I don’t follow any formal writing process. It is only recently that I began trying to make sense of my personal writing methods and put them into words. If I’m being honest, most of my writing happens in my head. That works for me quite nicely because I’m then able to push past the initial 10,000 words in my story without hitting a wall. It is when I don’t spend time thinking about my story that I struggle with a block minutes after I pick up my pen.
The problem
And that’s the thing: a lot of beginner writers struggle with getting past the initial chapters. They start with a bang and speed through, but soon come to a halting stop, often abandoning the project to move on to another one. That shows the assumption that the story itself is the problem, but that is not always the case. Sometimes we abandon stories thinking it is because the idea is a problem when actually it is our strategy that is problematic - we try to force the story before the ideas are clear. Let’s get into it.
My basic writing phases
As I mentioned before, I’ve been writing for years without stopping to really analyze how I do it. Now that I have begun to intentionally break down my writing process, these are the three basic phases I go through.
The thinking phase
This is the first thing I do when I get an idea. I chew on it until kingdom come. I roll it around in my mind while doing my everyday activities: walking, cooking, and cleaning. I think about possible ways the idea can grow. What characters can be involved in the story? What are the highlights? How can the story end? I don't limit my imagination. Anything goes in this stage, even the weird crazy ideas. I chew over everything. And the thing about this thinking phase is that it never really stops. It is an ongoing process that works in the background even as I am working on the other phases.
The sketching phase
Once I’ve churned over the idea in my mind enough, I jot down the major aspects of the story: the highlights, the major points, the characters that stand out, possible endings. I basically note down anything that stood out, and anything that I would want to be in the story. While it helps to write them chronologically, sometimes that’s not simple, especially if you tend to 'pantser' your way through. The important thing here is to make a very light outline of the story to at least tell you which general direction you’re heading. It gives you targets to hit, checkpoints to aim for. It gives you a rough map. However, if you are a planner, then this phase would be more than just sketching. You would go deeper: outlining the story chapter by chapter, creating detailed character outlines, world-building, and everything else.
The ‘just write’ phase
After thinking and sketching out my ideas, I finally sit down and write. I just take it chapter by chapter and see where the story takes me. All the mental preparation done in the first two phases helps to propel me forward in my writing, pushing me past the initial 10,000 word level without hitting a block or burning out. And remember, as I'm writing, my mind is still churning on the story in the background, keeping the ideas flowing, and helping me address tangents as they come up.
It counts!
At the end of the day, writing is subjective, and my word is not law. This guide I have shared is what works for me, and could work for you - maybe. The takeaway here is to trust your instincts, and let your thinking count as part of the work. You may not feel like you have made progress on your writing because you spent the whole day lying on the couch and thinking about your story, but trust me, you have.
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