"If you can’t picture exactly what comes next in your story, but you do know what happens a little..."

“If you can’t picture exactly what comes next in your story, but you do know what happens a little later on, just skip ahead. (This works even near the end, with multiple strings to tie up!) We’re all aiming for a cohesive beginning, middle, and finish, but no law says you have to do it in order. My first published novel was written out of sequence, and I doubt it would’ve come together any other way. I firmly believe the truest writing comes from penning whatever is most vivid to you in the moment; you can bridge the gaps later.”

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Jessica Strawser is editor-at-large at Writer’s Digest, where she was editorial director for nearly a decade. She’s the author of the book club favorites Almost Missed You and Not That I Could Tell, a Book of the Month selection and Barnes & Noble Best New Fiction pick for March 2018 (both St. Martin’s Press). Her third novel, Forget You Know Me, is forthcoming in February 2019. She has written for The New York Times Modern Love, Publishers Weekly and others, and is a popular conference speaker. Connect with her on Twitter at @jessicastrawser and on Facebook @jessicastrawserauthor.

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