David’s Guided Writing I
The Writing Process: From
Brainstorming to Editing
Every writer follows his or her own writing process. Often the process is a
routine that comes naturally and is not a step-by-step guide to which writers
refer. Being conscious of your own writing process is especially helpful when
you find yourself struggling with a particularly tricky piece. Here are five steps
towards creating or identifying your personal writing process.
1. Prewriting
You’re ready to start writing. So why has that blank page been staring back at
you for the past hour? Prewriting identifies everything you need to do before
you sit down to start your rough draft.
Find Your Idea
Ideas are all around you. You might draw inspiration from a routine, an everyday
situation or a childhood memory. Alternatively, keep a notebook specifically
devoted to catching your ideas as they come to you. Your own imagination is the
only limit to finding your source of inspiration.
Build On Your Idea
Two of the most popular methods of fleshing out your idea are free writing and
brainstorming. Free writing means writing every idea that comes into your head.
Do not stop to edit your mistakes, just let the ideas flow. Or, try brainstorming. If
you're on a computer, try a manual process first to help you visualize your
narrative: write your idea in the center of the page and work outwards in all of the
different directions you can take your story.
Plan and Structure
Piecing the puzzle together comes next. It's time to sort through your ideas and
choose which ones you will use to form your story. Make sure you keep your
notes even after your book is published – there may be the seeds for your next
story as well.
2. Writing
Now you have your plan and you’re ready to start writing. Remember, this is
your first rough draft. Forget about word count and grammar. Don’t worry if
you stray off topic in places; even the greatest writers produce multiple drafts
before they produce their finished manuscript. Think of this stage as a free
writing exercise, just with more direction. Identify the best time and location to
write and eliminate potential distractions. Make writing a regular part of your
day.
David’s Guided Writing I
3. Revision
Your story can change a great deal during this stage. When revising their
work, many writers naturally adopt the A.R.R.R. approach:
Add: The average novel has between 60,000 and 100,000 words. Does your
book have enough words to be considered a novel? Have you given your readers
all the information they need to make sense of your story? If not, go back to your
notebook that you kept for additional scenes and any additional details.
Rearrange: Consider the flow, pacing and sequencing of your story. Would the
plot be better served if some of the events occur in a different order?
Remove: After making additions to your story, how is your word count now? Are
your readers experiencing information overload? You may need to eliminate
passages that don’t quite fit.
Replace: The most effective way to revise your work is to ask for a second
opinion. Do you need more vivid details to help clarify your work? Is one scene
contradicting another? Ask friends or fellow writers to take a look and give you
feedback, and if something isn’t working rewrite it and replace it.
4. Editing
You have overhauled your story. It’s time to fine tune your manuscript line by
line. Check for repetition, clarity, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Editing is
an extremely detailed process and its best when performed by a professional.
You can hire your own editor or utilized the editing services available. Nobody
wants to read a book that is full of mistakes, and they certainly won’t buy a
book that is riddled with them.
