When I took creative writing classes in college, I was always fascinated by hearing about how other writers write, especially the famous ones:
- Whether they wrote in bursts or whether they planned
- Whether they were sober or intoxicated, depressed or happy
- Whether they wrote at night or during the day, daily or only when inspiration hit
- Whether they were a creative and flighty artist-type or a studious hard worker
- Whether they outlined or figured it out as they went along
- Whether they showed signs of genius early or came to it late
When I got out of college and started working in publishing, I realized there is no such thing as a “writer’s” personality type or a universal system that works or anything close to resembling one best way to write. Everyone does it differently.
There’s only one thing professional writers have in common: They get the job done, one way or another.
So please don’t take this post as how I think everyone should write. This is just the process that works for me. Some of these styles or tips may be useful to you… or not! The only way to know is to try them out. Just know that there’s nothing “weird” about the way you write. As long as you get the job done you’re a writer.
Brainstorming Ideas
My biggest ideas usually come to me in a flash, and from there I round them out one step at a time. I’m drawn to high concept book ideas both as a result of my personal taste but also because in an age of great distraction I feel like it helps if you can describe your book in a sentence.
The idea for JACOB WONDERBAR started as an image of a kid trapped on a planet full of substitute teachers, and I let that basic idea guide the entire rest of the process. The idea felt middle grade, so okay, I was going to write a middle grade novel. How did the kid get to space? Well, he’d need a spaceship. How did he get the spaceship? Maybe he traded a corndog for it. Maybe his best friends tagged along, and maybe they accidentally hit a huge stumbling block on the way that was making it really difficult to get back home. Maybe that stumbling block was breaking the universe, and maybe there’s more keeping him in space than breaking the universe, maybe the kid thinks he could find his dad while he’s there.
Then I sketched out the characters. I knew the main character would be a good-hearted troublemaker, I knew I wanted a strong female character, and a timid friend who is mildly scared of Jacob. I fleshed out these basic ideas before I sat down to write a page.
And I let the plot and characters drive the voice – a little wacky, some heart, and action-driven. From there it was just a matter of spending six months writing it.
Outlining vs. Writing Blind
I’m an outliner, but not an obsessive one. I try to have a definite but still-vague sense of the beginning, middle and end of the book, and don’t worry about figuring out exactly how the characters are going to get from Point A to Point B. I always want to leave room for things to work or not work on the page and for new ideas to creep in.
Still, I turned in a three page synopsis to my publisher before I wrote JACOB WONDERBAR FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSE, and it ended up being almost exactly how the book turned out. So while I don’t have everything figured out ahead of time, I definitely write with a map.
Frequency
I’m not someone who can write every day. For one thing I’m too busy, but I also need the break between bursts of writing in order to process, brainstorm, and let my subconscious work out problems. I try to always have a sense of the challenges ahead and questions I need to figure out, then I give my brain time to do its thing in the background.
On the weekend I’ll wake up, drink a few cups of coffee, respond to e-mails and maybe write a blog post or two, and then when I’m wide awake it’s time to write. I block out all distractions, but I don’t go into isolation either: I still check e-mail and Twitter from time to time and I can concentrate with people and noise around me (except for music, which I can’t listen to while writing.)
And for the next six to eight hours, I just write. If I hit a stumbling block I force myself to stare at a blank page until I figure out how to resolve it (or I don’t figure it out, but the staring time is still useful). If I’m really stuck I’ll work on my series bible or do something else that will get me just a little bit closer to the finish line. I don’t really have time for writers block, and I really believe if you just stare at the screen long enough you’ll figure it out.
While I was writing JACOB WONDERBAR FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSE I was often writing both days on the weekends and very rarely took a day off, but that ended up being too much for me, hence my new search for more balance. Now I try and break up my weekend with one day of writing and one day of doing something fun.
Location/Materials
I can write anywhere as long as I have a laptop and a couple uninterrupted hours. I usually write on my couch in my living room, but occasionally I’ll go outside or to a coffee shop. I don’t have a desk.
