What is your Novel Writing Process?

[James]

I start with an issue that I feel strongly about.... research it and decide whether my cast of characters will be able to deal with it in a meaningful way. Sometimes they can't. But when they do, the story nearly writes itself. Next novel will be out soon, deals with many issues people faced in 1985, including blowing up mountains for coal. Story feels just right.

[Mark]

Has anyone tried using "The Marshall Plan" to organize their novel? I read the original version some 20 years ago. Thought it was the cat's meow till I tried it recently to outline my first literary fiction novel.

Turns out its formulaic approach may not be so applicable. Just wondering if anyone else has experience with it, or with the associated software "Novel Creator" mentioned above by B.A.

[Roxanne]

I don't know if this is a process, but I get an idea, rush to my computer and start pounding the keyboard. Works pretty well--for me, anyway.

[Sarina]

I start with a year in Mid29th Century. I imagine the people I knew then and choose a few to populate my books in a most exaggerated fiction manner. Then I come up with a theme and work out the plot after I write an introduction of characters. Make sense?

[Lewis]

It’s pretty interesting how many different ways there are to do the same thing.

[D.L.]

I just finished the final (I think) draft of my 10th novel, and the process for each has been a little different. I normally start with a vague idea of setting, plot, and characters (which can come from just about anywhere, from the news to fiction to personal experience), and then I make notes. I refine those into a sketch and possibly a timeline, refine that into an outline, expand the outline into major scene summaries, refine my character bios, and start actually writing with Chapter 1...although not necessarily in that order. :-)

[Jenn]

If I wanted to write my very first novel, I would first make a plan; I would plan out the characters first, then the scenery second. And then, I would do an outline of what tale I would be writing about. And then, after careful planning, then I would get started on writing my very first novel, thus focusing on it while I write.-JW

[B.]

Lewis wrote: "I’ve not heard the term lamppost Tarzan before but it’s a pretty accurate description"

I hadn't either. I loved it because of how accurate it is :)

[Bernd]

I'm also a "lamp post Tarzan". I write down ideas, connect them with TheBrain (yes, there is a software with that name and I often use it), then I develop the setting and the characters, and start writing.

And for the software I'm using:

TheBrain - a mindmapping software - although I use the older version 8, the free (test) version 9 doesn't have all the functions v8 has, and I don't like the new interface either.

LibreOffice

Kexi - that's a database software for the KDE surface in Linux, part of the Calligre Suite. I use it to flesh out my characters: look, body size, character traits, such things.

FocusWriter

On earlier drafts of my novel, I also used an old desktop version of Celtx to flesh out scenes and dialogs - but converting this script into a manuscript was like writing the same thing twice, so I entirely dropped that step.

[J.M.]

For me it's been a learning curve over many years, trying different things, ways of working etc. But I always start off with a basic idea or plot line and go from there. I'll then consider and create characters and a basic outline. After that I'll flesh out the plot a little more and swap things, change things, add bits in, even draw out scenes that may pop into my head, until I've got a sizable outline, where I can start to write.

My first drafts are a complete mess. When I first started writing novels I made the mistake of trying to polish it as I went, adding in chapter heading, all perfectly formatted, but it resulted in more attention being paid to the layout of the book than the story, and the result was forced chapter endings that I usually hated and rewrote. Now I just type, following my story outline, adding notes to the printed plan as I go. I type in large font (less stressful on the eyes!) . If I get stuck or find a particular conversation or scene difficult to write, I'll simply add 'blah blah' or something and then move on, knowing that I can come back to it. It prevents me staring at the screen for ages and not writing anything. I leave notes in the text as I go, highlighting them for future use (these can be things like checking facts, places, or considerations for other things in the scene).

Once the first draft is done, the editing begins. I then work through the book, reducing the text back to normal size, dealing with the notes, moving parts, removing them or adding them etc.

I carry out about three or four revisions during the editing process, proofreading etc. One job that always seems never ending!!

