I'm a member of a writing
group called Writers in Residence. We each periodically post a blog, and I've
got one up today that I rather like--so I'll repost some of it here today
rather than doing something completely new. It's about my writing process.
Here it is:
I love
writing. It's what I do. And years ago, I used to attempt to learn, and follow,
all the rules I could.
Now, I'm
just used to doing it my way--which, yes, does include some rules, at least.
And what is
that way? Well, first I need to come up
with an idea. What kind of idea? That
depends on what I want to write next. These days, that's nearly always a
romantic suspense book or a mystery that is part of, or might become, a series.
Then
what? Well, I sit in front of my
computer and plot. And plan. And more.
Over my
many years of writing I've come up with what I call a "plot
skeleton." It has various blanks to
fill in, although I don't always complete everything. The beginning is just a blank where I put
down anything that appears in my head.
From there, I'll focus on my main characters and write all that comes to
mind about them: their backgrounds, what they're doing now, why they get involved
in this story, and what's likely to happen to them--often putting it into a
character arc.
I also make
a list of other characters at the end, though it doesn't have to be complete.
Eventually,
I get around to my actual plotting part, where I have blanks to fill in that
generally follow screenplay plotting: grabber, three acts that are each ended
by a plot point, a black moment, climax and ending. Do I follow them all
exactly? No, but having the skeleton
there to fill in is a good reminder if I choose to do so.
And then--I
use that screenplay plotting to create the synopsis. From there, if I need to put together a full
proposal, I write the first three chapters.
Simple?
Yes... and no. But it works for me.
So Happy
Post-Halloween, and my skeleton is still keeping me company! And if you're a writer, may you plot the way
that works best for you.
4 comments:
I love to read so of course I love writers. It is interesting to hear your process. I wrote a book with two friends called A Taste for Work. We were all career coaches and social workers and got the idea to put food with the process of job search. We self-published and did fairly well as we had a women's networking group and did numerous speaking engagements. It was a fun process. I keep thinking I should try a book on my own now that I'm retired. Your process is giving me things to think about.
Thanks for sharing your writing skills. And I truly appreciate your blogging efforts. I don't know how I'd manage without all of my favorite writers. Have a great week.
How great that you've been writing too, Sally. And of course you should write a book on your own. It's always fun to do and you can create people and situations of any kind should you choose fiction. And you've already gotten a taste (ha, ha) of getting your future work published.
Glad you enjoy our blog. And you have a great week, too!
Linda, it sounds like your process is similar to mine. I also like to create an arc for each of the characters. It is so much easier if you have a road map.
I agree, Betty. Even though I don't feel obligated to stick to it, I do like having something to follow if I want to.
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