My Writing Process
A long time ago, I was tagged by author Alicia A. Willis to participate in the My Writing Process Blog Tour. This post has been in the draft pile since then, and I stumbled over it today. A little editing later, and . . . voila!
What am I working on?
A sketch can help to solidify important elements of a story. Here I was playing with Victorian ideas.
I am currently penning a young adult historical novel set in 1840s England. The Victorian era is such a rich slice of history, and having gathered inspiration from visits to country estates, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to write about this era.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
The Baker Family Adventures are contemporary children’s fiction. I made a point of creating “clean” though thrilling stories that Christian parents would feel safe letting their children read, and excluded elements such as fantasy, romance, and gore.
My current work-in-progress is my first serious foray into the historical genre, but I have noticed many such novels have their one and only focus on romance. I aim to write a thought-provoking book with a lot of meaning and a greater goal than the fairytale “happily ever after.”
Why do I write what I write?
I write because I believe this is something that the Lord has given me the ability, time, and inclination to do, and that it’s the way He wants me to serve others. Sometimes I get distracted for a time, stop writing, and get into a quandary of trying to figure out what to do. That’s when I cry out, “Lord, how can I glorify You?” The answer comes, as fresh as if I’d never considered it before.
Write.
And then I wonder why I ever lost sight of that.
How does my writing process work?
This was the question I was looking forward to. :) In person, I like to be flexible and relaxed, and will generally go with whatever others want to do. My writing time, however, has to have a few concrete structures or I can’t progress.
1.) I write best in an empty room, and struggle to concentrate when others are around. This is unusual, since I’m not an easily distractible type. But writing is an expressive art form, and I want to be able to frown at or laugh with my characters without being asked if I’m okay.
2.) Less than a year ago, listening to music was a definite no-no. This was sad, but often the mood didn’t match my writing AND my orchestral roots pinned my attention on the performance. I ended up tuning out the music, and when that failed, turning it off.
After a lot of persistence and careful music choices, I am thrilled to say that I now love listening while writing! Soundtracks are often a great go-to tool when emotions need to be mustered. My (ridiculous-looking) fluffy earmuff-headphones are a treat to snuggle into on a chilly day, and their sound quality is good.
If you’re one of those people who can’t focus without silence and wish you could, don’t despair! Slow, persistent acclimatisation might do the trick.
3.) I always have a glass of water and a mug of something hot beside me. (My favourite mug cracked from overuse :( ) Tea and coffee alternate throughout the day, and a few treats to nibble on never go amiss.
4.) If the story brings me to a topic I don’t know about, I stop and research. Even if I know 99% of my discoveries won’t get to the page, I can’t move on with something unresolved in my mind.
That’s my writing life in a nutshell! I do hope you enjoyed the glimpse into the process by which words come onto the pages. How about your writing process? Drop a comment; I’d love to hear from you!
