Exactly what is the process of a writer? I cannot speak to everyone, but for me, the path to the conception of an idea can be as fun as the writing itself. I’m going to feature the Guardian series to give you the complete process.
First off: Where did the idea come from? Believe it or not, with the Guardian WIT Series, the first spark of the story came to me in a vivid, full color dream. Yes, you read that right. A dream. Where most dreams are black and white and come in disjointed flashes. This dream was not.
When I have a dream that turns into a conception for a book; I can wake up, make a bathroom run or talk to my hubby (he works evenings) for a few minutes. When I finally make it back, the dream picks up exactly where it left off, and the story continues or it replays until the concept implants in my brain, and I remember it when I rise in the morning. Most dreams people will forget, but my mind uses these to start me on a path to a successful book!
Now the dream could be a single scene, or several scenes in consecutive order or disjointed, but the characters are the same. It’s up to me to sort it out. It’s like watching a television program in my mind. When I wake up, I write what I saw, and like I said before, it could be a chosen scene (usually the opening scene) or the summary of an entire book. This way I can set it aside and return to it to prompt the book. From there, I ruminate on the idea while I’m working on other books. It sits on a shelf in my mind until I can physically start writing it.
I’ve gone through the process of character descriptions, but I find my characters relate to readers more if I let them develop their direction. If I let them follow their path in the story. I always feel restricted about where I can take my story and my characters if I must use a description I wrote before I write a single scene in the story. It doesn’t work for me.
Marna and Tanner, when left to lead me in their direction, have turned into characters the readers root for. Readers want to follow where they go or where their story will end. They love them. I don’t have that experience if I try to control their stories. For me, following the characters works. May not be true for other writers and that is okay, but for me, that works.
Another toy I have used recently, to get to know the characters, is the ability to access AI. I have created my characters from the book to display on my website. I’ve had conversations with them, and in the way of character development, it is fun, because you get to interview them, and their answers are based on your creation of them. You can change things while you are interviewing them. Although there are those who have reservations or even phobias about this technology, I am eager to embrace it. This style of play requires a genuine passion for technology. It also gives fans the chance to talk to their favorite character. I don’t expect others to use this process, and that is perfectly fine. I understand the reservations in the post “Terminator” world, but it all depends on who is using them and directing the AI’s behavior. For this use, though, I find it just plain fun. However, I don’t condone the use of AI to replace human workers. That is just wrong. I also don’t believe AI should replace the human aspect of creating your stories or characters. However, as a tool or aide to the author, I support it.
The next step is writing the story. To sit down and begin the story after my rumination of the idea is the next step. I allow the characters to draw me a map as I write. I. How will the protagonist react in a situation? What or who can you use as the antagonist? Once those decisions are made, I move on.
The Next step? I write the first draft. As you write, I highly recommend using an editing program to enhance your work as an aide. Do not go without the human side of it. I figure out how long my chapters will be and keep the writing within those goals. Whether it be 20 pages or an X number of words. The scenes I find develop themselves.
When the first draft is done, the editing stage moves in. My first read through involves taking out scenes, adding them, developing them further. Try to give my characters more facades if needed. This can take days, weeks, or sometimes even months of development. I give it a few hours a day to do this.
The next step is to use Word’s read aloud feature and listen to what it sounds like. I add mechanics. Take them away if it’s needed and call it my second go through. I ask myself questions. Would that character actually say that? Would they react that way? Does that show my reader an insight? Does that move the story forward? How I answer these questions will give me the revisions I need to do.
Next, I will read through the story again using the same process as before. When I feel I can move forward, I send it off to my editor. Finances sometimes don’t allow this step, so I got through the steps all over, trying to be objective and judge my story in the eyes of the reader.
The next step is going to be the publishing step. When I finish with the publishing agent, whether it be Amazon, Barns and Noble, or some other self-publishing establishment. I order my author copies and read it again, listening to their suggestions. I go back to the hard copy or computer copy and make any corrections needed, then I reload the manuscript and publish, with fingers crossed.
The next step is marketing, and that is where I hit the snags that place me on the lower level of the seller’s list. I need help with this step; I know that. It gets hard being an Indie writer, because some of us have financial issues that keep us from taking certain steps needed. Where I am located, places to do book signings are limited. I live in a small town in the small state of NH, and where I am located requires traveling several minutes if not more to get to places that I need to reach. Granted, having a larger budget would help tremendously, but we play the hand we are dealt. When I make it to a book signing, people say they have never heard of me, and because of this, they move on. Those that read my work give it 4-5 stars. How do I compound on that? I ask them to share my page or share the book, again that is limited possibilities. Those that meet me don’t know me personally, so they don’t feel secure in sharing links due to the possibility of Hackers.
Being an indie author is difficult, to say the least. However, believing in yourself helps others believe in you. I have a social media presence, but many people still don’t know I exist. People are very busy in their own lives. Stopping to help a friend or family member can be an inconvenience in your busy life, but your help could be the key to the next sale or no sale. Take the time to offer an Indie author, artist or singer a hand up to the next step in their publishing journey. You may not always hear it, but the appreciation they have for a simple share on social media is great.