I write on a MacBook Pro on Microsoft Word, unless I’m traveling, in which case I’m writing on my iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard and the Pages app. I don’t own a printer and didn’t touch a piece of paper related to my manuscript until I got ARCs.
Motivation
I gotta be honest, I don’t always like the writing process. I sometimes find it tedious, and there are many times along the way I’d rather be doing something else. I’m drawn to that old phrase, “I don’t like writing, I like having written.” When it’s going well it can be really fun and I still enjoy it overall, but I’m honestly a little suspicious of people who think writing is always a blast. Because it’s really hard!
I struggled quite a bit with the “Am I Crazies” and the “Am I Really Good Enoughs” while I was writing JACOB WONDERBAR, and that was probably my biggest stumbling block. But I powered through because deep down I really believed in the idea and knew I’d regret it endlessly if I didn’t try and do it while I had the time to do it.
What gets me through the tough stretches is that feeling of looking back on something as hard and time-consuming to accomplish as writing a novel and being proud of the result of your effort. That’s what keeps me going.
Chapter Philosophy
I tend to write short chapters (3-6 pages double-spaced) that are focused around something happening. I try and map out my chapters in the same way I map out the novels: They have a beginning (hopefully with a hook or some piece of action to engage the reader and center them in the action), a middle section with conflict that builds toward a climax, and an end, which is usually either a pithy or sentimental moment, or possibly a cliffhanger.
Again, this is both borne out of my own taste, as well as my philosophy about reading in an age of distractions. I also have to consider my audience: 8-12 year olds aren’t exactly known for their lengthy attention spans, but keep them engaged and they’ll stick with you.
Miscellaneous
- I try to avoid adverbs and non-said dialogue tags (but don’t always succeed)
- One of my weaknesses as a writer is that I have a tendency to rush through scenes and have to remind myself to slow down and flesh them out
- Working out and taking showers does wonders for unlocking ideas
- Whenever I come back to writing after an absence I have to accept that the first day back isn’t going to be very productive
- I don’t write to a particular daily word count or even keep very close count of what I’ve gotten done. I just write as long as I can and power through when I’m feeling tired. I do try to leave off while there’s still some material left to be written in a scene so I can easily get back in the rhythm the next time I pick up.
- When I have an idea just before I’m falling asleep I force myself get up and write it down, otherwise I’ll only remember that I had a really great idea that I can no longer remember, and it will drive me crazy.
And when in doubt: space monkeys.
Whew! That’s my process, and I’m happy to answer questions about it (though please allow a bit of time for a response).
Also: What’s your writing process, and what works for you?
Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and consultations! And if you like this post, check out my guide to writing a novel.
Art: Still life with books by L. Block
I loved reading this. Thanks so much for sharing, Nathan.
I very much appreciate your stance in the beginning – that there is no one right way to write, and as long as the writing happens, the process is just fine. That's very permission giving and self-accepting.
There's something about your process that is calm and balanced. I appreciate that. And when I read this sentence: "an end, which is usually either a pithy or sentimental moment, or possibly a cliffhanger", I got a sort of small chill, because being able to see and plan that is just so Nathan! It also gave me the intuition that you are a very good writer.
But I knew that, I read your posts.
I admit I was alittle surprised to hear you write on your couch with a laptop. I always imagined you at a nice wood desk with and ergonomic chair and the lastest Mac. Who knew?
Okay, so I do have a question. Your post is very detailed, so I don't have alot of questions, but here it one:
How do you maintain the discipline to write every weekend, for all day? Is it just an intrinsic part of you, or do you reward yourself, or use other tactics to get yourself to do that?
I ask because I'm very mood-driven, and I'd like to be more disciplined like you.
Thanks!
mira-
I find it a bit easier with a deadline, but really I just decided to do it so I did it. I don't really have a reward system or anything, I just know that I don't do it I'm going to regret it so I'd better get it done.
Nathan – wow. I wish I made all my choices that way!
With writing I worry that if I force it, whatever "it" is, then "it" will hide from me. So, I have to wait for the perfect moment.
