The Process
This is going to cover some of the same things I've written about before, but since I know not may people have viewed my first posts, I figure it's okay. Today is all about understanding how I write, the actual process of taking the random collection of ideas bouncing around in my brain, and putting them on the page.
When I sit down to write, I need to make sure I have music. Now I don't have to have it, but it does make the process easier. What I listen to is tied to what I'm working on. For these blog posts I just listen to whatever I want. As I've mentioned previously each of my works in progress has their own soundtrack, which evolve as the book evolves.
With the right music going I can get to work. This is where things start to diverge, depending on which project I'm working on. There are lots of different approaches to writing. Some people are outliners, some people just write whatever scene comes to mind and worry about tying it all together later. Then there are those people who just start writing and see where the story takes them.
I have two methods, depending on the book. With Hero Unit, I have to outline. Volume one was a National Novel Writers Month project, no outline, and it suffered as a result. Even the second edition of it still has some pretty major flaws, partly because I didn't have a firm grasp on the world and the story, partly because I wasn't as organized as I needed to be. Volume two had an outline that I worked from, and so does volume three. The reason is simple, when I'm putting together a story that relies heavily on sequence of events being logical, then I need that additional organization to keep me in check.
Some of my other projects, which are mostly fantasy, are also outlined, though they are a little less exact. Mostly those outlines are just the order I think events should happen in, not much else. They aren't very detailed.
My longest running project, on the other hand, doesn't have an outline, has never had an outline, and probably never will. There are a few reasons why, partly because I've been working on it for so long that I know the story already, I know the world, the characters, everything, it's just a matter of putting the words to page. Partly because I've been working on it for so long and it's changed and evolved so much that I don't want to, for lack of a better word, constrain it.
Once I've actually landed on a project and start working, I have to take breaks. I'm a stay at home dad, so my breaks are usually mandated by my children. My boys need my attention, and I'm more than happy to give it to them. It is one of the greatest, and the most difficult parts about being a writer, and a stay at home parent. I would love to just play with my kids all day, but I know I have to dedicate time to writing, or I'll never get anything done.
One change to this process has come recently. I've started toying with using dictation software to write. We will see how it goes. There is a learning curve, both for me and the program.
When I sit down to write, I need to make sure I have music. Now I don't have to have it, but it does make the process easier. What I listen to is tied to what I'm working on. For these blog posts I just listen to whatever I want. As I've mentioned previously each of my works in progress has their own soundtrack, which evolve as the book evolves.
With the right music going I can get to work. This is where things start to diverge, depending on which project I'm working on. There are lots of different approaches to writing. Some people are outliners, some people just write whatever scene comes to mind and worry about tying it all together later. Then there are those people who just start writing and see where the story takes them.
I have two methods, depending on the book. With Hero Unit, I have to outline. Volume one was a National Novel Writers Month project, no outline, and it suffered as a result. Even the second edition of it still has some pretty major flaws, partly because I didn't have a firm grasp on the world and the story, partly because I wasn't as organized as I needed to be. Volume two had an outline that I worked from, and so does volume three. The reason is simple, when I'm putting together a story that relies heavily on sequence of events being logical, then I need that additional organization to keep me in check.
Some of my other projects, which are mostly fantasy, are also outlined, though they are a little less exact. Mostly those outlines are just the order I think events should happen in, not much else. They aren't very detailed.
My longest running project, on the other hand, doesn't have an outline, has never had an outline, and probably never will. There are a few reasons why, partly because I've been working on it for so long that I know the story already, I know the world, the characters, everything, it's just a matter of putting the words to page. Partly because I've been working on it for so long and it's changed and evolved so much that I don't want to, for lack of a better word, constrain it.
Once I've actually landed on a project and start working, I have to take breaks. I'm a stay at home dad, so my breaks are usually mandated by my children. My boys need my attention, and I'm more than happy to give it to them. It is one of the greatest, and the most difficult parts about being a writer, and a stay at home parent. I would love to just play with my kids all day, but I know I have to dedicate time to writing, or I'll never get anything done.
One change to this process has come recently. I've started toying with using dictation software to write. We will see how it goes. There is a learning curve, both for me and the program.
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