Every artist--be they an author, painter, musician, etc--has a process they go through when creating a piece of art. Recently I found myself describing a bit of my personal process to a fellow writer. It occurred to me that some who stumble upon my humble blog may be interested in what that is as well.
For myself, writing is a very complex yet simple task. It's simplicity is often what others think of when I tell them about what I do to get my story out onto the page. Most tend to ignore the complex nature of the book itself. I do more than just sit at the computer and type away. Not a while lot more, but there is a definite process.
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I have several steps when creating a story.
It all begins with a daydream. Before I have any idea about what I'm going to write, I sit and let my imagination wander. Through the chaos in my own head, the foundation for a story begins to emerge. I may visualize a little about the plot or about one of the characters. Whatever it is, I try not to interfere as the shapes that make up a story begin to form in my mind.
Next, I sit down with a notebook and pen and begin to write about the characters. I begin with whomever I saw in my daydream. I sort of build them up the way I would a roleplaying character, except without the 20 sided dice. In most of my stories, the main characters tend to have some special ability or power. What that might be gets written down along with basic stats, what sort of home they grew up in, and anything else about them that would be useful.
With each character I daydream some more. I imagine what the character would tell someone if they were talking about themselves and their past. While I do this, I try to see their personality shine through in their words. This is a little more directed than the first daydreams as I imagine random scenarios and see what they would do in each one. I make sure to write down everything that seems significant.
While I'm dreaming up the characters, more of the story will emerge in my mind. By this point I have a good idea as to the environment, the world that the characters live in, and how the story will begin. I take notes on this as well. Most of the notes I take in both character creation and in this stage have information that may never appear in the novel once I write it. Some of it will even be thrown in the trash, never having a chance to influence the story. It's hard to discard some of them as they're great daydreams. Unfortunately it's up to my muse and not myself.
Finally I'm ready to write. Yes, I'm sure. I don't use an outline and I don't try to picture a middle and ending for the story. I just sit and let the words flow. This is the most exciting and enjoyable part for me. There is a lot of daydreaming as I come upon new scenes and adventures. Eventually the story begins to unfold. Usually when I'm around the middle of the novel I will have a good idea of what the ending will be. As it was with my notes, not all of these daydreams will end up in the novel. It all depends on which direction my muse directs me.
That's the simple part. What I didn't tell my author friend, or many people for that matter, is that there is a more mathematical approach that is also taken. Now, before any of you do what my husband does and groan about 'formula books' and how they suck, let me say that it's not like that at all. At least not in my mind.
This is where it gets difficult to explain so bear with me a moment.
I prefer for my novels to be around 100,000 words (not to go below 90,000 or above 120,000). I prefer my chapters to be between 2,000 and 3,000 words. Neither of these are set in stone. If a chapter is less than or more than this I don't worry about it. The same is true for the novel itself. This is just a guideline that helps me to know if I'm moving too fast and alerts me to any issues I may have. Sounds silly that a word count can do that, but it does.
Each chapter is broken down into what I call 'scenes' and 'connectors'. The scenes are usually daydreams that I've had about the novel and the connectors are the areas that connect it all together. Easy. I like to say that my novels are "daydreams that have been sewn together to make a story." I try to make sure that each chapter has a beginning that connects it to the previous one, at least 2 scenes where something significant happens, and an ending that ties it all together.
The novel itself is also broken down into sections. I think of the story in terms of thirds, fourths, and halves and use the word count to keep myself on track. Remember, I don't use an outline so this is the only way for me to make sure the pace of the story moves as well as the chapters move. I have a vague idea as to whether or not I'm at the proper point in the story each time I reach it. The word count lets me know if I'm staying on track. Nothing more, nothing less.
Aside from the basic formula I have, most of this is all based off of how the story feels. Does it feel like it's at the 1/3 point? Yeah, so lets get back to writing. Usually it's on par, but I still like to use the basic formula to make sure.
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What I love most about writing is that writing the story is as entertaining for me as reading it is for my readers. As I said, when I start the story I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen passed that chapter. The more I write the more daydreams I have. Eventually I'll have an idea of what's going to happen in the next 3 or 4 chapters but usually no more than that.
I don't know how others write, to be honest. I know that most authors use an outline to keep their story on track. Some will even go as far as to add what will happen in each and every chapter. I used to write this way and for me it just didn't work. My stories felt stiff and didn't flow right at all. I'm glad that it works for others, but for me it's more of a "writing by the seat of your pants" sort of thing.
For those of you who write, be it professional or amateur, go ahead and share in the comments a bit about your own creative process. I find it fascinating to hear how others create their stories.
Just keep writing...
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