To write a good book you must split your heart and soul wide open and pour the contents onto paper. Only after your heart and soul bleed dry have you written a good book.
I imagine the writing process as similar to painting a picture - constantly adding detail upon detail. The first draft is never the final draft. I never know at the start how a story will end.
My writing process includes:
1) Decide characters and details
2) Handwrite outline
3) Decide who is telling the story
4) Decide the tense
5) Type story
6) Edit story forward
7) Edit story backward
8) Final edit
My writing process details
1) Decide characters and details
Make a list of the main characters and their traits. You will add to and change the list throughout the entire book writing process. The list helps you remain organized and consistent. You want to make sure you spell a character’s name the same throughout the entire story. Keeping an accurate list of characters helps keep all of the details consistent.
The best example of a common error that should never happen is no explainable reason for character inconsistency such as height, eyes, or hair changing for no reason. I read a book in which the main character had blue eyes, but during one scene the character had hazel eyes for no explainable reason. Errors such as inconsistent eye or hair color are common and happen because of numerous reasons. Keeping an up-to-date character list will help maintain consistency.
2) Handwrite outline
I always handwrite the outline. I handwrite the outline for several reasons. Sometimes I start a storyline that doesn’t develop properly into a book. It’s best to determine if a storyline will progress into a book before you invest too much time.
My thought process works faster than my ability to type. I handwrite in a form of shorthand that I understand. By handwriting the outline while using shorthand I’m able to jot down every idea, then I decide what to use in the story later while I’m typing.
There are three main areas I concentrate on while writing an outline including, brief timeline, freewrite, and only an outline.
Brief timeline
I write a brief timeline of events. I only write a brief timeline because the events will change as the story unfolds, but the basic timeline of events will remain constant.
Freewrite
I only freewrite while I’m writing the outline. I look at my character list and timeline, and I freewrite the entire outline. I try not to think too much during this step. The use of free-writing will render many ideas from your sub-conscious that you may overlook while actively trying to think as you write. Yes, you can overthink the outline, which may stall or destroy a story.
Only an outline
I make sure I only write an outline. An outline is different from a complete story. I save adding the details until I type the story. The outline doesn’t need details. If characters are talking inside of a room, the details of the room are not important until typing the complete story. It helps me to imagine writing the outline of a story as similar to drawing the outline of a painting. If I were painting a hillside, I’d first draw an outline and add the details later. I never let anyone read my outline of a story. In the past, I allowed people to read the outline. Even though I explained the draft was only an outline, I always heard comments about how the story was lacking details. I discovered the average person doesn’t fully understand the necessary inherent qualities of an outline.
3) Decide who is telling the story
There are only two options as to who is telling the story. The two options include narrator or character. For nonfiction books, the author is typically the narrator. Deciding who is telling a fiction story is sometimes an extremely difficult decision.
There are also three points of view from which to tell a story including first person, second person and third person. I wrote Stop Dreaming, Start Publishing from all three points of view.
First person
First person point of view means the author or a specific character is the narrator. Authors typically use this form in nonfiction, especially autobiographies and memoirs. I use first person in fiction when a specific character is the narrator. First person includes the words, (I/we; me/us; my/mine; our/ours). An example of first person is, “I always edit my books backward.”
Second Person
Second person point of view means the author directly addresses the reader. Authors rarely use this form while writing fiction. Authors use second person when writing business related material or instructions. Second person includes the words, (you; your/yours). An example of second person is, “you must edit your book backward.”
Third Person
Third person point of view means an outside observer, someone other than the author or a specific character, is the narrator. Authors use this form most often while writing fiction. Third person includes the words, (he/him/his; she/her/hers; it/its; they/them; their/theirs). An example of third person is, “she followed my advice and edited her story backward.”
Note about points of view
I have written some books from first person point of view, and then after I typed the story I decided the story would read better told through third person. I sometimes write in first person, and sometimes in third person. I make that decision after I decide who is telling the story (a character or narrator), then decide if I’m that person (first person), or I’m simply an observer telling the story (third person). Sometimes it requires someone else reading your story to tell you if the proper person is telling the story from the proper point of view. The main important parts are to make sure the story flows while reading and you remain constant. In a linear story, the person telling the story rarely changes. In a nonlinear story, anything can happen, including changing who is telling the story.
4) Decide the tense
There are three main verb tense choices including present, past and future. Authors typically write a book in past tense, and a movie script in present tense. Parts of a story are future tense, but I’ve never read an English book written entirely in future tense. I’ve heard there are English books written only in future tense, but that would be extremely difficult to write, except for a book consisting of predictions of the future.
I prefer to write a book in present tense. When I first wrote books, I wrote in present tense and later changed the words to past tense. Whenever I wrote a book in present tense, pre-readers always told me the story didn’t properly flow. Every book that I’ve written in present tense, I rewrote each book in past tense. I now write all of my books in past tense right from the beginning.
