Welcome to the Most Universal Author Fear
The phrase “persistent wonder” jumped out during a random online search one day, and the term’s stuck with me, persistently.
It perfectly captures the challenge every author faces: How do you maintain connection to your story’s spark when you’re deep in the weeds of development? How do you keep wonder alive when you’ve read the same sentence literally 100 times?
Recently, I experienced this firsthand. What happened next was quite, well, wonderful.
When Wonder Dies: A Case Study in Creative Crisis
Last week, I, who had been dubbed "Queen of Everything" by a beloved book collaborator, hit a royal wall with a client’s manuscript. The wonder: gone. In a flash of panic, I felt that author’s deepest fear to my atoms: readers will never feel what they felt, never see what they saw.
I am human, and sometimes not very persistent, and so I gave up. But then, as happens in the best novels, I reread a sentence I’d seen literally 100 times before. This time, it revealed something cool I hadn’t expected.
The wonder rushed back, and I connected to my client’s manuscript in a way I hadn’t anticipated either.
This moment taught me that wonder isn’t fragile—it’s renewable. But only if you know how to tend it.
The Queen’s Discovery: Wonder Grows with Investment, Not Despite It
My desert maison journey is a case in point: In the 1990s, I began visiting the Mojave Desert , entranced by its stark cool. Then, after buying my cabin, I worried I’d get too used to it—stop noticing coyote tracks, roadrunners, and the mystical Integratron. But the opposite happened. The more I invested—time, money, energy—the more captivated I have become.
The same principle applies to manuscripts. Authors often fear that deep work will kill their enthusiasm, but persistent wonder teaches us the opposite: Wonder persists because we do.
Join the Order of Persistent Wonder: A 3-Part Framework for Authors
After becoming what I now call the “Sovereign of the Order of Persistent Wonder,” here’s what I tell authors (and myself) when anxiety strikes during development:
1. Remember: There’s Work in Wonder
In “persistent wonder,” there’s unglamorous work—like repainting cabin window frames, checking for typos, or being the writer tortoise in the race against the hare of deadlines. Wonder isn’t passive inspiration; it’s active persistence.
The Queen’s Way: Schedule regular “wonder check-ins.” Ask yourself: “What originally excited me about this story?” Write that down. When you hit walls, return to that spark.
2. Trust the Process, Not the Moment
Your manuscript will feel dead sometimes. This is normal, not fatal. Wonder operates on cycles, not constant highs.
The Queen’s Way: When connection fades, change your approach rather than abandoning the project. Read aloud, print pages, discuss with someone fresh. Sometimes wonder hides in different formats.
3. Hold Fast to Your “Big Why”
The form may shift during development, but your story’s spark—that “big why” that made you want to write it—will remain in your words. Development refines wonder; it doesn’t destroy it.
The Queen’s Way: Before major revisions, write one paragraph about why this story matters to you. Keep this visible during rewrites. Your big why is your North Star through the development wilderness.
Why Depth Creates Magic, Not Monotony
Most authors expect diminishing returns from deep investment in their manuscripts. They fear that intensive development will leach the life from their words. But persistent wonder operates on an investment paradox: the more deeply you engage, the more magic you discover.
Like my desert property, your manuscript rewards sustained attention with unexpected revelations. That sentence you’ve read 100 times might suddenly reveal its hidden power on read 101.
When Authors Need a Wonder Guide
Sometimes you need someone who can see the wonder you’ve temporarily lost sight of. As the Sovereign of the Order of Persistent Wonder, I help authors reconnect with their story’s spark when development anxiety strikes.
The form may shift, the structure may evolve, but your core vision—that thing that made you think “the world needs this story”—remains discoverable throughout the process.
Struggling to reconnect with the wonder in your manuscript? Sometimes a fresh perspective is all it takes to reveal what’s been there all along. Contact me to explore how we can help you rediscover and sustain your story’s spark through every stage of development.
Elizabeth Smith is a ghostwriter, developmental editor, and book strategist with two decades of publishing experience—and a southpaw with a mean right hook. Between her NYC boxing gym and Mojave Desert maison, she helps thinkers, creatives, and organizations articulate their ideas through books that resonate deeply. Ready to transform your vision into a book with impact? Let's connect.
