Novel Writer's Toolkit: Revised Edition

Tool 9: Your Process

As a new writer, or even a seasoned one, it’s important to constantly look at your process. New writers are developing it and seasoned ones are honing it, but the key is to find what works for you…not just do what an expert tells you to do.

One of the paradoxes of writing, and something to keep in mind after reading this book: You’ve been presented with techniques, ideas, and formats that are the “accepted” way of doing things; yet the “accepted” way makes you the same as everyone else who can read a writing book and follow instructions, and your work has to stand out from everyone else’s. So how do you do that? How do you do things the right way, yet be different, i.e. there are many roads to Oz, which path is yours? 

Everything mentioned in this book is a template; do not allow anything to stifle your creativity. Remember the paradox. The best analogy, as mentioned earlier, is that if you were a painter this book is telling you about the paint and the canvas and lighting and perspective, and how to sell your work to a gallery, but ultimately you are the one who has to decide what you are going to paint and how to paint it. This book introduces you to the tools of writing, their advantages and disadvantages, so that you can wield them effectively.

Understand the tools, and then use your brilliance to figure out a way to change the technique or method to overcome problems and roadblocks. Learn to be original– an artist– with something that’s already been done. Also learn so you can mix techniques and methods in innovative ways.

What are the basics of being a writer? The first one is to write a lot. The second, and it actually comes before the first, is to be a voracious reader. The third to understand the craft of writing and have a good reason for everything you do in your manuscript. The fourth is to learn the proper way to do business in the world of publishing, which can be found in Write It Forward: From Writer to Successful Author.

The majority of writers fail because while they may have the innate ability and drive, they lack direction and focus and a process. That was a purpose of this book: to allow you to direct your vision into a mode and medium that others will want to buy and read.

A book comes alive in the reader’s mind. You use the sole medium of the printed word to get the story from your mind to the reader’s. The wonder of writing is to create something out of nothing. Every book started with just an idea in someone’s head. Isn’t that a fantastic concept?

In my opinion, being a writer is the best job in the world. Every author I know works incredibly hard and when they focus on making money, it’s not so they can buy things, it’s so they can continue to support their writing.

Being an author is being an artist. Art is a way of expressing concepts, emotions, thoughts, questions—a variety of things to other people.

While much of what we discussed in this book seems mundane, putting it into practice is difficult. Pulling all the pieces together into a coherent whole, is even more difficult. But the payoff when it all comes together is fantastic.

Perfecting Your Process

As I stated in the beginning of this book, there is no right or wrong way to write a book. Your process is everything you do from when the first idea pops into your head, to developing characters and plot, and the actual writing. Process also includes how you go about taking idea to story, editing that story, and starting the circular flow over again with the next book.

A Circular Flow For The Creative Soul

After the idea comes the actual work.  I view writing as a continuous four-stage cycle.

Stage 1:  The Idea

After the main storyline, you need to know where you are starting each time you sit down to write.  Where is the story at that point, and where is it going in the immediate future?  I usually do this a chapter or two ahead at a time.  Always remember your one sentence original idea.  I like to start every day of work by reminding myself of it.

Stage 2:  Research  

Often I find upon researching an idea that there are many other aspects to the subject that I was not aware of.  In many cases research drives the creative train.  There is a very thin line between being realistic and telling a story.  Real life is sometimes pretty amazing and sometimes you have to bend reality a little for the sake of your story.  Bend it too far though, and no one will be interested in sticking with you.  Also you must make sure you have internal validity to your story.  For example, if you are writing science fiction and have faster than light space travel, you must have certain rules as to how that travel works and you must stay within the boundaries of the rules you set up.  Remember the diagram?  Research is key to building that background box.  I constantly research, pretty much every day, even while I am writing, because it gives more opportunities to develop the plot.  Part of research is doing a book dissection.

Stage 3:  Writing

Sit down and write.  Make sure you have conflict lock.  Then start with your outline.  Then get into the book itself.  Just get it down on paper.  It almost always looks awful the first draft.  But at least it's written.  Give yourself a pat on the back for doing that.  Worry about the awful later.  Use ‘bum glue’ as Bryce Courtenay says.  There is absolutely no other way to finish a manuscript other than writing it, one word, one sentence, one paragraph, and one chapter at a time.

Stage 4:  Editing  

Go back and look at what you wrote.  Clean it up.  Throw it out if it doesn't fit (don't literally throw it out—never, never, never discard something you wrote.  You never know when you might need it in another story or after the first draft of the manuscript is done.  Label it and save it.)  To start my writing day, I usually begin by going back and at least read what I wrote the previous day, cleaning it up as I go.  This not only edits the work, but also gets me in the proper groove to continue.

Now I am going to be very honest with you.  Unlike most writers (or at least unlike what most writers say) I have no real set routine.  Sometimes I wake up and jump right into writing.  Sometimes I spend days editing.  Sometimes I spend days doing nothing externally, but spinning wheels in my head, trying to figure out what I'm doing with the story (but there are less and less of those days lately because—you got it—I have good outlines.).  

There is no typical workday for me other than the fact that I do work at something every single day.  I have listed out all sorts of routines and suggestions in this book so far and I have used all of them at one time or another.  But don't feel like there is a golden rule.  If one day you want to write standing on your head on the New York City subway—then go for it (just be careful—it's a jungle out there.).  Sometimes I sit down and outline chapters just like I suggested in the outlining section.  Sometimes I don't outline the chapter, I just begin writing it.  Do whatever works.  But work.

Write It Forward 

Quite a bit of what you just read won't make very much sense--or too much sense—to you if you are just beginning to write manuscripts.  But reread it every once in a while and you will find that the more you write, the more sense it makes.  I read numerous writing books when I first began and got quite frustrated because a lot of it seemed very simple or I didn't agree with some of the things that were said.  But I didn't truly understand until I tried writing.  Then it all begins clicking into place.

Remember—writing is work.  You must put the time and effort into it to succeed. Learn, listen, read and ask a lot of questions. Go to conferences, take workshops and network with other authors regarding the craft of writing. Join writers’ groups and organizations. Get a critique group. Write, write and then write some more.

I’ve laid out the foundation for the writing part of being an author. This is what your career will be built on. However, while you are honing and perfecting your craft, it is also important to study the business. 

Write It Forward: From Writer to Successful Author is the sister book to what you have just read. Write It Forward will help you understand the business and your changing role in publishing. In the last few years, publishing has changed drastically, opening many new doors and opportunities for today’s writer. Understanding yourself and your role in publishing will help you be a successful Write It Forward.

So, although I said there is no right or wrong, I will leave you with one simple rule: WRITE IT FORWARD