My Process: Steps to Writing Novels, Screenplays, or Stageplays.

I've read a lot of books on how to write and they all have their own special brand of advice. I finally realized there are many ways to write. It's all about finding out what works best for you. So, really, when I read a new book on writing I'm really looking to hear how the author practices his or her craft.

With that in mind, I've decided to skip the part where I tell you how to write and go straight to telling you how I write. This is a glimpse into my own personal process, from the initial spark to final draft. This is the same process I use whether I'm writing a novel, screenplay, or stageplay. The formatting may change but the process is still the same. So let's get to it.

First, I have an idea. Usually a very loose idea. Often this idea is the theme of my novel. I'll think, "I want to write about..." (Fill in the blank.)

Next I'll brainstorm. I let my mind go free and come up with different ways I could take the story. I can brainstorm for a month or more. There's a point in my brainstorming when my stray thoughts start to form into images or snippets of scenes or more complete ideas. That's when I start to write things down on paper.

This is also about the time when I break out a folder and/or notebook that will hold all my brainstorming notes. I let things comes freely as I continue to brainstorm and I'm still willing to change things if they don't fit in the whole. I come up with my first character or characters. And I think about their relationships. I think about where they live. What are their daily lives like? What kind of conflict or drama is a part of their lives?

I'll start thinking about scenes these characters could be in and I'll jot down loose versions of these scenes. Sometimes I'll write something like, "In this scene this character does this." Or sometimes I'll write out the dialog between two characters, just dialog without any action or description.

I need a little mystery when I'm writing. If I block out the whole story before I start writing then I loose interest because the story is finished. I want to learn what happens to my characters as they move from the beginning to the end. Having said that, I don't have any problem with deciding on a general story arch.

So now I'm ready to break out the index cards. I have an idea of how the story will begin, what's gonna happen in the middle, and how it will end. I open a fresh pack of 100 index cards and write down a quick line or phrase that describes each of the scenes I have figured out so far.

Writing anything longer than an essay (a novel, screenplay, or stageplay) is a big task. I use index cards because it's a way I can hold the story in my hands and it's a way I can break down the project into more manageable chunks.

I call these chunks "scene beats." In my mind a scene beat is a moment in time. A chapter, on the other hand, can contain many scene beats. I write each scene beat on an index card so that I can mix and match these beats when it comes time to finalize the chapters and the story arch.

I'm getting to the point where I have a stack notes, a bunch of scenes written in a notebook, and a stack of index cards. I have all the bones of my story and it's time to put the skeleton together.

In any lengthy story there is usually more than one storyline. If the story arch is the skeleton as a whole, then a story line is all the bones in an arm or in a leg. It's like a mini-arch. A character falling in love with another character. Or a character learning something about life. Those are two different storylines.

Weaving storylines together is what I consider to be the real art of writing. The idiom that every story has been told is probably true. But a story can be told a million different ways depending on how it's told and the perspective it's told from.

But I digress. Many authors write that putting together the middle of a story is the hardest and I have to agree. This is where you fill in all the holes. How does a character get from point A to point C? Point B is really what I spend most of my time writing.

The practical aspects of writing the middle of a story are really just sitting down and doing it. I repeat a lot of the steps from above, including brainstorming and writing loose scenes. When I have at least and idea of what most of my scenes will contain, I start to shuffle the index cards. I sit down and lay all the index cards in front of me. I move around each story beat until I have storylines and a story arch that feels right.

Now it's time to sit down at the computer and flesh out all those loose scenes. It's like connecting the dots. I make each scene beat flow smoothly into its particular chapter. And I make sure the story is internally consistent by editing scenes and chapters so they all fit together.

The first draft is an important goal to reach. It's a relief when all the loose pieces are woven together into something that kinda resembles a finished product. I wish this was the point where I could say the writing is done but, sadly, it's not.

Some authors recommend you put down the first draft and leave it alone for a while. I agree with this statement. I let myself feel pleased with myself for a while. When I start to feel like the story isn't swirling in my head every moment of the day, I come back to the project. The goal is to come back with a little bit of distance and a fresh perspective.

Editing is the bane of my existence. Let me say that again, I hate editing. Not because I have to slash through and remove parts of my script. I'm okay with getting rid of stuff that doesn't work. But because editing is really all about rewriting. As in taking your nice completed project and possibly writing the whole thing all over again. Sometimes it just means rewriting a couple scenes but other times it means altering the fundamental core of the story arch. If you really love a project this will all seem worth it but I'm not going to say it's easy.

I have learned some tricks to make this process less agonizing. The first is using text-to-speech. I'm not good at editing from a printout or computer screen alone. I get bored and frustrated and walk away. But if the computer reads the text to me I don't have as much of a problem. While the computer is reading I can follow along on a printout and make notes for myself that I can change later.

In place of index cards I've recently started to use a spreadsheet on the computer. This way I can break down the story by character, location, action, etc. It gives me a different way to move things around so that I can fix any problems in the story.

I can spend as much time editing as I did writing that first draft. When I finally finish that second draft it's a great relief. If only that were the end! But no. I don't let anyone see my writing until I have at least a completed first draft. Any input, good or bad, can ruin a piece for me. So all the writing and editing I've done up to this point is all about what I think. What I like and what I prefer.

Now it's time to let someone else read it. Sometimes this means taking the piece to be read at a workshop and sometimes this means letting my friends read it. I think the important part is to find people that will tell you what they don't like.

Positive feedback is easy to come by. Honest and negative feeback is harder to find. And, when you do find someone that will give you negative feedback you have to find some way to not take the feeback personally. I try to listen to negative feedback for things that ring true to me and ignore the rest.

Most of the negative feedback people will give you is about their personal preferences, so it's really okay to pick and choosing what you take to heart. The exception is when you hear multiple people say the same thing. Unless, of course, you were intending to have that effect.

I once wrote this piece that was particularly controversial and when it was read in a workshop everyone got riled up. I heard many people encouraging me to change certain aspects of the piece. But part of what they wanted me to change were the things that made them feel uncomfortable.

As a writer your voice is the part that makes the story your writing unique. Too much workshopping, or taking to heart all the feedback you get, will ultimately cause you to water down your work. It will remove the part of your work that makes it special. It's a delicate balance between listening to your audience and choosing what you want the audience to hear.

And, finally, we come to the end. Some artists like to say that a work is never done but I disagree. You can't write something new if your still working on something old. I'm actually one of those authors that starts thinking about my next project while I'm in the middle of my current project.

For me writing is my art. And I'm always learning new things about my art. There are lessons still out there that I have to learn but this were I am now. And I hope you found this foray into my process helpful or informative or even a bit entertaining.