Mary's one of the writers in the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and she's been a success for more than one novel (SEALed with a Kiss, SEALed with a Promise, SEALed with a Ring in a bundle, SEALed Forever on Amazon). At the writers' meeting this past Saturday, she gave me this advice:
"You have to discover your process, and what you do, you have to respect it."
Every writer writes differently. Some people write their best when they plot out the story beforehand; others write their best when they write by the seat of the pants. It's really easy to tell someone else how you write, and it's really easy to find books of other people telling you how to write.
But one of the hardest things to do is to discover how you write best. And when you find it, follow it.
For some people, this means sprinting - writing short spurts at a time. For others, marathons work best. Some people have to have tea at hand and an open window; others need earplugs and complete darkness. Sometimes we try to write in a way that doesn't work for us. Sometimes, we try something new and find it works better than the old way.
Never let anyone claim they know how you write better than you do. It's your process. Do it your way. Don't be afraid to try something new, but don't force yourself to keep doing something that doesn't work.
How do you write? What's your process?
"You have to discover your process, and what you do, you have to respect it."
Every writer writes differently. Some people write their best when they plot out the story beforehand; others write their best when they write by the seat of the pants. It's really easy to tell someone else how you write, and it's really easy to find books of other people telling you how to write.
But one of the hardest things to do is to discover how you write best. And when you find it, follow it.
For some people, this means sprinting - writing short spurts at a time. For others, marathons work best. Some people have to have tea at hand and an open window; others need earplugs and complete darkness. Sometimes we try to write in a way that doesn't work for us. Sometimes, we try something new and find it works better than the old way.
Never let anyone claim they know how you write better than you do. It's your process. Do it your way. Don't be afraid to try something new, but don't force yourself to keep doing something that doesn't work.
How do you write? What's your process?
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