A little side note, I don’t know why, it’s faster to type in past tense. I think the reason is due to the keys arrangement on the keyboard (QWERTY keyboard layout). I believe (but just a belief) that the keys’ arrangement allow fast typing of a book or magazine article, typically written in past tense.
Random fact
Within the top row of the QWERTY keyboard layout, the word ‘typewriter’ is within the top row. Many believe the feature was included to assist sales. A salesperson was able to type the word ‘typewriter’ very fast without having to learn how to type. The odds of sales being the reason for the QWERTY keyboard design are extremely slim. The QWERTY design was the first of its kind, and you can type the word ‘prototype’ using only the top line.
5) Type story
Typing the story is the point when I begin adding details. I type the outline that I handwrote, adding details as I go, while paying strict attention to consistency.
I follow the rule that written words are more complex than spoken words. A paragraph (narration) must be grammatically accurate, and contain properly spelled words and complete details. Conversations (anything in quotes) must be accurate to how the characters speak, which is not always grammatically correct.
I never worry about word count during this step, and I only pay mild attention to spelling. The main goal of first typing the story is to transfer the outline from paper to the computer.
I add details as I type, just like adding layers while painting a picture. For example, in the outline for this section I wrote, ‘type first draft’. While I typed the outline, I added extra details from the research I conducted and examples from my personal experiences.
As a side note, during this part I added the word ‘first draft’ to my edit sheet, so I was sure to always spell the word consistently and not switch randomly to, ‘1st draft’.
Random fact
Mark Twain submitted the very first typed manuscript.
6) Edit story forward
Edit your story from start to end. Make sure all of your punctuation, character details, person telling the story, tense, and details are accurate and remain consistent. Add details to any weak areas. After you read a paragraph stop and ask if there should be more details or supporting information. I try to make every sentence the best possible. I believe each word in each paragraph of each sentence all hold equal importance.
I do not pay strict attention to spelling at this time. During this step, I devote my attention to adding details, while ensuring grammar accuracy and overall consistency.
When I typed the first draft of Kingdom of Harmony, I started with sixteen nothinglings. I was hand painting each nothingling as I was typing the story, but when I got to fourteen, I got tired of painting tiny ceramic statues. The first time I mentioned the nothinglings in the story I wrote sixteen. Later I wrote fourteen. During this step when I read sixteen nothinglings, I instantly checked my character list, which I update every time I make a change. I looked at nothinglings and saw: 16 / 14. I changed the word in the story to fourteen.
I read each paragraph, stop, and ask myself if the story requires more details, or did I include too many details.
I enjoy telling a story through character conversations. I constantly ask myself if I should add more conversation. I ask myself if each paragraph has the perfect blend of details. A writer must be great at painting a picture with words. An author creates a mental image through words by using descriptive, relatable details. An author must perfectly blend details so a person in the United States, Europe, and Asia all relate to the story.
Many authors, especially contemporary, repeat the same words several different times. The narrator and characters will say the same thing. I only utilize repetition when I’m trying to drill in something essential. If you wish to publish as a successful commercial author, you must develop the ability to repeat the exact same words multiple times through multiple characters (a skill that is not as easy as it sounds).
7) Edit story backward
Everyone who knows how to edit a book knows exactly why I say edit your story backward. There are two ways to edit your story backward. The first method is to read each word from the last word to the first word. The second method is to read the last paragraph, then the second to last paragraph, all the way to the first paragraph.
I choose to utilize the second of the two methods. I edit starting at the beginning of each paragraph so I’m able to add extra details as I go, and double check punctuation, grammar and consistency. I also pay attention to spelling during this stage.
You edit backward because as the author of the story you know the proper words in your head. Provided you spell a word close to correct, your brain will fill in the correct word. By reading your story backward, your mind will not fill in the correct spelling.
I add details during this step because when I write a book I never feel the end is as strong as the beginning, mostly because my mind is exhausted. By reading the end first, I’m able to start fresh and add details that make the end just as strong as the beginning.
I complete two specific tasks as I edit backward. First, I add details and verify consistency. Second, I edit spelling and grammar.
8) Final edit
During the final edit, I print a fresh copy of the book. This is the step I devote all of my attention to spelling. I read and cross out every word, and enter the changes when I find a mistake. If, as I read a word, I’m not one hundred percent sure that the word is correct I look up the word and then cross out the word.
Many words have multiple spellings depending on which dialect you are writing, or which dictionary you reference. I write within the dialect of United States English. The writing rules concerning United States English often changes, especially in regards to words with hyphens. If I were writing within the dialect of another country’s version of English, I would spell many words different. Keeping an accurate edit sheet ensures I consistently use the correct word.
