Introduction:

Welcome, luminous writers, to episode 111 of Write, Publish, and Shine. Today, we’re going to slow things down and talk about why you shouldn’t rush your writing. As both an editor and a writer, I’ve learned that one of the greatest gifts we can give our work is time. In this episode, we’ll explore how to pace yourself, embrace patience, and recognize the growth that comes with letting your writing evolve.

Main Content:

When we’re passionate about a story, it’s tempting to rush through it, driven by excitement or the pressure to meet a deadline. But what I’ve seen, time and again, is that work truly flourishes when we allow it the space to breathe.

As an editor at Room, I’ve watched pieces transform over time, often revisited and rewritten over months—sometimes even years. Writers tell me later how much their work changed from those first drafts. What stands out is how they realized that time, rather than rushing to the next submission, helped them hone the voice and deepen the layers of their story.

It can be disheartening when our writing feels slow or stuck. I recently had a conversation with a writer who was frustrated that her process seemed to have slowed down over the years. She used to write thousands of words in a sitting, and now she finds herself working more slowly. But what became clear in our conversation was that this shift wasn’t a sign of decline—it was a mark of growth.

Sometimes, our creative stamina changes, and that’s okay. Writing slower can mean we’re approaching our stories with more care and attention. Those 800 words you write now might hold more depth than the 4000 words you used to write in a frenzy. And that’s where the magic happens—the weight of the words, the clarity that emerges when you’re not rushing toward the end.

It’s about giving yourself permission to evolve with your writing. Over time, our process shifts, just as we do. It may be slower now, but there’s richness in that slowness. The same love for writing is still there—it just shows up differently.

In fact, some of the most meaningful breakthroughs happen when you give yourself the space to let the story unfold in its own time.

For example, you might be working on a novel and suddenly, after weeks of grappling with your main character, you realize exactly what they want and fear. That moment of clarity can change everything about how you approach the rest of the draft. Or you might be writing a short story and find that a seemingly insignificant detail in an early scene suddenly connects to a much larger theme, adding layers of meaning you hadn’t seen before.

In nonfiction, the breakthroughs can come in unexpected ways too. You might be writing a memoir or essay and feel stuck on the ending—only to realize that you haven’t lived the moment that will become your apt ending yet. The insight or experience that will tie your story together might still be waiting for you, and rushing through the piece won’t bring it to the surface any sooner.

Maybe you’ve been circling a theme or a message for a long time without being able to articulate it. Then, during a walk or conversation, a new perspective dawns on you, and suddenly the missing piece clicks into place. These realizations often come when we least expect them, but they need time and space to appear.

Practical Tips:

So how do you apply this to your own writing?

First, embrace the patience required to let your work unfold. It’s okay to miss a submission deadline if it means giving yourself the time to make your writing the best it can be. Another submission period will always come around, but the chance to develop your story fully is invaluable.

Second, build a rhythm that supports your well-being. Writing is a long game. If you’re burning out by trying to keep up with a pace that no longer fits your life, then it’s time to reimagine your routine. Maybe it’s about finding smaller, more consistent writing sessions or allowing breaks that restore your creativity. Whatever the rhythm looks like for you, let it honour both your writing and your life.

Conclusion:

To wrap things up, I want to leave you with this: the best writing often emerges when we’re willing to take our time. By slowing down, you’re giving your story the opportunity to grow into its fullest form. Trust that process and be kind to yourself along the way.

Thanks for tuning in to Write, Publish, and Shine. I’m your host, Rachel Thompson, and I’m so grateful to have you here. If this episode resonated with you, I’d love for you to share it with your fellow writers. You can always find more insights at rachelthompson.co and subscribe to my weekly newsletter for even more encouragement on your writing journey.

Lastly, as always, I acknowledge the land I’m recording from—the El Muzina Bedouin lands in South Sinai—and stand in solidarity against the ongoing genocide committed by Israel in Gaza and invasion of Lebanon, supported by the US and Western nations, contravening international law.