But the office space was above a bakery, and the aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries drove me wild. Every day at noon I would rush downstairs to buy two glazed doughnuts, and by three o'clock I would crave another round. After a few months and a few pounds, I moved home again. Writing Summer Sisters was particularly arduous, Blume says, because the characters age throughout the book. She wrote 20 drafts before things clicked last summer on Martha's Vineyard, where she writes in a cabin overlooking the water.
Some books are just more difficult than others.
Even as an experienced writer, Blume still finds certain aspects of the writing process difficult. I'm very much a writer who cares about characters and relationships-nothing else at all, to tell you the truth. I love to write dialogue. You go with what comes naturally. And unless you care desperately about the characters, it doesn't matter how beautiful the writing is.