Tips/Answers to Questions Concerning the Writing Process

Frequently Asked Questions about the Writing Process

I’ve received several questions from friends and strangers alike and they are all very similar; they all wany to know more about my writing process. So, I thought I’d share these questions and answers in case you too have been curious. *wink*

Here are some tips/answers to questions concerning the writing process:

“When do you know a chapter is done?”

I’ve gotten this question many, many times. The answer is never easy. Each chapter varies in length—I don’t have a word count goal, but a plot goal. I stop when the chapter feels complete. When I start a chapter I just go for it with an idea of what I want to accomplish, and I let the characters tell me the rest. Sometimes, I’m surprised where it went. Other times, it ended exactly as I thought it would. But one thing remains true: the chapter is only done when it feels done.

“How do I start?”

That’s a loaded question. But, essentially, I just…start. If I’m about to start working on a new book, I’m at the beginning, I start with an outline. Usually, I’ll have an entire word document broken into three acts and details for each character’s progression through each of those acts. I map it out—it’s very rough, but it gives me a good idea of where I’m going and what I think will happen. What actually happens is another thing, but having the outline gives me a direction to simply start.

“How do I world build?”

Again, I go back to the rough outline. In addition to breaking down the book into three parts, I will create a document outlying the rules of the world in which I’m creating. I write in detail how the magic system works, the political system’s ins and outs, and draw a rough map of the world. When a thought hits me, I will text it to myself so I have it recorded and don’t forget about it and then reference it next time I’m at my laptop. I’ve used whiteboards to create timelines, sticky notes, and index cards, but the most proven way for me to ‘build’ is through a word doc and texts to myself. I kid you not, I dream about this stuff. Yes, actually dream. It’s on my mind all the time, and I’ll often wake up in the morning or the middle of the night with a ‘solution’ to something I’m workshopping—enter text to self.

“Do I ever get writer’s block?”

In short, the answer is yes. But I push through it anyways. Sometimes, I have something else to work on—editing, blogs, etc.—but other times I just write the chapter, even if I don’t feel it. In these moments, I often think I’m just going to scrap all this work and am pleasantly surprised when I open the computer the next day and revisit the previous work and actually like it. Sometimes it’s simply a mood thing for me. Other times, I’ll insert a note in the text ‘PICK UP HERE’ and then just jump to the next part of the chapter or the next chapter itself if I’m really lost. Then when I’m editing it later, I usually have clarity on what I want to occur there.

“How much do I write every day? Or do I write every day?”

I make it a goal to work on my book for at least an hour every weekday. It doesn’t always happen, sometimes life comes up—especially with littles. But! I do try. And usually, I get anywhere from a hard fought 1k to 3-5k words in one sitting. It just depends on my level of concentration, how hard the scene itself is breathing. Sometimes, what I’m working on has me so wrapped up in making it come to life that I fly through thousands of words in an hour. Other times it’s hard fought, requires much concentration, and often slow going. So no, I don’t make it a word count goal—to me that’s too monotonous and takes away my creative flow. Instead, I just set a time goal for myself and see what happens.