People talk a lot about writing like it's this romantic, artistic ritual - candles, playlists, the perfect desk, inspiration arriving on time like a polite guest.
My process is nothing like that.
Most of the time, writing feels like wrestling with a version of myself that refuses to sit still.
Some nights I'm unstoppable - scenes pour out of me so fast I can barely keep up. Other nights I stare at a blank screen for hours, trying to find a single sentence that feels honest.
That's the thing I've learned:
For me, writing isn't about perfection.
It's about truth.
Every project I touch - The Grinmaker, The Ten-Day Rule, The Quiet Violence of Love, The Son Undone - they all start with an emotion I can't shake. Something raw. Something that keeps scratching at me until l pay attention. My job isn't to tame it. My job is to follow it.
What people don't see are the hours where l'm second-guessing everything. The nights I'm pacing the room. The moments where I wonder why the hell I'm putting myself through it. The drafts I delete because they don't feel real enough. The fear that maybe I'm not good enough, and the stubbornness that pushes back with, No - keep going.
But then something happens.
A breakthrough.
A scene that feels like lightning.
A line of dialogue that lands straight in my chest.
A character revealing something I didn't expect.
That's the hit.
That's the addiction.
That's why I keep coming back.
Being a one-person operation means I wear every hat - writer, editor, researcher, creator, critic. But it also means every piece of the work is mine. Every emotion. Every scar. Every breakthrough.
I don't chase validation.
I chase the moment the story comes alive.
If you're reading this and you're a writer too - here's the truth no one tells you:
It's okay if it's messy.
It's okay if you feel lost.
It's okay if the story scares you.
That means it matters.
And if you're not a writer but you're following this journey - thank you. Truly. You're witnessing the beginning of something I've fought tooth and nail to build.
This isn't the polished version of the story.
This is the part no one sees.
But it's the part that makes everything else possible.
- Jack Shaddix
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