In my experience there comes a time when I am writing a novel—if I’m lucky—that I compose a scene, a chapter, a moment, a character action —and the book comes to life. Sometimes it comes sooner, sometimes later, but until you have that moment, there are more sentences than soul, more paragraphs than pulse. Such moments are moments of discovery in which two things are found: you find an understanding of what you are writing, and what you are writing finds you. That’s to say you, the writer, have found purpose and direction. There is no better moment in the writing process. Work for it. It’s worth it. It’s also what readers want.