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Without having discussed the topic of writing with any well-known authors, I
can only guess each writer approaches the actual writing process their own
way. I've read a lot of good advice on the internet about how to stay
motivated, set goals for each day, and what to do or not do while writing.
I'm not criticizing the advice or the authors who put the advice on the
internet, but I've never been the kind of person to follow advice which is
written in such a way it sounds like the person is saying "this is how you
must do it". Also, until such time as I become a popular author, I have to
work a normal eight hour job, wash dishes and clothes, keep the house clean,
shop for groceries, and many other things. It stands as good advice to write
so many words every day; however, some times there aren't enough hours in
the day.
Another thing I can't do is sit in front of the
computer and write my story. This might sound crazy to some people, but I do
my best writing when I'm slouched down in my recliner with a notebook
propped on the armrest, with one cat wedged between me and the armrest and
the other cat occasionally smacking me on the top of my head from his perch
on the backrest. Sure, it makes more work to write things on paper and then
have to type it into a word processing program on the computer, but it works
for me.
After typing a chapter, I print it out and put it in a
three-ring binder. There it stays for a few days as I work on the next
chapter. I then re-read the previous chapters and add important details I
overlooked during the first writing. Most often, these additions are
questions the detectives should've asked or evidence they should've found. I
also use this time to proofread my manuscript. I repeat the process for each
completed chapter.
Overall, I think my way of writing works for me. My
first attempt at a novel led to a 110,000+ word detective novel written over
the course of six months. If you look at my progress charts, it seems a lot
longer. I did go through a period when I lacked the motivation to write;
however, I think that had more to do with it being my first novel writing
experience and thinking my writing and story wouldn't be good enough. That
won't happen again.
I'm always open to learning more about what works and
what doesn't. If, at some time in the future, I'm finding myself not being
able to write the way I do now, I'll search for another method. |