[James]

I do a lot of research, usually travel to the places I have in mind for the plot, visit with residents. Then put ideas up on a bulletin board in the office, put new ones up, take old ones down until I have the plot roughly in hand. Then I start writing and let my characters reveal the story, day by day, week by week. I write first person narratives so my main character is the mainstay. Then I put it away awhile, come back and read and revise, polish, let beta readers weigh in.

[Brianna]

Hi everyone, well when I wrote my first novel I just written it, there weren't any techniques or anything, just writing. My first novel is done, but it has been published yet, I'm writing my second book now and I'm thinking maybe I can use something called the three act technique, but anyway I go on and write, that goes the same for other writers out there.

[Catherine]

You guys are amazing. I need to be more systematic and get a notebook for myself too. As of now, I just jot down interesting events and weave my story around them.

[Leon]

When I get an idea of a novel I usually give it a name straight away, and write out a short synopsis, then I plan out characters giving them names, traits and/or relationship links to other characters.

I then write down chapter descriptions in a list from 1 to 20. This process is organic as I don't want to limit my chapters to a set number but it helps organise the novel structure and helps me think about the plot layout.

I'll then start writing the draft and allowing a word count per chapter to keep me on track. This of course is organic and will be cut, trimmed and shaped during the editing.

For me this is probably as regimented as I get but I need some sort of structure otherwise I'd be sailing blindly and could go off on a tangent.

[Sabrina]

I usually buy a notebook to write out the rough draft. When I type it, I add more details as inspiration strikes.
I also take a sheet of paper and do a bubble timeline, with bullet points beneath that I put. The bullet points are parts that I really want to put in. I take several other sheets of paper for the characters, and map out that. I start with a physical description, then I put the main personality traits. I then put how they act in the beginning, how I want them to change, and then the end product.

[Brianna]

My first novel is done, but it still needs more editing, I haven't published it yet, but I will. I'm now working on my second book and I hope to publish soon before I finish it and before I turn 30.

[Karen]

For me, it varies quite a bit. Sometimes a character pops into my head, fully formed. Sometimes I just start randomly scribbling, and see what happens.

Once I have some sense of the characters/story, I write a few chapters. Then I step back, talk through the plot with a few friends, and write a full outline. Then i write a few more chapters, getting a stronger sense of what's happening. Then I write out full character descriptions, including their arcs. Then I revise the outline, and break it down into all necessary scenes (I usually make a table for that). I print that, and highlight the scenes in different colours, depending on which character they feature, and compare that to my descriptions to ensure that each character arc has been fleshed out. Then I take the table, and start getting the scenes down, one by one.

That level of organization helps me finish things more efficiently and ensure that I haven't missed something major.

[Brad]

My method changes depending on what I write. I find most of my writing comes from stories that have just popped up in my head and refuse to stay quiet. In this event, I tend to build the major beats of the story and some of the characters in my head before I put anything to page. Once I feel comfortable that I have a decent enough road map to follow, I start writing. As I write, I further flesh out the story, characters etc which either confirms or completely destroys certain ideas I had in my head while discovering the story I'm writing.

[Shanna]

Brad wrote: "My method changes depending on what I write. I find most of my writing comes from stories that have just popped up in my head and refuse to stay quiet. In this event, I tend to build the major beat..."

That's pretty much what I do as well. :-) The story is already in my head and so are the characters (even if I haven't exactly figured out their names yet...) Sometimes, I literally just sit in front of a blank page and it flows out of me like a faucet. It's the most amazing thing... it's like the characters take hold of your fingers and seize the story from you. They write it for you and speak through you! It's beautiful!

[Brad]

Shanna wrote: "Brad wrote: "My method changes depending on what I write. I find most of my writing comes from stories that have just popped up in my head and refuse to stay quiet. In this event, I tend to build t..."

I agree. I feel less like I'm creating a story and more like I'm discovering one that already exists. I'm telling about something that's already happened and describing characters that exist in reality.

There's a book I'm reading called "Writing as a Sacred Path" by Jill Jepson and the first few pages are basically a summary of that same feeling. It's fairly empowering.

