Work Wednesday:Process

 

I don’t have a set way to approach my books. Some chapters run like movies in my head, and I write them down. Others, I have to outline before I can even begin.

I often worry about my process. Because I know authors who map out their entire book with outlines, note cards pinned to bulletin boards, or notebooks filled with clippings and handwritten chapters. My experience is a bit more haphazard.

I employ all those methods…just without any type of cohesive plan. And sometimes, I follow what I’ve outlined. More often than not, I let the characters drive the car, and I’m just along for the ride.

That’s what I like best about writing. Discovering something I had never contemplated and realizing that not only does it fit the story, it is better than my original idea. All because I let my characters live and breathe in my head.