How writing a book has rewired my brain

A project that has made me a better writer and human being ✒️

Last month, I handed in the manuscript for my debut book, ‘The Scottish Art of Living Slowly’.

This is a project that begun right back in December 2024, a month after I signed on with my literary agent. I got my book deal in September of last year, and this is when the real work began as, chapter by chapter, I watched this book come to life.

Although we are not at the end point yet, as I still have edits to receive with this book not due to be published until spring 2027, I’m immensely proud of getting to this point as this was by far the most ambitious writing project I’ve ever faced.

I soon learnt that writing an entire book was a very different task to crafting a Substack article. So much so that, by the end of this process, I feel I am an entirely different writer, and, perhaps, even a different person.

This is how writing a book has rewired my brain.

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I believe that I am a writer

Although I’ve been sharing my work on Substack for years, I’ve still shied away from fully committing to the identity of a ‘writer’. This felt like too grown up a persona and one that I never truly believed that I could live up to. Even getting a book deal didn’t change this perception, but rather only served to fan the flames of the ever-present imposter syndrome.

This perception didn’t change overnight, but is something that I chipped away at, day after day, as I persistently turned up to my desk and let my fingers methodically move over the keys. It turned out that, by giving up on trying to mould myself into what I thought a writer ‘should’ be, I realized that I had, in fact, been one all along.

I’ve healed my attention span

One of my main concerns when taking on this project was that I wouldn’t have the stamina for it. Before writing this book, my writing brain would tire after approximately 20-30 minutes, which didn’t feel conducive in reaching 80,000 words target in the time I was given.

Although my progress felt painfully slow at the start of this process, little by little, I was able to increase these writing intervals meaning that, after a few weeks, I could comfortably write for two hours most mornings. It was incredibly rewarding to see my attention span improve and I’ve found this to be something that’s transferable to other aspects of my life, from editing a video to watching a movie, and is something I intend to continue nourishing.

I can maintain a sense of perspective

One of the most challenging aspects of writing this book was that I needed to remember what I was writing about. Although it’s easy to get bogged down in sentence structure and synonyms, which is the kind of detail I love spending time on, I soon learnt that it was crucial I didn’t forget about the big picture.

This was the first time I truly understood the phrase ‘kill your darlings’ as I became ruthless at cutting everything that didn’t fit into this book’s purpose, which was to use my story to help gently empower others to forge a slower path connected to nature.

I’ve found that this clarity has significantly helped my other creative ventures, meaning I can still take the time to admire each tree, but never become lost in the wood.

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Thank you for reading this article. If you’ve found it useful then you can buy me a coffee. As a full time creative, I really do appreciate all your support!

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I no longer rely on external validation

As someone who is used to connecting with my audience on a weekly basis, either on here or over on my YouTube, it was strange to be spending so much time on a project that was only being seen by a couple of people.

My submission structure meant that I would get feedback from my editor a couple of times a month at the most. For the rest of the time, I had to rely on my own perception of my work, refining each chapter to the point where I was confident enough to submit it for review.

This lack of immediate feedback means I’ve learnt to trust my own abilities, serving as a reminder that the most important person to please with my writing is myself.

I allow myself space to grow

Writing a book requires a huge amount of patience. This is a slow industry as it generally takes years for books to reach publication. Rather than resenting this, through this process I learnt to lean into this slowness, especially when it came to honing my writing craft.

The biggest lesson I learnt from this book is that writing can’t be hurried. At least, not writing that I can be proud of. Given that I was writing a book all about slow living, it was fitting that I allowed myself to proceed at a steady pace, one that felt natural and allowed me to meet my deadlines, whilst also giving myself permission to have breaks away from this book to refill my creative cup.

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It is this gentle approach that has allowed me to grow into the writer I am today, someone that not only feels more accomplished and confident in her craft, but, more importantly, someone who already can’t wait to start writing her next book.

I well and truly have the writing bug. There is no turning back now…

Until next time,

Molly xx

About the author

Hello, I’m Molly, a writer, filmmaker and almost author, living in a Tiny Home in the Scottish Highlands. I share my journey towards living a slower life here on my Substack and on my YouTube, with my debut book ‘The Scottish Art of Living Slowly: An Invitation to Rediscover Nature in a Digital World,’ due to be published by Watkins in spring 2027.

I also run a slow seasonal book club here on Substack, where I publish seasonal book lists, monthly reading round ups, bookish themed videos and host a chat and virtual meet ups. For spring 2026, we are reading Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery) and we’d love to have you join us.