But I can see that's not true for you. The staring at the screen method has definite validity.
Thanks.
I just know that if I don't do it I'm going to regret it so I'd better get it done.
Wow. My motivation, exactly.
I do enjoy parts of the process. I really love it when I come up with a great scene, or paragraph, or even sentence. But so much of writing is simply work. Good work, interesting work, challenging work. But work, nonetheless.
You have NO idea how wonderful it is to know that you don't write every day. As a mom, wife, and teacher, writing doesn't fit into my every day. I also cannot write with music anywhere near – any other noise I can block out (possible super power?) but not music.
Thanks for the peek into your writing life.
Loved hearing about your process. I'm going to try outlining for my next manuscript. I'm looking forward to the rest of your posts.
Do you write better in the morning, the afternoon or the night?
anon-
The afternoon.
Nathan, do you write better when you have a good nights sleep, or maybe it doesnt matter?
Wow. Thank you for sharing your writing process. You don't know how much better it makes me feel to know that I'm not the only person who needs days in between writing sometimes to process what I just wrote and to think about where I'm going. Also, I've tried the whole staring at the screen thing, and it doesn't work for me. BUT, when I'm stuck I find if I switch to pen and paper I can usually write myself a solution. Again, thank you for sharing.
I'm a pretty obsessive plotter. I have a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the entire novel before I even start out. That said, my stories still tend to run away from me–not in a wildly different direction, but new layers are added that I can slot into my chapter plans–most of the time! 🙂
My job gives me the luxury of reserving a set time everyday purely for writing. Of course, how much writing actually gets done varies from day to day. Some days, I'm an irritable hermit who must not be disturbed, but other days I'm a relaxed scribe who is more than happy with the occasional interruption.
I am also a firm believer of the mystical art of screen staring when you get stuck. Once your vision starts to blur, something will come to you!
I admire your time management skills! (Maybe a tad envious, too. :)) When I'm in writing mode, it's all I do. Even if I'm at work, mentally, I'm writing. I must have music and minimal distraction, so I usually hole up in my bunker (read: office) and go at it. I don't outline, but I keep notebooks to jot down ideas or to keep the details straight. In general, I get the characters going and then let them drive. I like sunny days in the garden with a cup of tea, or evenings by candlelight with a glass of wine in my office. I just love to write. It's what I'm most passionate about!
A lot of this sounds like me, except I try to write more frequently throughout the day rather than in long chunks of 6-8 hours. I don't think I could (mentally) do that in my current life, even on the weekends, unless I didn't have work (and if I definitely didn't have grad school). I also started setting a weekly quota, so that if I don't write so much one day, I can work on the story bible or edit my outline (which sounds more obsessive than yours; it makes me feel like I have already written a lot), I can make up for it over the course of the week. Like you, I need time to recharge, and so I write most days of the week but not all of them.
I've yet to use space monkeys, though. :-
You and I have remarkably similar writing styles, except for the schedule.
(Now I try and break up my weekend with one day of writing and one day of doing something fun.)
I'm not too old to remember what weekends were like before children. With children, there is no balance.
BTW, I believe your wife is also an author. Do you write at the same time or different times? Do you find that helpful to have someone who understands that sometimes it's OK for dirty dishes to sit on the counter for a few hours when a scene needs to get written? That is, if you don't mind sharing.
Count me among those who feel validated that you don't have to get up at 5am 5 days a week and write for two hours before your day job to be a 'real' writer.
I'd be interested in reading about your revision process and how it may differ! I suspect that my revisions will go faster than my (snails pace) first draft.
I'm so glad you wrote this, even though I was in the process of writing a similar blog post when i saw yours, started reading and "couldn't put it down'. There are many similarities to the way I write, so now I feel validated. Thanks for that. Anxious for your book to be on the shelves…will be buying it for my 9 yr old grandson. Linking to your blog from mine this evening. Great post!Writing IS hard, but fun anyway!
I have to print out pages. Then I can mark it up and fuss with it. Yeah, you can do that on a computer too, but not like you can with pen in hand.
