Photo by Brunella Iannuzzi

There’s no one way to write a story. Everybody’s process is different. And I think everyone who’s tried it can speak to moments where certain elements have come almost instantly, instinctively, while others take weeks or months of questioning and searching to show themselves.

Creativity is a big, beautiful mystery and of course the act of writing is no different. Well, okay, maybe a little different in my case, as I’ve found that my writing process is actually, essentially, five distinct mysteries occurring on any given day.

I present them here in a public forum for the very first time. Remember, my friends, it’s not always about easy answers, but about embracing the unknown, in achieving our best work.

MYSTERY ONE: Is this digestive tea doing anything for that fish mistake in my stomach when I step away from the computer briefly to organize my drink umbrella collection by most to least graphic lost time accidents in the factories where they were made?

MYSTERY TWO: Who changed the alerts on my phone to sound like a small child trapped under a Chevy Silverado so that once the danger has passed I’m channeling my adrenaline into several hours in the comments section of every single Clash of Clans cheat site?

MYSTERY THREE: Why does that ticking noise stop when I stare open-mouthed at the refrigerator and why not clean out the freezer while I’m waiting for my napping pajamas to finish in the dryer?

MYSTERY FOUR: Are the cracks in the ceiling actually a secret code left by time-travelers about an impending alien invasion that can only be deciphered by just one more trick roping cat video?

MYSTERY FIVE: What am I doing here again, yeah, that I can’t be not doing and also bingeing on homemade cough syrup and all 8 seasons of “Kindergartner Hostage Negotiators”?

What’s mysterious about your writing process? Tell me about it!