Comments on: It’s a process

By: Kim Batchelor

Kim Batchelor — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:43:03 +0000

I identify with something Pat Conroy once said, “I can’t wait to see what my characters will do next.” (paraphrase) I usually have an idea as to where the narrative is going, but let it evolve as I write. Sometimes I’ll do very rough outlines, especially when writing historical fiction that I want to link with real events. Otherwise, I see it as a journey I’m on, and like any trip, some things I control and some things are a nice surprise.

By: Kaitlyne

Kaitlyne — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:59:16 +0000

I’m somewhere between a head-writer and an outliner. I tend to work out outlines, some more detailed than others, with tons of notes. Character bios, conversation snippets, research info, etc. A lot of the information won’t ever even make it into the book, but is just something I need to know as a writer.

I work out a general plot, but I’m not too detailed. In an ideal world, I’ll even be able to sort out the order of the scenes, though at the moment that’s still pretty arbitrary. Then I head-write individual scenes before they go on paper, which is probably why I’m pretty slow. Not all scenes get this last treatment, though. That’s mostly resolved for the most important (ie fun) scenes.

The plans are always flexible, though, because the characters always manage to surprise me at some point.

By: stephen matlock

stephen matlock — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:49:22 +0000

Oh, this is such a great question.

I’m on my sixth novel. The first four died a-borning. The fifth came close but never got out of the incubator. This one is going to get to an agent this summer.

The first four books were typing. The fifth I tried real hard to outline and plan and plot, but that simply isn’t the way the Muse speaks to me.

This book has been me simply letting my characters tell me their story. I feel more like a reporter / transcriber than a writer. I’m not saying the book is any good just because of the method I’m using — I’m just saying that this time it is going oh-so-much-more smoothly and with so much more enjoyment on my part.

By: brooke Favero

brooke Favero — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:15:48 +0000

I outline the whole thing in my head before I start. Then I write a brief synopsis for each chapter. Then I get to the guts.

By: Kelly Klem

Kelly Klem — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:09:23 +0000

I only write what will not be left unwritten. If I can forget an idea, however nifty, others are likely to forget too.

By: Kristin Laughtin

Kristin Laughtin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:25:53 +0000

I’m an extensive outliner, which makes it all the more interesting when my story diverges despite my meticulous plotting. Sometimes you have to be into the meat of the story before you can really figure out what’s going to work.

By: Tommy Salami

Tommy Salami — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:50:24 +0000

I wrote my first novel stream of consciousness with a bare framework in mind, in two months. The revision, well, that’s something else. I’m thinking of getting “outline” tattooed on the backs of both hands so I see it every time I type.

By: Josin

Josin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:33:02 +0000

I write it out like a screenplay, with minimal action and almost all the dialogue in one go, because in my head, I can see the scenes visually. CeltX is great for this.

Then I translate that into either 3rd or 1st, depending on how I want to write the novel.

Then, I’ll give it a pass in the opposite POV, which always knocks a bit of the world building into place for reasons I’ve never figured out.

Then, it’s set in its final POV choice.

Then, in theory, it’s done.

(Of course, it’s never really done because I could tinker with things forever, but it’s done to a point that others can enjoy the story ;-P )

By: Tamara Linse

Tamara Linse — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:26:54 +0000

Last minute panic seems to work pretty well for me.

Kidding aside, I seem to work best in concentrated bursts. As much as I would like to be someone who has a scheduled X pages per day, my process tends to be a little more of a roller coaster. I write every day; it’s just not necessarily all on the work in progress.

And as far as planning, I take the middle road. A loose plan for things to know where I’m going (which may change during the course of things). I can’t start without something, and I don’t want to plan too much to where it’s just putting off the writing. A lot of thinking happens on the page.

You just have to have faith in it, you know? Like the E.L. Doctorow quote, which I’m sure you’ve all heard, “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

Great topic, Stephanie. Endlessly fascinating!

By: Eric Christopherson

Eric Christopherson — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:24:45 +0000

I write sans outline for as long as possible to maximize that organic feeling, to make sure I surprise the reader given even I don’t know what’ll happen next. But somewhere in the middle of the story I get the urge to outline whatever I’ve got left for the sake of efficiency. I’m a hybrid, in other words, part seat-of-the-pantzer, part outliner.