Finding Your Unique Process
The Misfits & Daydreamers Primer Series, part 5
Latest News from the Desk of Sooz
It’s the end of the school year, so life is chaotic to say the least. Recitals! Concerts! Field trips! Art shows!
But I like chaos!1 It forces me to be smart with my time. If I’ve got 45 minutes now, then I’m going to use that 45 minutes now.
Yesterday, for example, I was helping with an all-day field trip with my daughter’s school. So I made sure I got up at 4:30 to get in some words. Then I brought my laptop with me, since there was a 30-min break I needed to fill while I waited for a bus of kids to arrive…
I always think of Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle on days like that.
Busy, busy, busy, is what we Bokononists whisper whenever we think of how complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is.
Today is more chill for me—only a school concert tonight, ha! But that means I actually have to work harder to enforce strict focus and the busy, busy, busy I achieve more naturally on crowded days.2
Wish me luck. I’m so, so close to the end of the Something Strange & Deadly reboot (WOW, is this a completely different story now! OOPS). I don’t even know what the actual ending is now, but I’m so excited to keep writing and find out!
Four & Twenty Blackbirds 🐦⬛
Oh, hey! In case you missed it, I revealed the cover for my next upcoming cozy horror mystery romance, coming January 19 2027 from HarperCollins (and Daphne Press).
Please pre-order if you can! Here are links to do that. ☺️
The Misfits & Daydreamers Primer Series
In case you’ve missed it so far, I have an organized primer series running that covers the many topics I’ve explored over the years on Substack. This is a planned 7-part series, and the topics are:
Following the “Right” Story — Shared Feb. 16, 2026.
Building Characters & Worlds — Shared Mar. 9, 2026
Scenes, Sentences, & Series — Shared Apr. 6, 2026
Revisions & Editing — Shared Apr. 20, 2026
Finding Your Unique Process — We are here!
When Things Get Hard
Publishing: the Honest Truth
Remember: this is a separate series from my much more robust Susan Dennard Writing Academy! If you want truly deep dives on all these topics spanning back to the early aughts of my writing advice, then the Academy is the place to explore.
5. Finding Your Unique Process
As many of you know, I’ve written a lot about this subject in the last few years. It’s been my biggest aim on the personal front: finding what makes me creatively tick—and then leaning into that more instead of molding myself according to what I think a writer should look like.
And I’ve succeeded! Beyond my wildest expectations, honestly. I’ve never been happier in my creative life than in the last few years. And that’s in spite of objectively difficult life stuff happening behind the scenes.
Not to mention, my output has just exploded. Part of that is absolutely from quitting social media. No more noise in my brain! More space for story! No more wasted time on my phone! More time for daydreaming and writing!
But a 75% of the output explosion (and happiness improvements) are absolutely from accepting my brain as it is, and leaning into it.3
So without further ado…
How I Actually Work
My Typical Work Day: This post really resonated with people in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Turns out MANY of us don’t do well with the strict “work on only this for eight hours a day” approach, and my “jump as often as needed” approach was exactly what many of you were looking for!
Goal Setting for the Fluid Creator: In response to the previous post, some of you asked how I handle goals. Welp, tl;dr: I ditched SMART goals, replaced them with “Really Vague Destinations,” and now I track progress without word counts.
Goals Achieved for the Fluid Creator: Did the fluid approach actually work in 2025? Yes, friends. It did beyond my wildest dreams.
3 Tricks For Easily Jumping Between Projects: Again, since so many of you wanted more on this subject, I laid out some tips for anyone who—like me—is happiest when working on multiple stories at once.
Experiments in Focus: I started 2026 with a plan, and this was a January update on my progress. (Spoiler alert for May: it’s going so well, and last week was the first time since December I logged onto Instagram, posted, then immediately logged off and deleted. FREEDOM!)
The “Permission Slips”
Remember: Not All Writing Advice Is For YOU: Just because someone else writes 5,000 words a day at 5 AM doesn’t mean you have to. I spent so long trying to follow all the advice I read—be an outliner, write everyday, etc. But when I stopped “shoulding” myself, guess what: my output and joy erupted.
Why I Stopped Writing Things I Don’t Enjoy: Since short stories never clicked for me, I finally accepted and stopped trying to be a short-story writer. So this post for all of you who also need permission to lean into what you love and let go of what you don’t.
Hard Writing Isn’t Bad Writing: I was torn on whether to share this on the Right Story primer day…since it might fit there better? But then I ultimately put it here because it’s a “permission slip” of sorts. Basically, sometimes writing is HARD, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad…
Tools That Support the Process
Working in Scrivener: I don’t use most of Scrivener’s features, but what I do use—Snapshots, the Binder, easy scene rearrangement—is invaluable for my process. I love variety, so I’m always trying new programs…but I never last long. I always end up back in Scrivener.
The reMarkable 2, a Review: I remain obsessed with this device. I still use it constantly, and if it ever dies or gets lost, I will immediately purchase a new one. No hesitation. (That said, they discontinued the reMarkable 2 device and have a new version!)
My Top Writing Tools of 2025: This is a list with some obvious choices (the reMarkable 2, ha!) as well as some new surprises that most of you likely hadn’t heard of before.
Standing Out in a Crowded Market: Though the second half of the post is about markets, the first half offers a detailed look at my brainstorming tools.
A Gift Guide for Writers: MORE TOOLS! And books on writing! And softwares! If you want to treat yo’self or a writer in your life, then head here.
Alright, back to the drafting I go! I mentioned at the start of the year (newsletter linked above) that my writing computer has no fun stuff on it at all. Everything is blocked—even email—24 hours a day.
That continues to be the case.
If I want to check email or write a newsletter or pop onto discord or even check the news, I have to use a very old, very cracked, very sad iPad which is kept in a completely different room. (I also keep my phone in a different room.)
It’s been so good for my happiness and focus while writing.4
Until next time, friends! 💚
As long as it’s not an emotionally-draining, life-is-really-bleak chaos. Which it is not right now! *knock on wood it stays that way*
For my fellow Clifton Strengths nerds, I’m a #1 Adaptability. So my natural preference is for chaos.
And as always, I have to yet again recommend Becca Syme’s work and the Better-Faster Academy. Her resources—many of which are FREE—transformed my life!
Which is not to say all of you should do the same. We all have different circumstances and needs. But for me personally, wow. What a game changer.