The way I start my writing day actually isn’t very interesting. Doing some work at the computer is literally the first thing I usually do when I get up, before showering and dressing or breakfast, I have a quick rush through emails, social media, BBC news, and then I settle to write here. Having posted my blog, I open whatever I am working on with my writing and do an hour or so. I’m lucky because coffee magically appears, but it’s only later I shower, dress and breakfast,
When I actually settle to my writing, if I’m not editing something, then I go to the last thing I wrote, read a couple of lines to position myself, then… just write! I might dodge back to check what I’ve written before, I might go back and change something or tweak a few details, do a little rewrite – or maybe even a bigger rewrite, but in general I write in a linear fashion, from the beginning, to the end.
I might have a general plan, a rough idea, but the different elements and plot lines are all in my head. I do keep a list of useful articles or websites to refer to, but it’s added to as I proceed, I don’t set it up before I start the story.
With the story I am writing at the present, set in 1954 there is a lot of research which needs to be done, but once again, the story for me is why I am writing it and why, I hope readers will read it so I have to get that right, it has to hang together. I am concentrating on writing the story, and although I do deviate to check details such as names people would have had, clothes they would have worn – and most recently what people might have been drinking in a posh hotel bar, I will leave much of the researching into fine details until the first draft is completed.
I have never written a historical novel before; I guess setting it in the 1950’s is easier than setting it in the 1850’s, 1550’s or any earlier ’50’s as there is so much material available – films, newspapers etc, and so many people still alive who I can ask! I will immerse myself in that era, but I want the story I’m writing to be the gripping mainstay, the period is just the backdrop.
Someone posed this question:
How do you begin your writing session? Do you read over what you wrote the previous session? Or do you just jump straight into it? (Or do you do something else?)
As you can imagine there were as many answers as there are writers! Most people do a variation of skimming through some or all of what they previously wrote then ‘plunging back’ in, some do that and lightly edit or tweak, Quite often this skim-through is only to bring them back t where they were so they can then just carry on. Some people have notes and a plan and they consult it and work to their timetable. Quite a few writers said they write something else for a little while, to clear and focus themselves on what they are working on (I guess I do that)
Some people seem so organised – one makes a plan of what they hope to achieve in that writing session or day. Another makes a plan for the next day – which I think is interesting; s/he writes what s/he planned the previous which I guess gives time for reflection – however, my stories always take off in unexpected directions so that wouldn’t work for me! Another person is well-planned, but only in his/her head! That again is rather like me, although I’m not well-planned, I just have a rough idea!
I liked this reply:
I begin with angst and procrastination
… and this one:
I like to start by staring at Twitter for % of my allotted time and then making a meaningless change to the table of contents before I have to go
I think it’s fascinating how people write and how differently they write; I think we can learn a lot from each other, and I’m going to reread the comments again, and see how I might change my way of writing to be more effective… That’s the plan, anyway!
Here is a link to my books:
Lois Elsden 