Hello, beautiful people!
I wanted to pop in to talk about my writing process. I’m still just a baby author, but I feel like I’ve tried just about everything before finding a system that works for me in the last year and change.
I work a day job that pays the actual bills. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work from home. For my work, I use a spare bedroom that has become my office and occasional guest room (RIP Craft Room). Were that not the case, I suspect I would use that space for writing now. However, by the time I finish for the day I have no interest in sitting there a moment longer.
I usually write on my couch. I like to start writing no later than 7:30 in the evenings and I write until I reach a conclusion, I get tired, or Darcy decides she is done with my nonsense. Whichever happens first. Darcy’s irritation usually looks something like this:
I discovered early on that I love to write to music but only as long as there are no lyrics. Thus my Spotify and YouTube recommendations have suffered greatly for non-writing purposes. I’ve become particularly fond of YouTube videos that have a static or lightly animated image that play ambiance music. Unless they have an animal in the image, Darcy likes to bark at those and that is distracting.
But what about my actual writing process you ask?
Well, I’ve tried everything from moderately detailed planning to full on pantsing. The novel I’m currently drafting, Angel of Mine, I had nothing except two characters who hated each other and a happily ever after planned.
It seems something in the middle seems to work best for me. I have all the relationships planned for all my books in this series (and possibly a couple stories for their children in a second series). I have my timeline, found here. And I know I need a HEA for everyone.
Because all of my books are somewhat interconnected, with the same events happening in multiple books from different perspectives, I have certain fixed points that I need to meet.
There are fixed points through time where things must always stay the way they are. -Doctor Who, Cold Blood
That gives me a very loose structure, and from there the characters can be as silly or as serious as they wish.
My ‘plantser’ style is part of the reason I draft so far ahead. Sometimes, in order to make something work in one book, I need to make small changes to a previous book. Usually these are not terribly serious, just date changes, or location changes. Occasionally, I decide that the widow the MMC was sleeping with is actually the sister-in-law of the man that the woman he loves is engaged to. Like I said, minor details, nothing complicated.
My willingness to go with the flow is the reason this series exists and is not the very different, probably much worse, urban fantasy that I intended to write. I am free to say that something isn’t working and try a different approach, even when it kills me.
For example, I spent all day Sunday trying to avoid writing a third act breakup. I hadn’t planned on it. I didn’t want it. My characters didn’t want it. But it was the only choice for the situation they found themselves in.
As I draft, I send each chapter to my mom for commentary (minus the spicy stuff, that’s weird). She’s been a historical romance fan longer than I’ve been alive. If it exists, she has read it.
After I finish my first draft, I send a copy to my friend, Mariah. She’s the only friend I’ve got who actually reads it instead of just saying she will and never getting around to it. She tells me it’s lovely and that she cried tears of sorrow and joy. We love her!
Then I ignore the draft for several months, occasionally making notes of things to change based on the events of an upcoming book. I’m always excited to start the next draft right after I finish the last so this is no hardship. Also, I love/hate editing.
Once I deign to pick it up again, I print a copy of the novel. I go get it from Office Depot all spiral bound so it feels more official. (Pro-tip: If you’re using a pen name, don’t use that to print at Office Depot, they’ll call asking if you have the rights to it. Then you’ll start to worry about how much of it they’re reading and if they think you’re a sex pervert.)
Then I do my first read through. I fix spelling and grammar errors as I see them, people will tell you not to bother but I can’t just ignore them when they’re right there. People are ridiculous anyway, don’t listen to people. This read through is for story issues. These include plot inconsistencies, scenes that can be cut entirely, pacing issues, etc. This is where I kill my darlings so to speak. Cut out the opening two chapters entirely, cut a spicy scene, delete the heartfelt chat between two besties because it’s killing the timeline…
Depending on how much actually changes from the first read through, I’ll either continue on with that print copy or print a clean version with the changes. My second read through is for character. In my novellas I stick to 1 point of view (POV) character, for my novels, I use 2 POVs. I read through each person’s POV in its entirety, skipping the other person’s sections or chapters. I’m looking to make sure their perspective makes sense and doesn’t include things they shouldn’t know. Also, I want to make sure their voice is clear. Are they using language in a way that is appropriate to their character and consistent? Did their thoughts and feelings bounce back and forth or is there a logical progression?
My third run through consists of adding those little details that really paint a picture and checking for character image and setting consistency. Did she put on a bonnet and forget to remove it? Where are the stockings? I can never remember the stockings. Did the settee move or was it always under the window? Where was that fireplace?
Then I send my book off to my delightful editor to fix all the mistakes I missed. There are a lot. She is a saint!
Once I do all that, it’s off to formatting and printing proofs!
What is your writing process like? Are you a planner or a pantser?
Thanks so much for stopping in!
<3 Ally