In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, I’m back from a two-day drive from Texas to Pennsylvania, and somewhere along those long highway hours, a stalled novel finally started working again. A book I had put aside nearly two years ago suddenly clicked into place—not because I was grinding harder, but because I’d given the story time, space, and enough life experience to come back to it with new perspective.

This one is for writers, creatives, and creative entrepreneurs who have unfinished drafts, stalled projects, muddy middles, abandoned ideas, or old folders full of “someday” stories. Sometimes a book isn’t dead. Sometimes it just needs to wait until you’re ready to understand what it’s trying to become.

I also talk about why thinking counts as writing, how road trips, showers, walks, and quiet time can unlock creative breakthroughs, how I use AI carefully in my own process, and why characters—not gimmicks, plot devices, or even cool technology—are the real heart of a story.

If you’re on your writing and publishing journey, subscribe to the channel. This is the place for practical, honest, real-world guidance for writers who want to build better books, stronger creative habits, and sustainable author careers.

In this episode:

00:00 – Back from Texas and the road trip that sparked new ideas

01:50 – Why driving alone can unlock creative breakthroughs

02:40 – Capturing ideas without killing them too early

04:02 – A practical tip for using AI without losing your voice

05:20 – Returning to a book after nearly two years away

06:46 – Why setting a stuck novel aside can be the right move

08:16 – How old unfinished drafts can become new books

09:08 – How pieces of abandoned novels helped create a bestseller

10:46 – Returning to the Quake Runner: Alex Kayne series

12:18 – What happens when reality catches up with your fiction

14:27 – Why character is the heart of every story

16:54 – Exploring dependence, paranoia, and moral gray areas in fiction

19:24 – Thinking time is writing time

20:22 – Protecting your writing time, even when no words come

22:20 – How the mind keeps creating when distractions disappear

23:24 – Join the conversation on YouTube

24:25 – Why I’m building this writing community

26:46 – Where to find me, my books, and more

Links mentioned:

Wordslinger Podcast:

https://wordslingerpodcast.com

ProWritingAid:

https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5

Draft2Digital:

https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

AuthorAnchor:

https://authoranchor.com

Find Kevin and his books:

https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:

https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

More from Kevin:

Visit Knovelton Books:

https://knoveltonbooks.com

If this episode helps you rethink an abandoned draft, stalled project, or creative block, leave a comment and tell me what you’re working on. And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this with another writer who needs to hear that their unfinished book may not be finished with them yet.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices