AY asked Jennifer A. Nielsen:

Hi, I am writing a short story for school and I wanted to know about your writing process. When you have an idea do you first form an outline of the whole story or do you sort of write each chapter as you come up with it? Is it important that you understand each character's personality before you begin the actual writing? Can you add descriptions and setting after or is it better to have it in your first draft? Thanks

Jennifer A. Nielsen Hi Harvard! The first thing to understand about the writing process is there is no right or wrong. If it gets you to "the end," then it's a process that works.

For me, I start with the idea, and then I skip to the end, figuring out how I want everything to conclude. While I'm doing that, I'm coming up with my characters and getting to know them. As soon as I have an ending, I start outlining the in-between, and not always in order. Sometimes outlining is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, where some areas are simpler than others. But that's okay - eventually it all comes together.

I might do a couple of test chapters during the outline phase, but they almost always change. The importance of those sample chapters is they help me get to know my characters. Writing a new character is like meeting a new friend. You think you know them, but the more you're with them, the more you understand them.

I don't get really serious about writing until the outline is complete. And I'm okay with my first drafts being pretty awful - it's just a skeleton. I put in some details, but most of those come in later drafts.

Good luck on your writing!

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