Writing a novel is a very messy process and getting the story from the author's mind to the page is never linear or straightforward....

There are maps along the way, mind maps for chapters, for character arcs, for deciding on the next direction....

And then there's the editing, the rewriting, the fixing of what was 'so right' when it went onto the page the first time, but makes the author cringe on the reread....

Each step and page along the process is vital, and unique works of art in their own right... unique because even though the process may be the same for the next book, it's the book that's different, the story is different, and the author is different, battle scarred from the previous book journeys.... and a unique insight into the mind of the creative process and of the creator......