This is still ringing true as I break the 50k boundary on book 3. One thing I would add is a kind of addendum to point #4, which is that writing scenes out of sequence has really helped me to ensure every scene has an explicit focus and that nothing I write is filler. One of the most important things I’ve read from several authors is that every scene MUST either tell the reader something about character or move the plot forward. By writing scenes out of chronological sequence, I’m always cutting to the chase, getting to the heart of the moment, and so far this has seemed to work! Of course, the challenge comes when I have to stitch it together, which is probably my least favourite job…
Since I finished looking over the copy edit of book 2, I’ve started to get really stuck in to writing book 3 of the Little Somerby series. As usual, this has led to much thought about what my ‘process’ is when I’m writing, so I thought I’d try to document some of that here, for those who might be wondering what it looks and feels like in my head!
- I’m a plantser. That means I plot a bit and I fly by the seat of my (massive, mummy) pants a bit. I generally know the beginning and end of a story when I start, and who the main characters are, but I don’t often know what’s going to happen in between until it happens! Sometimes my characters go off in directions that surprise me. For example, I didn’t know what was going to happen to Meredith in The Second Chance…
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Fay Keenan 