My Writing Process

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What is my writing process? I get these questions a lot when I’m tabling at conventions. After writing consistently for more than a decade, my process is mostly locked down, so my answers are pretty consistent.

A word of warning, though: YMMV. That’s short for “your mileage may vary.” If you’re trying to figure out your writing process, it’s important to try all sorts of tactics and schedules until you find what fit. It’s also important to know that from project to project, your process might change.

My Early Process

When I wrote my first book, The Lost and Broken Realm, I didn’t know what I was doing. I had some talent and a little skill, but I was making it up as I went along. I read a lot of blog posts and tweets about the writing process, trying to understand this new thing I was trying.

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First off, I was a pantser. Writers use this term to mean writing by the seat of your pants. In other word, not plotting things out, but just jumping in and letting the story unfold, allowing the characters to come alive as you write and dictate the story.

I did a lot of editing while I was writing. I would write a chapter, then go back and try to fix things before moving on. This means that it took a long time for me to come to the end of the manuscript. I did have some nice writing sprints here and there, but the process was long, inconsistent, and jerky.

When I wrote the next book, The Lost and Broken Memory, things were a little smoother. I was still editing as I wrote, though not as much. I understood the importance of finishing a manuscript in order to really see the whole picture. I still struggled greatly with consistency.

MFA

Starting in 2018, I began pursuing my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. I was really fortunate here. My wife and I worked hard to get to the point that I could leave my day job and just focus on my MFA for 2 ½ years. I learned so much in that time about my own writing, publishing, and how to give and receive feedback.

I also dedicated this time to really making my writing habits more consistent. I do believe in daily writing. I also believe in giving yourself some grace when you don’t write on a given day. But given the time, I was finally able to make writing into a habit. I found that not only did my manuscripts come together faster, but my mind stayed in the story more when I was putting words to page on a daily basis.

I loved my MFA program. I would also say that while an MFA is useful, it’s certainly not necessary for writers. I built a community, my skills, and my writing habit during that time. I’ve also built all of those things since.

My Process Now

I now sit somewhere between plotter and pantser. Particularly with a long series like The Jayu City Chronicles, some plotting is required. I’m also listening to my characters. I get annoyed when I see a writer making a character make nonsensical decisions just to further their plot. Sometimes, you cannot find a reasonable way to get to a plot point that you’d drawn up, so you have to pivot. It takes more work, but it makes for a better book.

I write about 1000 words a day while in the drafting stage. I do not edit as I write. I am a low-error typist, so I am copy editing as I go, but I’m not trying to fix things. If I think of something that needs to change in an earlier chapter, I make a note, and then I keep going. I’ve found that oftentimes, something I decide I need to changes will change yet again as I keep going through the manuscript.

While in the editing phase, I try to work two chapters each day. As for how many passes or drafts of any given manuscript? That very much depends on the book. My next book, The Cordelia Solution (due out November 11) took a lot more drafts than any of my previous works. I think it was on draft 8 or 9 by the time I sent it to my publisher. While you cannot chase perfection in art, I do try to get as close as I can before sending it off to eyes other than my own.

After the final manuscript is sent to a publisher and under contract, only then do I worry about things like dedication, acknowledgments, and the like. When I was newer and younger, I would do those things much earlier, but that was really a form of procrastination from the main body of work. Now, I focus on the manuscript before concerning myself with the rest of the noise.

Ad Nauseum

And once a manuscript is out the door? I start on the next one. Always. I love writing. I’m driven to do it. I also know that selling one book isn’t a promise of selling the next. And vice versa. So, I’m always working on the next story, the next book.

Forever.