The Writing Process: My Own Experience | billybuc, HubPages

Self-published novelist billybuc describes the standard, often-recommended writing process near the start of this article. But in a "reality check," he questions whether many writers have time for that time-consuming step-by-step process, and suggests that, instead, they end up following a process that better suits their life styles and schedules.

He writes:

I have found that the good writers do this instinctually. The ideas just come to them. The planning and structure happen as they are walking from the kitchen to the den. The writing tends to be nearly at final stage on the first write and revising and editing is done as the writing is being done so that once the article is completed the final draft is basically done. There may be one read-through to check for mistakes but that’s about it. The whole process consists of the time it took to write the article once and re-read it once.

Later, he describes his process for novel writing, and continues:

Bottom line is a writer needs to find what works for them. If a formal following of the writing process is your cup of tea then by all means follow it. If you are a willy-nilly writer such as myself then by all means follow that style. A writer has a passion to write and that is the great secret ingredient. If you have a passion to write then write! Just as a writer develops a writing voice a writer also develops a writing style that works for them and them alone. I have known writers who could only write in the morning; others who wrote better in the middle of the night. Some have to have complete quiet while others need Mozart cranked to the max on the stereo to get their creative juices flowing.

For more advice on the writing process, check out Garbl's Writing Process Links.