My Writing Process

[Richard]

This is what I typically go through when putting together a novel.

I spend a period of time, months usually, thinking it through. What type of antagonist/protagonist I will employ, the beginning/ending and whether I think I can really pull it together.

If it is a go, I put together an outline or story board, to ensure I have all the elements, and sufficient information, to complete the story. (I'm an organizer by nature so I am very structured)

Then I finally start writing.

1. I do the complete first rough draft. I average about 10,000 words per week, unless I need to do specific research which cuts into production.

2. After about 2 months of writing, and the completion of the draft, I spend 2-3 weeks editing my draft. Additions, deletions, corrections, and changes. If I think the product is worthwhile, I send it to someone who's literary opinion I value.

3. After 1-2 weeks I get their feedback and recommendations.

4. If I decide to move forward, I send it to my editor. She spends about 3 weeks doing the initial edit and formatting.

5. The next few weeks are a back and forth re-editing between the both of us. She also is formatting and completing the art work at this time.

6. Satisfied with the editing, and tired of reading my book for the umpteenth time, I submit to a publishing outlet for self publishing.

7. They take about 1 week to return a proof text. I re-read the book yet again, and mark any changes necessary. You would think after so much previous editing that this wouldn't be necessary, but they say people average 3-5 proofs before it goes to copy.

8. After a back and forth with re-editing, I finally submit the finished product. It is available less than a week later, then comes the process of soliciting reviews, advertising, and local contact with bookstores.

This doesn't include queries to agents and publishers.

About 3-4 months of planning, 2 months of writing, and 3 months of finalizing. Roughly 8-9 months until the 80,000+ word product is complete and ready for sale.

Of course, during that time anything could change which halts or delays the process, to include shelving the project for another.

The commitment is like having a baby. 8-9 months to deliver, and a lifetime of commitment. After which, I have decided this is the last time I go through all of that, then think of another idea just a few months later and start again.

I'm not the type that can just sit down and let the words take me where they do. If anyone here is like that, I would like to hear how the process works for you. You don't have to explain everything from start to publish, but the approach to writing would be good to hear.

[joshuachrisstoff]

A Difference.

First, I need to be sitting in front of the computer. That was not slways the case but you are talking about now, not the first one, correct?
The most basic of plots conjures itself in my mind. I has been a scene from a TV program, an ad for something else, could come from anywhere. I write spec ops, so I have the MC and the team and three basic support staff. They clearly have history, ways of approaching things, attitudes and habits. So much of what they do is automatic, from my way of thinking.

The next is very straight forward.
Open the word processor, put in the title, usually that occurs toi me with the idea or as I start it. Save two copies, Notes and Main. If I pull all the Notes from each book, directory, then you can see the technical side of who does what, has what, when certain things became standard, when new members came to the team with what they brought. Main, of coiurse is the book.

Each start has to be unique.
I got a crit from an early work which said 'You get the mission, plan it and execute it. With some additional action, there is no surprise."
It was a fair criticism, a real issue when you plan the MC as a master planner.
My personal issue is that is when I make up the method of the operation. I let the fingers go wild as I simply go thru what could I do and how could I do it. Sadly, at the end of the first or second of those thorts, that is the book. So now I have to record bits of thre plan in the Notes and allow the op to drift offline at times and then snatch it back on track as I intended.

When the next bit comes to me, a video formulates in my brain. The whole reality of it even if it is him and him in the office with the secretary outside, and even the 'white hats' at the gate, if they are part of the current issue.
I can give you temperature, night or day, humidity and anything else that is relevant, or not, but usually interesting. Then I copy the scene to paper. Once I am satisfied with that, or even if I am not, the next scene could be there and it is often inspired and demands to be recorded or risk being lost as the next wants to move in.

I Chapter every 10k words and monitor words count for getting on with the climax. I always worry about those types who turn to the last page to see "whodunnit". Now I can't write who dunnits but I have moved the main climax back into the book, usually, and I make sure I have multiple significant climaxes now. On more than one occasion I have moved the main climax to the next book.

So I plan nothing, excepty maybe the main problem. There are times when I can't move on since I can't work out what is next. One WIP is at 60k words and I still don't know what is happening. I have a female team member in place in Europe, working in a factory, observing the deputy foreman who is ex Stasi, has too much money and a girlfriend with too much money and no idea who is down line is, or what they are managing which gives them the income. So I keep putting it aside as I don't just want to write the next scene without the clear and present ending insight, especially for me.

I have another one in the same position. The Calamari,[now you work out who it is about in Sicily], are being too successful and need a spanking. The MC has been marked by the international Drug Enforcement officials as the 'go to guy' so he is setting up the operation. Setting up has been fun, but again, I am @ 50k words or such and they haven't done anything yet and altho I know what the main climax is, I don't know what is coming between here and there to make it work out properly.

Until about 6 months ago I argued against the existence of writers block, I had never experienced it. Now I know it exists as it has come to me with the working with the publisher to get #1 out there. I guess you know that writing the book is only 10% of a book. Editing, polish and publish then marketing is the 90+%, or the real end of the business.
Once I have some money, if ever, I am sure I will employ a business manager to handle that crap stuff and leave me to wrote. I have been known to say, "I prefer to stay in the creative phase". That is me and a keyboard and no interruptions, that is where I would like to stay.
I am thinking the block is due to stress. The worrying over everything in publishing the first one which is not even really guaranteed at this stage.

Creative phase is often where I hide. A rough calculation is that from 1 nov 08, I have written in books, 10k words a week. That doesn't include the 30 works I have started and not finished, YET!

I have had recognised creative BURSTS. One lasted for 7 days and 6 nights. I did eat, and close my eyes at times but I never slept. 3 Bursts within 2 weeks saw me put 200k words in books, including two of my favourite books at 85k+ words each. I finished another one and got another started.
I have had shorter ones before and since, 24-72 hours but that one was significant.
On rereading the second of the completed books in that, I knew the ending was weak and a coupla days ago I started the rewrite it needs. I am at 7.5k extra and it will need that again to make it proper.

So you and me are opposite Richard. I plan zero, except sometimes.
I go from scene to scene feeling it as I go. I sort of live it in my mind, if you get what I mean.
Ultimately I have scene all of my books in movie form, and they look sweet. I won't be happy until I all of them up there.

How about you Richard, what is your ultimate goal?

[Richard]

Thank you for sharing your process.

I too do not place the climax at the VERY end of the book.

My ultimate goal? I don't know that I have one truthfully.

Having a fiction make it to the big screen would certainly be awesome, but I don't see it as a reality.

For non-fiction, I would just say being read is enough.