Nathan,
What a great post! In my book about writing fiction, The Mind of Your Story, I shared some of my own process, which, for the literary fiction I write under my own name, involves discovering the story as I write (& rewrite). Recently, though, I've been ghosting thrillers, & you know what? Just as I do for nonfiction (I've written way too many Idiot's Guides), for these books, I outline, outline, outline. So, for me, the To Outline or not to Outline question is a matter of genre. If it's plot-driven, an outline is a must. If it's character-driven, I let the characters drive.
BTW, I'll be in SF the 13th, so hope to make the Launch Party.
Fantastic post, Nathan! It made me feel better about so many things–I'm not so unusual! Writing is like love: Elation and Dread, and every emotion in between. Thank you!
Nathan, can I just say that this is probably the best blog post re writing that I have read in a long time. Honest, just simply a "hey, this is how I do it". How refreshing, and how helpful to realize that everyone does it different. Yes, of course I understand everybody has a different writing process, but I thanks to you, I realized that I thought I HAD to write a certain way (everyday, same time, no distractions, no emails), which was blocking me. I had created this block subconsciously and really confused myself (I'm quite good at that). Now, I suddenly feel quite inspired!
I'd just like to say, I enjoyed the post and it inspired me to get back in front of my computer.
…well, aside from right now that is.
Great post–it always interest me to see what people's writing styles are. What does me in is coming out with plot outlines, but without them I've had four WIPs grind to a halt. I find I get timid and allow them to branch into too many directions. I'll definitely check out Jacob Wonderbar!
I love reading about the writing habits of others. You and I are very similar in our approach, from the living room couch to loose outlining, and not listening to music while writing.
One thing that helps me is not ending for the day at a chapter break. I write a sentence, paragraph or whole page of the next chapter before stopping which makes it super easy to pick up again the next time. The "I like having written" line is brilliant and so true!
One of the things I find about "writer's block" is that staring at the screen is only good for a few minutes. If I can't find a new paragraph to start in twenty or so, it's time to open a new document and find out why. I start to analyze, typing as I go.
What's frustrating me about this scene? What do I want to happen? What needs to happen?
Sometimes I back up and analyze what's happened in the past. The characters did this, this and this, and now they're here. Does something need to change in their previous actions? Or dialogue? How else could they act? What if?
Occasionally it'll take two or three sessions of this to straighten out some knotty problem–actually, in one instance it took months (not daily analysis, obviously), and I ended up with several major plot changes. But by coming back to it repeatedly, things have worked out.
Most often I find that my problem has to do with conflict–either it isn't believable, or there isn't enough of it. The scene is dragging and needs to move.
So there you have it–my experience with blank screens. 🙂
We seem to have quite a lot of similarity in our processes…and this gives me hope! I was feeling kind of non-professional, not good enough, what-the-heck-was-I-thinking until now….
My writing has a sort of manic-depressive quality to it. I will go a month where it is pouring out of me, it's all I do after the kids go to sleep, and my husband knows to buy paper plates. Then after I have exhausted every last drop of creativity, I slow down. I catch up on laundry, I catch up on sleep, and let my 368 pages simmer. This "down time" can feel scary or frustrating, like I've lost my groove. But with a little extra discipline I work on more technical or business aspects of writing: researching agents, casting my FB net further, researching what other writers seem to be doing well. I know this is gestation time when I take a few steps back until I am ready to delve back into my manuscript. And when inspiration hits again, I edit the heck out of it. I am always working, but on different aspects of building a career as well as a book.
I was a newspaper girl, so staring at a blank screen just after an interview was the norm for me. But once I got started, I was on a roll.
Love this post! I'm also a new follower.
BTW… a kid blasting off to a planet where substitute teachers live sounds like a fun read!
No, Nathan, readers of your wife's blog will know that is not a picture of how you write, but rather of how you grow a beard. One could of course grow a beard and write SIMULTANEOUSLY, but we men can't multitask now, can we? At least that's my excuse. I do have a wonderful sense of direction, though. To the fridge.
