A Peek Inside

My "process" (nod to KV Taylor, Danielle Ferries, and Cate Gardner among others for going before):

1. Are you a “pantser” or a “plotter?”

I like to know the end before I begin, but I generally let the story and characters write the rules as they go. I've flirted with plotting, but it all crumbles in the process. The end is a destination, but the journey to the end is the story.

2. Detailed character sketches or “their character will be revealed to me as a I write”?

A little of both. Some characters need specific flaws or "character glitches" to make things work out. I try to write with honesty and avoid "types" as much as possible. Every person (and character) has the ability to do great things or to fail miserably.

3. Do you know your characters’ goals, motivations, and conflicts before you start writing or is that something else you discover only after you start writing?

This goes along with knowing the end before I begin. Although some of a character's personality might be revealed along the way, I like to know what motivates them--especially in short fiction--because motivation helps dictate how they resolve their "problems".

4. Books on plotting – useful or harmful?

Read every written word of advice with a skeptical eye. Even these.

5. Are you a procrastinator or does the itch to write keep at you until you sit down and work?

Once I start, I can really cruise. Starting is the trick. If I don't write for a while, the itch takes over.

6. Do you write in short bursts of creative energy, or can you sit down and write for hours at a time?

Life intervenes: I simply cannot write for hours at a time. I can't do anything for hours at a time anymore. I do always try to stop while I'm still enjoying the process--it makes it much easier to return later.

8. Do you write with music/the noise of children/in a cafe or other public setting, or do you need complete silence to concentrate?

The man cave is my best friend. Ambient music is nice, too. For spooky writing I like On Land and Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks (Brian Eno) or Stalker (Robert Rich and B. Lustmord). Midnight Syndicate is nice, too, but a little cheesy. The music sets a mood and provides sufficient "off-white noise".

9. Computer or longhand? (or typewriter?)

Computer. No debate here. I occasionally sketch notes, but only if a keyboard isn't available.

10. Do you know the ending before you type Chapter One?

Absolutely. The end is never "set in stone", but it never deviates much from what I've planned, either. I allow for development, but I have to have a destination, especially in longer works. Otherwise, I'm floundering (like with my current WIP...ugh).

11. Does what’s selling in the market influence how and what you write?

Maybe it should...

12. Editing – love it or hate it?

Love it. Editing is the real meat of writing. First drafts...just make sure the plot is in the right place. Editing is where the magic happens. It is crucial to give each piece a few days of "simmer" time before reading it again (or a few weeks/months in terms of a novel).

That was fun. Try it.