{"id":8941,"date":"2014-02-10T08:25:03","date_gmt":"2014-02-09T21:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/?p=8941"},"modified":"2022-05-27T17:44:12","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T07:44:12","slug":"the-writing-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/the-writing-process\/","title":{"rendered":"The Writing Process"},"content":{"rendered":"

The writing process is how a writer (consciously or subconsciously) sets about writing what they do. Every writer has their own process, and I’ve talked before about the similarities and differences between writing as a pantser or as a planner (see here<\/a>). Still, while I was teaching one of my recent Writing Safaris, a student was amazed at the amount of research, thought and planning I do before I write. For me, it’s a no-brainer because I don’t want to waste my readers’ time or mine. When I write something, I want it to be good \u2013 for myself as well as others.<\/p>\n

So when the lovely Simon & Schuster author Jenn J McLeod approached me recently with the idea of joining The Writing Process Blog Hop<\/em>, of course I said ‘yes’. Last year I spent a great deal of time and effort exploring where writers write<\/a> \u2013 so why not now explore how<\/em> writers write? It might be quite revealing!<\/p>\n

The idea is that every author in this blog hop answers the same four questions, then points you towards four other authors doing the same. So… let’s do it! Here are my four answers…<\/p>\n

1) What am I working on?<\/h3>\n

This month, I started writing a novel I’ve been planning for years. The idea for it came at a time when I was stressed out as a full-time mum of two kids under two, with very little money, isolated from family and friends, and really struggling with it. Novels full of adventure and imagination can really help with all that.<\/p>\n

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?<\/h3>\n

I write for readers who crave a return to stories of adventure that promise wild rides and an escape from the here and now, while staying firmly in the recognisable. My readers want more than just a drama or a thriller, more than just a romance or a speculative element that piques their interest \u2013 they want it all, told with a visual nuance, through fascinating characters in whom they can identify a part of themselves, all in the one story. Here’s some more about my novels<\/a>, which my agent is currently shopping around to publishers. Wanna come on an adventure with me?<\/p>\n

3) Why do I write what I do?<\/h3>\n

When I was reading English at University, I read everything my lecturers asked me to \u2013 Old English, Middle English, English Renaissance, the Neo-Classical, Romanticism, the Victorians, Modernism… the lot! I loved it all! But after I graduated and started travelling, I turned to the books that reflected my lifestyle \u2013 on the go, always learning, full of meaning, but also packed with the type of excitement that belongs to exploring a new land for the first time. Whether life slams you in the face with its harshness or breezes past you like a fairy wind, I see it as a gift. Life is magical. Life is about searching for improved existences and converting the unfamiliar into an adventure at once unseen and unlikely yet there and very real, sometimes thrilling and dangerous, yet ultimately ours to relish. Writers write what they know and what they love. So those are the types of stories I now write.<\/p>\n

4) How does my writing process work?<\/h3>\n
\"My<\/a>

My notes, ready for writing “Blacker Hell”.
Some sketches; some handwritten or collected notes; some computer files.<\/p><\/div>\n

All my stories start with a thought. It might be something I read, a song I hear, a particularly meaningful experience, or a conversation with a friend that sparks an idea. Then I think about my idea for a long time. I think about people and places, and to whom this story might belong. I think about it until someone speaks up and says:<\/p>\n

“Hey, you know that story idea you’ve been thinking about? Well, that story’s mine!”<\/em><\/p>\n

“Great!” I’ll tell them. “You’ll have to wait though while I make dinner, put the kids to bed and finish this editorial project I’m working on for a client.”<\/em><\/p>\n

That character will then grumble for a while until I have the time to sit down and write their story. In the meantime though, I’ll do some research. I’ll find a place for their story and will brainstorm what that place might look like. I may even sketch. I’ll think about their clothes and mannerisms, and I’ll have that all decided too before I sit down to write. I’ll also plan where the story will go, roughly, and how it will end. I’ll jot down notes on my phone, on the computer, and on paper. So by the time I actually start writing, the story itself already kinda exists.<\/p>\n

By then, my character will have had enough of sitting in my brain too, and will be bursting to get down on the page. So off they go. I let them lead me towards the plot posts I’ve set for them, and they take me on the type of adventure I love.<\/p>\n

Being a perfectionist, that’s not the end of my writing process of course. Once my story is written, I’ll give it some time to breathe before revising it and editing it. After that, I’ll give it to some trusted readers to critique it, thoroughly. Only then do I submit it to publishers or enter competitions.<\/p>\n

Cool, huh?<\/p>\n

If you want to read more about my editorial process, then that’s set out in my blog post When Is A Story ‘Done<\/a>‘.<\/p>\n

But what about other writers? Do their writing processes differ from mine and, if so, how much? To find out, I’m tagging three other writers (who will all blog about this next Monday) and I’m linking back to Jenn J McLeod (who blogged about this last week) so you can read their answers too. Jump around this blog hop, see where you end up, and don’t forget to let me know what *you* think about writing processes. Has anything I’ve said in this blog surprised you, or is it what you were expecting? Let me know in the comments below, or via your preferred form of social media \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Jenn J McLeod<\/h3>\n

Jenn J McLeod writes Australian contemporary fiction about friendship, family and\u00a0small country towns keeping big secrets. Her Seasons Collection of four novels (with Simon & Schuster) will keep her busy until 2016 \u2013 at least! Jenn’s writing process is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Website:\u00a0www.jennjmcleod.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook: \u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JennJMcLeod.Books<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter:\u00a0@JennJMcLeod<\/a><\/p>\n

Alan Baxter<\/h3>\n

Alan Baxter is the author of dark fantasy thriller novels, RealmShift<\/em> and MageSign<\/em>, as well as the short horror novel, Dark Rite<\/em> (co-authored with David Wood). He has around 50 short stories published, including in the Year\u2019s Best Australian Fantasy & Horror<\/em> (twice \u2013 2010 & 2012). Alan won the 2013 Australian Horror Writers\u2019 Association Short Story competition<\/em> (tying with me \u2013 yay!). He has a triology of novels coming out shortly with Harper Collins Voyager.<\/p>\n

Website: www.alanbaxteronline.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook: Alan-Baxter<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter: @AlanBaxter<\/a><\/p>\n

Pip Harry<\/h3>\n

Pip Harry is a health journalist, university lecturer, saltwater swimmer, mum, YA author, lover of contemporary fiction, romantic comedies, chocolate, cider and meals cooked by other people. She is the author of novels I’ll Tell You Mine<\/em> (UQP, 2013), Reality Chick ebook<\/em> (Xoum, 2014) and Head of the River<\/em> (UQP, 2014).<\/p>\n

Website: www.pipharry.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook: Pip.Harry<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter: @PipHaz<\/a><\/p>\n

Walter Mason<\/h3>\n

Walter Mason is a writer, spiritual tourist, lifelong dilettante and the author of Destination Saigon<\/i> (named one of the ten best travel books of the year by the Sydney Morning Herald). His latest book Destination Cambodia<\/i> is a colourful adventure to one of the world\u2019s hottest new destinations, a fascinating literary journey in which Cambodia is vibrant and its people excited about the future while never denying their haunted past.<\/p>\n

Website: www.waltermason.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook: WalterMason<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter: @walterm<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The writing process is how a writer (consciously or subconsciously) sets about writing what they do. Every writer has their own process, and I’ve talked before about the similarities and differences between writing as a pantser or as a planner (see here). Still, while I was teaching one of my\u2026<\/p>\n

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