A peek inside my writing process
I don't always have a clear writing system, but I often go back to tried and tested methods
Back when I worked in publishing, I remember hearing that the well-known children’s author Darren Shan would write 500 new words every day, without fail, then edit the words he’d written the previous day. He highlighted consistency as the key to success, and it always struck me as a lovely, manageable and structured way to write. Nowadays I do something similar, but it’s taken me a long time to get to this point and I’ve worked right through the chaos of new babies and young children, along with illnesses and emotional upheaval, and some intense periods of caring for others. Therefore, my overall motto for achievement is a simple one: when life allows, JUST KEEP GOING! It always surprises me how much can be achieved in a short stretch of dedicated time, so if you’re currently in a similar situation then please don’t despair!
Come Back to Me, my first novel, was written over four years, back when there was no pressure of a deadline. Even then I needed to take a three-month hiatus from my day job as a book editor to really tackle and finish the story. Beneath the Shadows was the first time I’d had a deadline and I also had a brand-new baby, so a combination of adrenalin and terror saw that one through - but I don’t recommend it as a method! It was also during this time that Come Back to Me was published, and people asked questions about my ‘writing process’ for the first time. So it was really only at this point that I began to reflect on it.
There are things I have always done as a writer. I often have ideas in the middle of the night, or in the shower, or on a long journey – those times when my mind is a little less crowded with the other affairs of the day. I call them ‘snippets’ – they might be a phrase, a word, something to research, the beginnings of a scene – and I note them down and try to file them appropriately so that I can come back to them. Other than that, I usually hold a story in my head for quite a long time (often years rather than months) without making any focused attempt to write it down. During this time I’m getting to know the different characters, looking at the plot, and basically seeing if the concept is strong enough. One thing I don’t have a problem with is ideas for stories – but although they come to me regularly, some are better than others! So I like to let them germinate before I begin to write.
Life ALWAYS gets in the way of writing! I’ve tried to accept this, because I don’t want to be too obsessive and because my books often develop nicely, and in unexpected ways, while I’m doing other things. However, during this time the core of my story is still growing in my mind like a bubble, and as I feel the pressure of it increasing I know that as soon as I can, I need to sit down and write. This all sounds very organic – however, it’s not so easy when there’s a publishing contract and a big X on the calendar marking the deadline for Draft One. So I have come to use brief stints in hotels as a way to catch up if life gets too intense. I don’t see these stays as a luxury but as an essential investment in my writing. Or sometimes a lovely friend lets me use their place while they’re away.
Researching a novel is, for me, one of the greatest joys of writing. I want to try to live in my story as much as possible, which means getting inside the heads of the characters, and visiting the locations of my story – in person if I can, otherwise through books and movies, online clips and everything else I can find. Researching a book leads me towards experiences I would never otherwise have, and the opportunity to learn and observe life outside my own little sphere is a blessing, opening my mind even when what I’m looking at is difficult or traumatic – as it sometimes was with Shallow Breath (which looked at the different relationships humans have with wild animals). At times it’s very hard to let the research go and start the story, and with Shallow Breath it required a short period of adjustment to release myself from an avalanche of factual information and get back to my characters’ lives. However, researching a book means I’m always learning about my topic, and developing new ideas. If I’m researching because I’m stuck, it might also mean reading other stories in a similar genre or craft books to find inspiration.
As I begin to write those challenging first drafts, I often use what I call a ‘building block’ process. This means that when I have written chapter two, I return to chapter one and read the whole thing together to see how it works. I do this all the time, going back over sections or sometimes the whole book, shoring up the foundations of the story as I go. This doesn’t mean my story is finished when I get to the end of the first draft, but it does make the arduous editing stage a little easier. I also have an outlining document that I build as I go, and other documents to record information about character backgrounds and suchlike, but whenever possible I like to let the story take over. Along the way I’m checking all my snippets of ideas, to see what might fit with the story, or inserting the few sections I’ve written out of order because they were particularly assertive when they came to me, and wouldn’t wait their turn.
Finally, with deadlines there is little time to get caught up with writer’s block, but that doesn’t stop me from getting stuck. When this happens I go back to planning – I explore the outlines of each chapter in my master document and try to figure out why I’ve fallen into a fug, since getting stuck is usually a signal to me that the story has gone off track. Writing became a lot easier when I realised I didn’t have to fear these moments, because writing the wrong words usually ends up pointing me in the right direction.
If you’re a writer, does my writing process sound anything like yours?! It’s fascinating to hear how everyone gets the words down - there’s no one way that suits all, it’s all about finding out what works best for you. That said, I would love to be able to efficiently outline a story like James Patterson, as he seems to have it down to an incredibly effective rhythm - if you’ve watched his Masterclass, you’ll know what I mean!
PS If you enjoyed this post you might also like my words of encouragement about writer’s block:
I let my ideas percolate for quite some time before I start writing, mostly because I don't always have the time to write them down, and also because, as you say, letting them grow and expand makes the characters come alive more, and lets you make sure the story has legs.
Great piece!
Thanks for sharing xx