Your link to your 2010 High Concept post was well worth following. You rightly instanced SNAKES ON A PLANE as a classic example of high concept.
As I commented then, my trilogy has a chapter titled PLANE IN A SNAKE, which really is about a small plane eaten by a huge snake. With my protagonist Jimmy still in the plane. And the snake on an ocean liner. So maybe I should retitle the chapter JIMMY IN A PLANE IN A SNAKE ON A LINER. Just in case anyone doubts I'm weird.
Overall, my trilogy might be described as 'TREASURE ISLAND' MEETS 'TITANIC'. A treasure hunt on an ocean liner. That hits an iceberg. Twice. I told you I was weird.
'I don't really have time for writers block, and I really believe if you just stare at the screen long enough you'll figure it out.'
Is that before or after the proverbial drop of blood exudes from your forehead and drips onto the page?
No printer and no paper version until the ARCS!? Don't you realize an Electro-Magnetic Pulse could destroy your work? Not to mention destroying San Francisco, but let's get our priorities right here. We ARE writers.
And I write short chapters too. Short attention spans are not limited to kids!
Nicole, 'time well-wasted'? A great phrase!
Now, how about SPACE MONKEYS WITH JIMMY IN A PLANE IN A SNAKE ON A LINER?
I completely agree that everyone has their own writing process. Sometimes I'll read something and think to myself "500 words per day? That sounds so forced."
Although, I do think writers are similar underneath all of the excess. Writers are not normal people.
I totally agree with getting ideas from showers and workouts. The only downside is its hard to stop and write it down, especially in the shower. (I ended up keeping a hand-held recorder handy when I work out but can't solve the water problem!)
What about revisions? Everybody has a different idea about editing/revising. They come up with how many times they do it but I seem to do overall edits, spot edits, and do whatever-comes-to-mind edits. I don't really keep track of how many I do, maybe because I don't print them out (again, like you). How about you? What's your editing routine?
In a nutshell: Elation & Dread. Thanks, J.M. Liotti. A lot of dread before the elation.
I thought my book would be a poem. (It wasn't, luckily, because I'm not a poet.) Then I was surprised by 2 pages: the first page (not first any more, but the real beginning) and the climax, which was a bit of a shock. And then a chapter or 2, I think. And then an outline–as much a sort of mental map of relationships & driving forces as a plot outline. This outline I looked at once or twice afterwards. I've misplaced it!
I also write in spurts. I need percolation time. And I can't write if the main focus of my life happens to be somewhere else. Focus is a challenge with me.
One session is normally a few hundred words. Sometimes 2 or 3 thousand. That's as far as I can see.
That half-asleep time in bed is definitely a great time for ideas. I got good at writing in the dark, using my thumb as a guide to go line by line, but now I keep a digital recorder in reach, and it's just press a button and whisper away.
J.M.Leotti, Sorry I misspelled your last name. Duh!
I am fortunate enough that I am able to write while sitting in a guard house getting paid to sign contractors and deliveries in and out of a gated office complex. So even if I don't write on my own all week I know I am stuck in a boring job where I make myself write. Last week had hard drive trouble and discovered just how boring my job is.
That said, I have a fluid outline which allows me the chance to follow my original path and any deviations I make along the way.
and then when I'm wide awake it's time to write.
Therein lies the problem.
Just clicked on your "Am I Crazies?" link. Love it! Thank you, Nathan, for inspiring such fantastic & LOL comments. Will try to remember to look at that page if I'm having a really bad day (in which case I probably won't remember!)
I love How I Write Week!
To stay excited and progressing on a long-term project, I have to touch it regularly. Daily, as much as possible. I get up an hour earlier than I have to on weekdays and use the time to write. On the weekends, I’m awful about focusing on work/to-do type things, so I gotta do them first: I’m at the gym 20 minutes after I wake up, and as soon as I’m out of the shower and clothed, I’m at my computer for at least 20 minutes, just so that I’m touching it and keeping it moving around in my mind.
