I Put This Book Aside for Two Years. Here’s What Happened

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a stuck book is stop forcing it. In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, I’m back from a two-day drive from Texas to Pennsylvania, and somewhere along those long highway hours, a stalled novel finally started working again. A book I had put aside nearly two years ago suddenly clicked into place—not because I was grinding harder, but because I’d given the story time, space, and enough life experience to come back to it with new perspective. This one is for writers, creatives, and creative entrepreneurs who have unfinished drafts, stalled projects, muddy middles, abandoned ideas, or old folders full of “someday” stories. Sometimes a book isn’t dead. Sometimes it just needs to wait until you’re ready to understand what it’s trying to become. I also talk about why thinking counts as writing, how road trips, showers, walks, and quiet time can unlock creative breakthroughs, how I use AI carefully in my own process, and why characters—not gimmicks, plot devices, or even cool technology—are the real heart of a story. If you’re on your writing and publishing journey, subscribe to the channel. This is the place for practical, honest, real-world guidance for writers who want to build better books, stronger creative habits, and sustainable author careers. In this episode: 00:00 – Back from Texas and the road trip that sparked new ideas 01:50 – Why driving alone can unlock creative breakthroughs 02:40 – Capturing ideas without killing them too early 04:02 – A practical tip for using AI without losing your voice 05:20 – Returning to a book after nearly two years away 06:46 – Why setting a stuck novel aside can be the right move 08:16 – How old unfinished drafts can become new books 09:08 – How pieces of abandoned novels helped create a bestseller 10:46 – Returning to the Quake Runner: Alex Kayne series 12:18 – What happens when reality catches up with your fiction 14:27 – Why character is the heart of every story 16:54 – Exploring dependence, paranoia, and moral gray areas in fiction 19:24 – Thinking time is writing time 20:22 – Protecting your writing time, even when no words come 22:20 – How the mind keeps creating when distractions disappear 23:24 – Join the conversation on YouTube 24:25 – Why I’m building this writing community 26:46 – Where to find me, my books, and more Links mentioned: Wordslinger Podcast: https://wordslingerpodcast.com ProWritingAid: https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Draft2Digital: https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger AuthorAnchor: https://authoranchor.com Find Kevin and his books: https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack: https://kevintumlinson.substack.com More from Kevin: Visit Knovelton Books: https://knoveltonbooks.com If this episode helps you rethink an abandoned draft, stalled project, or creative block, leave a comment and tell me what you’re working on. And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this with another writer who needs to hear that their unfinished book may not be finished with them yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices