Ray Ronan's Blog: One Size Fits All - Posts Tagged "writing-process"
My Writing Process, Is It Weird Or Standard?
How to write a story. Or not.
The most common question I get is where do you get your stories from?
I'm not sure. Sorry. The fact I surround myself with colourful friends, and that includes my family, might help. Also,I watch and read a wide range of subjects and ask what if questions.
That said, I can tell you what happens when I come up with an idea and how that seed gets used.,
Be warned, my opinion and a dollar may only get you a cup of coffee. Its a proven fact!
I will note here for any pending court cases about my own process in the book sections of my website, but I will say that every story starts with a single line.
Like pro-creation, the amazing seed, (or egg) grows into a full page outline as I flesh it out. At this stage I may have only two of three parts, beginning middle or end. The missing element presents itself later. I then write up one chapter, just to get a feel for the story, to see if it grabs me. If it does then I go back to my word processing program, in this case Scrivener, and start building the book.
Building the book
I'll write up as much as I can about my story, and what I think will happen, in one go. Its free flow time, the moment where your missing element may present itself. If not, I have an idea of what is missing from the off and it will sit in the back boiler. So, I keep going and don't worry about a title, that may not pop into my head, or one of my beta reader's heads until the book is in final edit!
My point is, I write an outline. I don't try to start a book until I am happy I know what is going to happen, to who, when and why.
The final outline step
Is to read through what I have. And the best part is, TA DA! I should now have the chapters right in front of me. As I read, natural breaks in the story should jump out.
I just did this with my new work, and I ended up with, crap, have to go and check... Got it, 41 Chapters.
That will increase in number as the trend now is for shorter chapters. My trend.
I still don't have an opening, or inciting incident, in the first and currently empty chapter. But that will come. Please...(update, I just got a super opening)
So, when I sit down to write that book I open up each chapter and there is my work plan right in front of me. Really helps when you only get short bouts of time to write.
That's it.
I am working on Thriller number 4. The first of them should be released soon after my editor gets her hands on it. I'll post up some book covers to get a feel for what you think of them.
You can see the book pages on my website, rayronan.com
I'll post up some excerpts from the books shortly.
Cheers for now.
RR
The most common question I get is where do you get your stories from?
I'm not sure. Sorry. The fact I surround myself with colourful friends, and that includes my family, might help. Also,I watch and read a wide range of subjects and ask what if questions.
That said, I can tell you what happens when I come up with an idea and how that seed gets used.,
Be warned, my opinion and a dollar may only get you a cup of coffee. Its a proven fact!
I will note here for any pending court cases about my own process in the book sections of my website, but I will say that every story starts with a single line.
Like pro-creation, the amazing seed, (or egg) grows into a full page outline as I flesh it out. At this stage I may have only two of three parts, beginning middle or end. The missing element presents itself later. I then write up one chapter, just to get a feel for the story, to see if it grabs me. If it does then I go back to my word processing program, in this case Scrivener, and start building the book.
Building the book
I'll write up as much as I can about my story, and what I think will happen, in one go. Its free flow time, the moment where your missing element may present itself. If not, I have an idea of what is missing from the off and it will sit in the back boiler. So, I keep going and don't worry about a title, that may not pop into my head, or one of my beta reader's heads until the book is in final edit!
My point is, I write an outline. I don't try to start a book until I am happy I know what is going to happen, to who, when and why.
The final outline step
Is to read through what I have. And the best part is, TA DA! I should now have the chapters right in front of me. As I read, natural breaks in the story should jump out.
I just did this with my new work, and I ended up with, crap, have to go and check... Got it, 41 Chapters.
That will increase in number as the trend now is for shorter chapters. My trend.
I still don't have an opening, or inciting incident, in the first and currently empty chapter. But that will come. Please...(update, I just got a super opening)
So, when I sit down to write that book I open up each chapter and there is my work plan right in front of me. Really helps when you only get short bouts of time to write.
That's it.
I am working on Thriller number 4. The first of them should be released soon after my editor gets her hands on it. I'll post up some book covers to get a feel for what you think of them.
You can see the book pages on my website, rayronan.com
I'll post up some excerpts from the books shortly.
Cheers for now.
RR