[P.J.]

With my first novel, I began by writing the scenes I saw the clearest in my head. Then, I pretty much wrote it from the beginning with those landmarks in place to hold it together. I used a calendar to keep track of time in my story, and there was a brief (but quickly abandoned) outline somewhere along the way.

Novel number 2's strategy so far is screaming internally and drinking. Oh, and lots of procrastination.

[[deleted user]]

It takes me up to three days to write a single chapter. But then it takes me the rest of the month to edit. I simply make the commitment to write no matter what.

[James]

Once I have an idea, it write it down and it becomes the start of my document. Then I start researching and asking "what if?" As I come up with names, characters, dialogue, scenes, etc., it all goes into the document. At some point, I will organize the document into an order that I think the document will flow. Once that document reaches about 5K words, I usually consider it my outline and start working on a first draft.

[Ann, Supreme Overlord]

Love reading through all of your methods! What a great brainstorming thread.

When I was single and bored, I just wrote and somehow it all flowed together. Now, with two kiddos and a full plate of daily work to do, I need to approach it a bit more systematically to accomplish my writing goals. I'm definitely going to be trying out some of the above listed techniques.

Great topic everyone!

[Robin]

I started my first book with some serious world building. I like filling in blanks, so I used a free form for writing geography reports on different countries (I teach my kids at home.) and modified it to fit my needs for figuring out the details of my fantasy realm. After that, I only need to go back to it when dealing with new territories or specifics I haven't yet covered. For each successive novel, I fill out my character bios (again with a free form I found online just by doing a little digging) and create some kind of visual inspiration board or character representation. Usually by doing that, I figure out what possible problems might plague my characters. I'm writing a series so there is an over-arching plot...that I'm continually working on. I just keep at it and make sure to write down notes along the way so I don't get lost.

[Chio]

Read most comments here. Got to say writers do have a variety of approaches. I've tried many and none of them worked for me quite right, can't put my finger on why. But then I finally found what works for me and ended up publishing my book as a result.

So basically I know what genre I want to write in, so I have a general idea of what I want the place and details to be.

Then I start with my protagonist. I decide who I want (in this case) her to be and once that's done, I figure out what kind of senarios would best test and/or define her.

That leads me to my plot. I work on a general outline of my plot and from there I fill all other necessary details of my book.

Most important thing for me is writing these all down in lists and paraghaphs before I get into writing the actual story.

The title of the book comes last for me because I find it really hard.

Hope this helps someone.

[Ben]

I don't really have a process. My story ideas come from different things I see or experience, and then I go from there. I sit down and write when my brain is in the mood to write, and when it's not, I don't worry about it. I took October off from writing anything, and am using NaNoWriMo to finish the first draft of the second Kiamada novel. I'm a pantser, so I still don't really know how this story is going to go. I just write the words as they pop into my head.

I definitely don't write things down on paper or make notes for myself. I figure if I can't remember it a week later, it wasn't a very good idea.

[Bill]

It's probably like any other art form. I imagine everybody has a different process they go through. I actually start with building the basic plot outline in my head (i.e The Bad Thing Happens). Then, I imagine the ending. From there, I work backwards to a likely starting point, and create a central character.
Now, that's exactly how I wrote my first book. The second, third, and (just started) fourth have all sprung from peripheral characters in the preceding. Sometimes you create a character out of necessity, and then find that you have to revisit that character to see where they might lead.

[Chris]

Wing it and hope for sanity during the editing process.

[Chio]

Chris wrote: "Wing it and hope for sanity during the editing process."

Never again. I lost track of how many times I had to edit one of my manuscripts.
I think people who write strictly with passion and no planning, knowing full well that the editing process is going to be something else, are brave.

[Dionne]

When I first started I had no idea what was happening. My first ever characters just formed themselves and started to intervene in my head demanding to be written down and like the dummy I was I ignored them. They continued until picked up one of those how to write type of books and then tried my hand at writing their stories.

