Comment

Comment by Niki Tulk on September 8, 2012 at 11:43am

I love that, a novel as a dram.

Comment by Zoe Brooks on September 8, 2012 at 11:32am

I write it in my head first. Sometimes I have whole scenes written pretty well word for word. I work on it for months before putting a word down. My novels are highly complex daydreams!

Comment by Jeannine Bergers Everett on September 8, 2012 at 10:39am

My first novel was pretty organic. I'd sit down and write whatever came to mind. I didn't want to worry about process since I'd never done it before. After awhile it had become a book I didn't want to read, so I put it aside. I may go back to it someday. The one that I'm working on now has been more of a mishmash, some freewriting, notecards, an outline, character sketches, pictures, but I still have a lot of structural issues. The next one will be more organized. I suppose we learn as we go.

Comment by Niki Tulk on September 8, 2012 at 10:26am

Cara, I am a theatre artist too, so that's interesting that as an actor you have also used that sort of visual/spatial pathway! I actually sometimes get up and act out characters and scenes by myself (confession!!) to see if they work or to get ideas. Not a good method for writing in libraries, may I add.

Comment by Christina Mercer on September 8, 2012 at 10:22am

I also like to just write pantser-style at the beginning. Once I get a good feel for the characters and storyline, I do a rough outline on a poster board with a visual arc to show the "3 Acts" and the major plot points.   

Comment by Cara Lopez Lee on September 8, 2012 at 10:22am

It's fun seeing how different everyone's processes are. Niki, I love the idea of a visual storyboard that breaks out of the written word. When I was acting, I once made a 3D collage for a part. It helped me explore the character's subconscious and backstory.

Comment by Deborah J. Brasket on September 8, 2012 at 9:57am

I find I just get a germ of an idea and from that characters and scenes and plots emerge and I just go where it takes me.  When a critical mass is down on paper I began to see themes and patterns and a direction and then I will tentively outline where things seem to be going, how characters are developing, and a potential eventual crisis and resolution.  And this moves me forward in my writing.  I find when I decide too soon how things should develop the writing becomes too mechanical, too contrived, and it doesn't feel natural and free, and I begin to stress.  So I try to keep it as loose as possible while still having a sense of direction and development that keeps the momentum going and feeds the imagination.  when the first draft is complete, then I do some serious outlining to see what still fits, what needs to be removed or rearranged or reworked so all the parts flow and make sense and lead as swiftly as possible toward a sense of completion.

Comment by Regina Y. Swint on September 8, 2012 at 9:52am

I don't do any of that.  But I've heard that doing so works very well for some writers.  I'd rather just write, and occasionally scratch out some notes in the margin during the re-read.

Comment by Quanie Miller on September 8, 2012 at 9:47am

I always do an outline (although, I generally write five pages to get a feel of the characters before I outline). I try to do characters sketches but find the characters are drastically different once I put them on the page. My outline changes slightly as I write (I add scenes or don't use some), but the overall story stays the same.

Comment by Niki Tulk on September 8, 2012 at 9:43am

I am a visual person, so I actually storyboard, or collect a series of postcard-sized pics that might suggest the core of a scene or character, and sometimes I play with changing the order on myself to see what erupts from shifting any unconscious agenda. 

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