Progress! (And a little bit on my writing process.)

Good morning!

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are basically our weekend in this household due to my husband’s work schedule, so I haven’t been hitting the keys as hard these past couple of days. Still, I made some time to work on Chorus Mortem and I just have to say, I am so damn happy I did.

Everyone has a different writing process. Some just get to the page and let their imaginations take them wherever they want to go. Some plan and plot and outline and know exactly where their story is going before they even begin writing it.

For me, it’s a bit of a blend of the two.

You see, I enjoy writing from the hip like the first, but I’ve realized that I have a bad habit of getting tangled up in all the alternate timelines and scenarios in my head and sometimes that translates to a confusing story for the reader. So, despite actually hating the whole drafting process, I’ll write out a rough outline of what I want to happen and the questions I need to answer.

And then I’ll do another one. And another. Maybe a fourth for good measure.

This only looks tame and organized because I recently switched to a new computer.

Since it’s a bit of a chore for me, this can take some time but it does make the writing a bit smoother in the long run. The problem is, all the plotting and planning tends to mess with my imaginative, creative side and it can take a minute to get her back. Usually, she won’t resurface until I’ve done a bit of writing already.

Which brings me back to why I am so excited today. It’s as if someone flipped a switch, that beautiful, weird, creative side came back to me and my characters — strong personalities and weird quirks and all — woke up and started talking to me again. It’s a great feeling. I can’t wait to get this all onto the page and see what you think.

Alright, I’m heading back to the book. Strike while the iron’s hot, as they say. To my fellow writers out there, the biggest piece of advice I can give is: write every day. Even when you don’t feel creative. It will come back if you keep at it. Don’t just wait around until you’re just feeling inspired. So, just write. It doesn’t have to be your current book, it can be a journal or blog or diary or guest post –doesn’t matter. You need to keep those writing muscles toned and ready for when the stories return.

Thanks for reading! If you have any tips or advice for your fellow authors out there, let me know in the comments!

❤ Lila