The Craft of Writing and The Writing Process

My writing process.

I tend to be more instinctive than organized. My books start out with an overall picture in my head, like a slideshow. Then these pictures start moving more like a film when I think about the action or plot of the story. I tend to mill over things when I’m on the move, on transport, or walking.

When all the bare bones are there, I make notes. Next, the notes become a basic book outline or arc of the story - a kind of summary.

I flesh the beginning of the story out until I have a few chapters, which is the most difficult part. I tend to alter and scrap things as I go along in the initial stages. Then, when I have the perfect beginning, it’s full steam ahead, writing at lightning speed, until I come to a turn in the road, and I write slowly again, scrapping and rewriting stuff along the way. This stop-start motion continues, and I tend to edit as I go along. I always leave stuff to cook as I go along, and then I read the work I did the day before. Then, I proceed with the day’s writing.

When I have the book all roughly written out, I read it all looking for plot holes and anything which doesn’t flow.

I make sure I have a great beginning, middle, and ending.

I pay particular attention to voice and how the whole thing sounds. I check that the characters sound consistent and in character.

When I edit the book, I am ruthless about scrapping stuff and rewriting. I may, in the process, move things around like a jigsaw.

Sometimes, ideas come to me at odd times during the process, usually in the small wee hours. I have to write them down when they come! I’ve never had an idea change everything, but I have changed the “direction” of the book-in-progress because of a “Eureka” moment.