My greatest challenge is frustration with how slowly it comes together. I’m quite slow at writing—100 to 300 words per sitting, a very frustrating, tiny drop in the bucket when you’re shooting to create a full novel. But it manages to grow over time. But when I get really fed up, I flip through what I’ve already done. I’m always surprised at how pleased I am with what’s on the page, and how many pages there actually are. That gives me the little boost I need to get back down to business.
Nathan, I write like you. I need 5-6 hours at a time, but after a few weekends I feel like I have no social life whatsoever, and my chores pile up, so I break the trend and then I can't get back in after another month or so.
So how do you handle social life and chores while taking a big chunk of time to write in the weekend?
I think Tony Hillerman said it really well. He said something like: "One writes while one is peeling potatoes and washing dishes. Then when the story just can't stay in your head any longer, you finally put it on paper."
For me, I write while I am cleaning the house, pulling weeds and cooking dinner. I put it on paper (or rather in the computer) before my kids wake up in the morning and edit at my kid’s baseball, basketball and football games. If I ever get my book published, I am going to have to give them an acknowledgment and apologize for paying more attention to my hard copy book draft than their games.
– Heidi Wainer
I am a busy full time working mother of two so the time to write is very limited. The best time is to force myself to go to bed early on Friday night and then write early on Saturday morning before the little people wake up and I have to go to the baseball field (my 2nd home).
I'm inspired (again) by your post to get back in the chair and finish my WIP. Also by the other writing Moms' remarks.
Loved the bits I could so relate to…coffee, no fixed schedule, am I crazies, good enough, I write on a MacBook Pro …then almost fell off my chair with "I don't own a printer…"
Marion – No prob. This made me laugh: "(It wasn't, luckily, because I'm not a poet.)" Very funny!
Thanks for sharing your process with us, Nathan!
Like you, I tend to have a vague-ish outline before I start, or within the first few chapters. I also need a couple of hours at a time; I'm not a half-hour-here-and-there writer.
But I don't really pay attention to chapter length for my novels. I do for my chapter books, and obviously I pay a lot of attention to length in my PBs, but I just let my novel do what it wants to do.
And I write my PBs out-of-order: beginning first, then the end, then I work on the middle. Then I sometimes go back and change the beginning, but not always.
I like writing in three different genres at once. If I get stuck on one project, I can let it sit and percolate in my subconscious while I work on another.
One thing I've noticed is that I need to write between books I'm reading. While I'm reading a good book, I tend to get so invested in those characters and that story that I can't think about anything else, including my own WiP. So, I have to finish reading the book and give myself a couple of days to work on my own stuff before I pick up another one.
Instead of working on my own writing, I just spent the last 15 minutes perusing through this week's posts. I especially enjoyed reading your query letter and how you found your agent. Thanks for sharing and good luck with your new and first release.
I like the idea of a flexible (VERY flexible) outline. I also think there are times when a carefully chosen adverb or non-said dialogue tag adds value.
You almost had two people show up at Books Inc tonight until it hit them today was NOT Friday the 13th… 🙂
Such a great post! It's so nice to read that you don't follow word count and don't have the "I write from exactly this time to this time EVERY day" approach. (Reading that is really off putting sometimes.)
I am a believer of the outline that I must admit that I can get carried away and find I try to outline every point. (It surly has cause some struggles in my writing) So, now i try to outline the characters and a beginning/middle/end and then let the characters take off.
Particularly love the miscellaneous. I just finished a writing workshop, and one of the prof's most-repeated tidbits was "always stop when you know what's next."
Thanks! Great post as always.
I love your posts! I think I am reading your whole blog in one night but I will leave some for tomorrow.
I am like you, I tend to rush through scenes and then when I read other books I realize my scenes are not too descriptive and rushed. I need to work on that! Patience!
Wowzers!!!! I love how you put all that into words. I feel exactly the same way. It is easy to get distracted with all the media. I find that more distracting than music. At times I don't know how I would be able to generate ideas or do research without the internet, but at other times, the WEB is a big distraction. Anyway….