My Writing Process . . .

First, I want to say that there is no right or wrong way to begin writing or the writing itself. It’s whatever is comfortable and works for you. However, there are two ways most writers think about how they write. Some people are called “pantsers”…..writers who have no outline or notes and just kind of write as the thoughts come, by the seat of their pants. And there are the “plotters”….who have an outline in varying degrees, who give a lot of thought to the writing before they even sit down to begin and who are more structured putting their story together. I definitely have always come under the latter term. Even long before I realized this. And again, I say, there is no right or wrong way.

The main thing is JUST start! So where, exactly, do “I” start? Well, that depends. For most of my writing career I’ve written in the women’s fiction genre. And yes, there is a distinct difference between “romance” and “women’s fiction” but that’s a whole other blog post. I also want to mention that when I decided to write a mystery, which was entirely new to me, I had to rethink my process. I realized that for me, I had to know who the killer was before I even began writing. So I discovered that the process would be even more focused. I’ve always said that writing women’s fiction is similar to going on a road trip. I have a final destination in mind, I might have a few things I want to do along the way, but I also go with the flow (listen to the characters, pay attention to the plot, etc.) to achieve my final goal and arrive there. I have discovered that writing a mystery is somewhat similar and yet different.

My first novel, Lost Souls of the Witches’ Castle, was a stand alone novel, not a series. So when I begin a stand alone or the first book of a new series, I always, always, begin with “place.” Not the plot, not the characters, but my setting. It’s just how I’ve always written. For me, I must know where I’m at as I’m writing. After I choose my place, I usually focus on the plot. What, exactly, do I want to convey to my readers? What story do I want to tell? I generally have one main issue I want to cover in the story. In the Cedar Key series, each book focused on that issue (with secondary plots included) For instance, adoption, birth mothers, friendship, domestic abuse, family, community, the past, etc. etc. etc. And all of these issues are what separates the romance genre from women’s fiction. Romance has to have a particular formula…basically, a romance. Women’s fiction might have a love story woven in, but it’s not the primary focus of the story.

And you heard it here first..……for book 2 in my new mystery series, one issue in particular has been bothering me lately. Both because I’ve read about it but most important because I’ve been hearing the experiences in real life. Women over the age of 60, either widowed or divorced, who are finding it exceedingly difficult to maintain a decent lifestyle financially. I find this heartbreaking. When we visited the Manchester Arts Gallery in England recently, an entire exhibit was devoted to this situation there. And it’s even worse than here!

So I then have my setting, the gist of my main plot and now it’s time to birth and develop my characters. I’m a bit quirky here too…………..I first must have a name. And if you’ve heard me speak at speaking engagements or come to my book signings, then you know that yes, I am a name collector. I love pretty, unusual and different names for my female characters. So I jot them down and many times they end up in a future book. And once I have all of the above, then…………..I just sit down and write. But since I’ve usually given a few months thought to all of it, I don’t experience writers block. The story is pretty much in my head. It’s just a matter of getting it out in a succinct and interesting way. And this is where the magic comes in! I have no answer as to how it all comes together. But I do know that when I finish a novel, I always marvel as to how it happened. Because I honestly do not know. And yet, I end up with a finished manuscript.

Like I said, that’s the magic of it…………..If you have any questions about writing or the writing process, leave a comment below.

See you here next time…………