Though I haven't done much more there are five or more I've written in various stages of completion. I found once the muse comes in you just go with it so when it does I write down in a journal to create later. It usually works for me too.

[Chris]

Chio wrote: "Chris wrote: "Wing it and hope for sanity during the editing process."

Never again. I lost track of how many times I had to edit one of my manuscripts.
I think people who write strictly with passi..."

I have to. I've tried meticulously plotting my books. As soon as I have it all mapped out, I completely lose interest. If there's no sense of exploration or discovery while I'm writing, I'm done. Heck, I don't even know what my plot twists are going to be until they happen.

But as you say, it makes editing rough.

[B.A.]

You could try not mapping it out, so much as giving a direction you are going with each section. I did one with one line for each chapter and let the muse take me where it would for that chapter. It worked out decently, without keeping me from losing interest and allowed for plot twists, etc without having to redo sections of the book.

Without at least a basic road map, I'll keep going for 500K words. Ya can't edit that too well without making it into separate books. That means rewriting a lot of what I did. I don't do detailed anything until I'm writing. Everything is subject to change, but that basic road map does keep showing me the planned ending.

[Ben]

Chris wrote: "Wing it and hope for sanity during the editing process."

Pretty much, yeah. I once spent 3 years without writing anything because I couldn't figure out the next step in the story. Tried mapping things out or outlining and still couldn't crack it. Finally, I made one tiny decision that randomly occurred to me--don't even remember what it was--and the floodgates opened. It took another six years or so, but that book was published this summer, and I've almost finished the first draft of the sequel.

I personally cannot outline or plan things out, because I have absolutely no interest in doing so. Other fantasy writers seem to live to draw maps and write "bibles" for their world's politics and magic systems and history and so on and so forth. None of that interests me. I don't see a need to figure out my magic system. I don't see a need to understand the history of my world. It's just not important to the story. (Might explain why I hate sequels and refuse to read/watch them!) Hell, I have two supporting characters who have fairly decent parts in two books now, and I STILL haven't given them a surname, because I just don't think it's vital. Maybe I will eventually. Maybe I won't.

Just write and set where the words take you. So far, they've taken me places I could have never planned out. I know WHERE the story is going to end. I just don't know HOW it's going to get there.

[Bill]

Ben wrote: "Chris wrote: "Wing it and hope for sanity during the editing process."

Pretty much, yeah. I once spent 3 years without writing anything because I couldn't figure out the next step in the story. Tr..."

Depending on what you are writing, too much planning could be a bad thing. My books are relatively short, so a certain amount of planning is necessary. However, I do have to "game out" certain segments in order to determine if I have created a dead end or not. I also have to do so in order to determine if an added detail adds or detracts from the story. Some details are necessary, and I try to create big insights via short passages. This can lead to having to revamp a character, too. But, that's the fun of writing.

[Hock]

Does anyone use any writing/planning software?
I understand that Scrivener is very good but difficult to learn.
What about Plottr?

[Evan]

Hock wrote: "Does anyone use any writing/planning software?
I understand that Scrivener is very good but difficult to learn.
What about Plottr?"

I use Scrivener. It comes with access to a tutorial and a manual. Also, there are multiple ways to use it. You can work out for yourself the way you like best. I highly recommend it.

[Brittney]

I'm new to writing books but when I have written in the past I always simply come up with the characters first. I do my best thinking in bed. Just when I lay down and haven't yet drifted to sleep is when my hero comes into my head. Once I have him, it's only just sitting and writing what comes into my head. I know others might use outlines but I've never been able to understand how an outline works. I mean, I'm just going to change most of it anyway. Plus it's more fun for me if I don't know what will happen until I write it.

[Justin]

1. Research
2. Write out rough draft ideas for what the chapters will be/consist of
3. Write the book
4. Do more research while writing the book.
5. Evaluate, revise, look it all over.

[Ian]

I usually start with a vivid image of a scene and flesh out from there. I flip back and forth between developing a rough outline of the general direction of the story, and then writing what needs to happen to get me there.

