Dec 18, 2023
Describe your steps for moving from a story idea to a finished story.
Steps? You think I have standard steps? Are you trying to make me laugh?
Thing is, my process can vary from story to story. I’m a ‘pantser’ writer. That means I don’t have a plot and outline before I start writing. My stories are very much ‘discovered’ as I put words on paper. Even when I have a basic storyline in my head, my characters change things around on me.
Take Tasha from Wolves’ Knight, for example. I had a sweet little romance all planned out for her. Even wrote a first kiss scene, taking place at the top of a waterfall on a moonlit night in a remote wooded area. Where would that kiss lead? I never found out. Tasha protested. Told me I was hooking her up with the wrong guy. (Yes, my characters and I have animated discussions. Some might call them arguments.) When I figured out who she wanted to be involved with, I couldn’t believe it. I had to go back and make small changes to make it happen, but she was right. The book was better because of it.
But here’s my basic process, subject to revision at a character’s whim. I get an idea for a story-it may be something that comes in a dream, or creeps up on me as I’m working on something else, or it may rattle around in my head for years. (Take my current work in process. I wrote the first draft over ten years ago. And I still want to add another book to the Free Wolves series. I haven’t touched that series since 2019.)
Now that I have an idea, I start writing. I start at the beginning of the story and write the book straight through to the end, without jumping around. The exception is when I go back and add or change things because my characters insist.
Once I’ve gotten to the end, it’s time for revisions. There’s lots of advice about taking at least two weeks off from the story, but that never works out for me. I always want to dive in and start fixing things immediately. There’s a lot of editing/revising that happens. Everything from fixing one or two words to cutting entire scenes. (My last release, The Rise of Jake Hennessey, went through at least five rounds of editing. I lost count.)
At that point, the story is done. As an indie author, there are more steps to getting it ready for publication. Formatting, copywrite, cover, etc.
That’s how I do things, anyway. Other authors may do it differently. Let’s find out by checking in with the rest of the participants on this hop. Check out the links below.
FYI, because of the holidays, there won’t be a blog hop the next couple of weeks. Whatever you celebrate this time of year, may your days be happy/merry/blessed/bright. (And safe.) See you again in January!
Yes. I have frank and open discussions (arguments) with my characters too. I’ve learned to let them have their way. After all, It’s their story.
I have to rein them in sometimes. Occasionally they want to wander into a full-fledges sex scene, and I don’t want to write it.
I’m a pantser too. I don’t want to work to a rigid plot. Sometimes the ending of a story is totally different to what I’d expected.
It amazes how listening to the characters can change a story.
My characters seem to have plans of their own, too. Keeps it fun! @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
How do people who write from an outline deal with characters running amuck?
I write a summary of each chapter then I go back and change things around.
O :)h, you’re one of those people – you plan your story ahead of time!