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Most authors have as big a stack (if not bigger) of abandoned drafts as they do books that actually make it into the world. Jane Hamilton—bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World and two-time Oprah Book Club pick—is refreshingly open about that reality.

Her newest novel, The Phoebe Variations, took nearly a decade to finish. Not because she was “blocked,” but because finding the center of a story often means writing and tossing out entire versions until one finally lands. “I wrote probably seven distinct novels before I got to what it is now,” she told me.

She talks about putting “Spanx” on her drafts while acknowledging the boxes of pages she’ll likely never read again. As I always say, those pages weren’t wasted; they were the stepping stones to the book she ultimately wrote. “I just have to make it the best failure I can,” she says, “and in doing so I get to the next place.”

For writers who may also feel stuck (*raises own hand), her perspective is freeing. Writing isn’t mechanical. It’s unpredictable and sometimes maddening. But it's always a process of discovery.

Whether you’ve read Jane’s work for years or are just meeting her now, this conversation is a candid look at the messy road to great storytelling.

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Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.

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Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com

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