My process is decidedly non-linear. I often have scenes pop into my head that I'll write down. I have a rough idea how they fit in, but often no idea how to get from the earlier parts I've written to the part I know I want to include. It feels a bit like uncovering an ancient ruin or dinosaur bones - bits appear on the surface and you then unearth the bits in between until the whole is eventually laid bare.

Yes, it seems haphazard, but it seems to get me there in the end. Best part of it is, when I get stuck on one section I can usually hop over to a later scene that I have more to say about. Along the way I'll develop characters and worlds and all the surrounding context to help bring the story to life.

All this is for the first draft. Then it's nose to grindstone revising, getting critical feedback, revising again ... and then putting all the pieces together for publication.

[Bruno]

I definitely write an outline.

As the outline develops, so do subplots and characters. The story often pulls me to one way or another, and the outline is the wide road that keeps me going in the correct general direction. Quite a lot of stuff can happen in the editing phase. I've sometimes added an entire plot in the editing phase because the first draft didn't please me.

[B.A.]

I've been changing what I do over the past year. I will do chapters first, then scenes giving each a name. (This is where Scrivener is great or you can use note cards) One or two sentences for each chapter and scene.

I'll do an in-depth character sketch for all my main characters. I highlight my 'disasters', important pinch points, and POV noting what character is the lead in each scene/chapter. At this point, I'll have my premise, the MC story goal, and story line written, but they are subject to change as I write. By this time I also know my ending.

When writing, I let the characters take me where they will, so the scenes may change as may some of the chapters. I've found that I can do two versions of a chapter in Scrivener, then use the one that fits the best or seems to be going in a direction which fits the story goal and premise. If I need to change the next chapters, this is the time I do it. If I don't like the new direction, I can go back and change it to where I want it to go.

Over all, the first draft it crap, but it is editable crap which follows a logical plan with all the important points covered. Because I have to write lineally, it's important to know where I'm going so I don't start wandering all over the place. (I don't need another 500k word monstrosity to wade through)

If you are looking to improve your process, go back and see where you go off track and find a way to keep you on track. There are as many writing processes as there are writers, so try a few, combine what works for you into a process which makes sense for you. I know I use part of the Snowflake method, James Patterson's method, Story Engine/Marshall plan, and a few others. (Let me recommend Writing Fiction for Dummies as a great place to start.)

I have discovered over the last year, that Scrivener is this wonderful tool for writers once you learn how to use all the functions included in the program. There are great courses out there which help to make it functional. I know I had to take one to learn how to get it to do what I needed for me to use it.

[Dallas]

I've been using this writing process since 2017. It's currently reliably taking me through book #4.

Idea origins:
1) Basic idea, summed up in one sentence.
2) Idea summed up into paragraphs; each sentence typically becomes a chapter.
3) Simple chapter summary; one paragraph per chapter, each sentence typically becomes a scene.
4) Paragraph-by-paragraph plot treatment; one paragraph per scene, lays out the basics for the work later.

Somewhere along the way in those sections, the characters start to appear, and general ideas about background, looks, behavior are cataloged for the plot treatment.

5) Write the manuscript. I try to do at least 900 words a day, though I've done up to 3000 words in a day. Plot treatment is used as a guideline, though I'm not above taking side trips; the plot treatment is then done to make sure it at least continues moving in that general direction.
6) Editing process. I spend about a day per chapter on each of the following stages, chapter-a-day through first stage, then move to the second stage, etc.:
6.1) Basic-order edits - "are there any words misused, grammar problems, sentence structure problems?"
6.2) Character-order edits - "do the characters react appropriately to the situation and appropriately to their character type and behavior?"
6.3) Story-order edits - "does the story move from scene to scene in a logical order, and is everything eventually explained without plot holes?"
6.4) Read-out edits - I literally read the manuscript out loud and see if I can catch awkward phrasings to fix them.
6.5) Proof edits - submit the manuscript to the self-publishing site I use, order a proof, and read the book. I may go through this stage two or three times over with new proofs before releasing the book.