It’s a Process
Being a writer, one of the questions I get asked on a regular basis is, “What’s your writing process?” Whether it’s from a seasoned veteran who wants to trade stories or a new author looking for tips, my answer is the same.
It starts with an idea. Now you might be thinking, well, duh. But many writers I’ve talked to start with a specific character they want to develop or a plot device they want to explore. For me, because I tend to get my ideas from real life or general observations, I usually have a point I want to make first. For example, the subject matter of my first book came from four mass shootings that happened in one year done by people younger than 20 who committed suicide. At that time, mass shootings done by younger people weren’t as common, and I wondered if there was some social shift happening. After two years of research, I knew what I wanted to say about the subject and wrote my first novel. But it was also fiction, so I had a particular ending in mind early on for my two protagonists and that stuck.
And it was the same for my second one. While the original thought was for a three-day novel writing contest and is based on an experience I had after college, I knew where I wanted my MC to end up before I wrote one word. That is the “idea” I’m talking about, what I develop first through scribbling in one of my journals. Then, it’s simultaneously building character sketches (including details like appearance, personality, and where they fit into the concept) and building the story structure. Since I envision the finale early on, I create an outline as to how I’m going to get there.
That usually brings up another question: what kind of outline? How detailed do I get about what happens in each chapter? Do I change it up as I go along? Is it just a vague notion of what I need to get across that evolves as the narrative unfolds? Once I decide WHERE I want to start the tale (a thought process in and of itself that I can’t really explain) I work out the major plot points needed to get from A to Z. Does the order change in the middle? Yup. Do the individual scenes morph into something a bit different? Oh yeah. But that’s all part of the decision on how to space things out in a way that moves the story along at a pace befitting the genre.
For instance, my first book is general fiction/suspense, so there are highs and lows that create tension, heightened conflict, some resolution, more tension, more conflict, etc., like a roller coaster of emotion and action. My second, however, is a romcom where we find the protagonist at her lowest point and watch her grow in confidence and ability on a steady uphill trajectory. So depending on the effect I’m going for, I have to work out what to use for “filler” moments and mold them to either aid in character development or move the narrative forward.
Then all that’s left is to write the book. Easy peasy! LOL OK, not quite. Although I have found that doing all this prep work makes it easier for me to build and maintain momentum once I finally start the actual story. While I do occasionally get writer’s block, it’s not as debilitating as others have described their experiences with it, and I think that’s because I always know what direction I’m headed. Even if I change things around in the outline, there’s always plenty of original bones to build on. Then it’s a matter of reading it to my critique groups and getting feedback to use for editing the various drafts.
Now, do I think those who create by the seat of their pants (known as pantsers) are doomed? Of course not. I know plenty of authors who just sit down and write, letting their imagination go where it will and allowing the characters to do what they want. That can lead to all sorts of revelations. And that’s the great thing about the writing process. It’s a personal choice every writer gets to make to figure out how to keep creativity flowing. And I would never stand in the way of that!