Writing is hard. I’m not here to understate that. No matter how you do it, writing is an effort in discipline, persistence, and perseverance. Each person will (and should) approach this endeavor from a place of self awareness (because that certainly helps to get through the low points of which there will be many. I wrote a blog about pushing through the difficult writing spots here).
That said, here are 9 steps I use to get from from an idea to a finished draft with some tools I use along the way to help me get there. Maybe something will resonate for you.
A visual I made to represent my writing process.
Step 1: The idea
Who knows were the ideas come from? I don’t. Sorry. Sometimes I get hit in the chest with an idea that takes my breath away. Sometimes I see a scene in my head, or a character starts talking to me, while other times I might be watching a movie that sparks a question that sends me into a mind spiral. It’s the nature of creativity to remain open to the ideas. But when I get one, I ponder it. I take it a step further, and then freewrite about it. Freewriting is a tool created by Peter Elbow that I picked up along the course of my life (in college actually) but the basic premise is to sit with your blank page and just write without thought to conventions, strictures of “good writing” or any other mind plague that stops up the creativity. I often start here.
Step2: Processing
While in the mire of thinking, I’m often pondering the idea from a variety of directions. I think, I draw, I write, I research. This isn’t a pretty, cohesive part of my process. It’s unruly and chaotic. I begin getting to know characters and plotting the narrative. I wish I could say I have a tried and true methodology, but I don’t, and it’s been different for each of my projects. The key idea for me always comes down to this mantra: Keep moving forward.
Step3: Drafting
When the story idea gets so loud that I have to answer, I start drafting. I start wherever my mind takes me (and it isn’t always the beginning). With the mantra—keep moving forward—feeding my pace, I write scenes after scene. When I get struck, I try these methods to keep me moving forward:
A character interview to get more insight
leave a particularly challenging scene I can’t get to work and write a new one (I can always go back)
write from a different character’s perspective
freewrite again (this is a tool I come back to over and over throughout my process)
research
read
watch something that pushes my imagination
ask my trusted writing friends (my critique partner)
Step 4: Time
When the draft is finally at a place I can stop, I step away. I can’t stress the stepping away enough. Four to six weeks is helpful to return to the WIP with clearer perspective.
Step 5: Rewrite.
A type of revision, rewriting to me signals the disassembling of the current narrative in order to reassemble it. If you need a developmental editor, this might be a time to hire one, especially if you struggle with this part of the process. I’m especially comfortable in this place of a manuscript, and enjoy the challenge of ripping something apart to put it back together even better this time around. I will often visually “map” the story at this stage using the hero’s journey and the story beats. This becomes a reference for me writing forward to a completed rewrite.
Steps 6 & 7: Beta Readers & Time
Once that rewrite is done, my WIP goes to beta readers for their feedback and I’m back to letting the WIP sit for 4-6 weeks. Beta readers are a writing ”focus group”, a small set of selected readers you hope will offer helpful feedback for the upcoming revision. It is important to choose “readers'“ for this portion of the process as opposed to “writers.” You want the reader experience. I provide my beta readers with guided feedback stems/questions so that I get the kind of feedback I know I need, and this is helpful for me when it comes to collating and processing the feedback.
Step 8: Rewriting
I’ve waited for 4-6 weeks and my beta feedback is in. After going through it and collating my own ideas, I reread the WIP as a reader (no editing). I do a freewrite to free associate my thoughts about the story and then align it with beta feedback. Then, using those thoughts and observations, I would through the WIP chapter by chapter to strengthen, cut and rewrite what needs it. At this time, I am line editing and polishing to get it in the best possible shape to send to the editor. If you need support with this, it would be a great place to hire a line editor. My editor is a line & copy editor and depending on what I need will do either.
Step 9: Editing
And so it’s off to the editor and I’m off to whatever project needs my immediate attention. I posted about the four kinds of editing here, and my Instagram live last week was about editing. When I’m at this point, the WIP is as done as I can get it, and brings us to stage two which I’ll share more about next week.
So if you’re in the middle of your writing process, remember: Keep moving forward!