My new writing regime

2014 started well. I have a lot on my plate this year with two Island of Fog novels, two Unearthly Tales novels, and whatever else I can cram in, so I wanted to get into a habit of using my time more productively.

One thing I kept doing before was "having a rest" between books. I would finish a Fog book and sit back for two or three months thinking about the next one, and when I finally got started, I wish I'd got started earlier! So the first change in my new writing regime is the total abolition of rests. (I get enough rests when I sleep at night. What more do I need?)

Another change is something that's occurred naturally, and that's my ability to write betterer that wot I did afore. I have several steps during the writing process that involve different devices and programs, and this has changed over the years. Here's how it used to be:

Write first draft on laptop (includes multiple recaps) Re-write on laptop (again, includes multiple recaps) Read through and correct on laptop Print on paper and read again for final typos Print as hard copy paperback and read again Send to brother Darren for his exhaustive proofreading skills Last looks and publication

Those were the early days. Where I mention "recaps" above, those are multiple re-reads of the bits I'd just written in the days before, so the whole process was more than just five complete sweeps. Overall I probably read the book seven or eight times, initially in small chunks and then as a whole. It actually got really tiresome, and that's why I always had a rest between books!

My methods have changed bit by bit with each book. Lately, I've found that the second step is not so intensive. Apparently I've got better at this writing lark over the years, and my first draft is more polished than it used to be. This means I can sort of merge Steps #2 and #3.

Also, in the last couple of years, I've been making more use of my phone while out and about with the help of the Google Drive app, which allows me to read, edit, or comment "live" on my book -- "live" because it uploads my changes immediately, in real time, to my Google account. And when I get home, I can open up Google Drive on my laptop and see the same book complete with all the changes I just made while sitting in a parking lot waiting for my wife to finish shopping (*ducks to avoid thrown brick*). So it's a very mobile way of working.

Using a phone to edit is limiting, though. The screen is tiny, and the keyboard even tinier! So this month I bought a tablet -- just a cheap $140 Asus MemoPad, nothing fancy, just something bigger to work on instead of my phone. With a 7" screen, my book in Google Drive looks fabulous and is so much easier to read and edit. (And by the way, the tablet may not be anything fancy, but it's far better than the Nexus I tried a year ago, and about half the price.)

Another big change is the use of beta readers. I try to whip the book into the best shape I can before putting it out there, and even then I end up with a long list of typos and corrections when beta readers are done with it.

My writing regime is now like this:

Write first draft on laptop (includes multiple recaps) Read through and correct on tablet Upload to Google Drive for first round of beta reading (fellow author only) Make corrections and prepare for second round of beta reading (multiple readers) Make more correction as necessary Send to brother Darren for his exhaustive proofreading skills Last looks and publication

You could say it's the same number of steps as before. But it's a far more efficient and less tedious system, and the beta readers give me a way to "test the water" before actual publication, which is nice.

Yet another change to my writing regime is more tea! And by tea, I mean the hot kind with milk and a bit of sugar, not that horrible cold stuff Americans drink. I mean proper Tetley British Blend. Black tea is good for you, and experts recommend at least five cups a day, dontcha know. :-)

So what does all this mean? Well, in a nutshell it means more books! I wrote my first Unearthly Tales novel, Sleep Writer, throughout January and have already re-read and edited it on my tablet. That experiment was a huge success. Now it's in the hands of my writing buddy Brian Clopper, and after that I'll ask for beta readers. I expect to publish it around March (electronic edition only).

This book is half the length of a Fog book though, so don't expect the same turnaround with Prison of Despair, which I started a couple of days ago. I've done the first chapter, but I estimate this book will take about two months for the first draft.

Google Drive + Tablet + Cups of Tea = Lots of Books

A winning formula!

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Published on January 31, 2014 09:13
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