Resolutions usually come and go, but lately it feels like something bigger is shifting — not just goals, but how and where the work gets done. I’ve been rethinking my process, my environment, and the tools I use to tell stories.
One major change I’ve finally committed to is how I plot.
I’ve wrestled with this for a long time, trying to convince myself I could write purely by instinct. But for the kind of stories I want to tell — especially in the espionage thriller genre — I need structure. I need an outline. A clear direction. A defined beginning, middle, and end that keeps tension tight and the stakes rising.
Structure doesn’t limit creativity for me — it sharpens it.
I’ve also changed where I write.
For the longest time, everything happened at my kitchen table. But recently, I’ve found myself writing in quieter, unexpected moments — in a small space in the bunk room at work, during overnight ambulance shifts. Writing in short spurts between calls has become its own kind of discipline. The confined space, the low light, the stillness — it creates a strange focus that helps the words come easier.
Another big shift has been how I use Scrivener.
One of my biggest struggles has always been feeling overwhelmed by the size of a novel. But breaking chapters into individual scenes inside Scrivener has completely changed my workflow. Now I’m not staring down an entire book — I’m concentrating on one piece at a time.
One moment.
One setting.
One character interaction.
That smaller focus lets me dig deeper into character development, atmosphere, description, and the finer techniques that bring scenes to life. Instead of rushing the story forward, I’m building it with intention — piece by piece.
These shifts may seem small on the surface, but together they’ve changed how I approach the craft entirely.
New structure.
New spaces.
New mindset.
Sometimes resolutions aren’t about dramatic reinvention.
Sometimes they’re about refining the way you build the story you were always meant to tell. 🖤
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