficient and meh — and this time, I’m not being distracted by the next segment, but by backstories.

And you don’t need to finish the sequel in order to write a prequel.

Do you see my problem? The voices in my head are loud, and they are drowning out the rational part of me that wants to finish the redrafting of book 2 but I DON’T WANNA!! (Cue throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of Tesco like a three year old).

And the thing is, I could, if I wanted to, do productive and useful things, like listening to podcasts and lectures done by proper authors (Brandon Sanderson and VE Schwab have some amazing ones if you’re interested in fantasy authors talking about writing) but instead, I’m metaphorically hiding under a blanket and refusing to write.

I’ll emerge eventually.

When either Bec or my mother start demanding more words from me.