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Monday, May 7, 2012

From Idea to Drafting: My Writing Process | Sara McClung

I love when writers talk about their processes. How they write. How they plot. How they revise. It's kind of like getting to take a peek in your neighbor's house. Getting to see how they decorate, their furniture choices, their color schemes. Sometimes it might not match your particular style, but still. You can't help but be curious. (And sometimes you discover a style that might work for you as well!)
So begins this blog by Sara McClung. She writes stories for teens. And here "a high-level peek into how I write a book." Before providing six tips, she writes:
For the record, I've yet to have my process work the same way twice. It changes every time I start something new, but some of the basics are pretty constant.
Here are the headings for her tips, which also include estimates of the time she takes for each one:
  1. I usually get hit with inspiration for a new story (one that actually sticks, I mean--I have plenty of concepts that fizzle out after a day or two) right around the time I'm halfway (or almost) finished with the draft I'm currently writing. ...
  2. I spend a while letting the story/characters develop organically--if (in the story's case) somewhat vaguely--in the back of my mind. Every once in a while I'll jot notes down ....
  3. I get serious about the project and start plotting for real. ...
  4. The writing starts. ...
  5. More plotting. ...
  6. The REAL writing starts. ...
Note all the planning she does before actually getting into her writing. Good point! 


For more information, check out Garbl's Writing Process Links. It's an annotated directory of websites that can help you follow the steps in the writing process, such as prewriting, research, drafting, editing, revising, proofreading and publishing.

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