How to develop your writing process
My writing room, which I’m very lucky to have.
We talk a lot about creative process or writing process, but what is it exactly?
For me a writing process is really just another way of talking about having a routine; but it’s also a little more than that. It’s the nuts and bolts of the practicalities of writing - a time that you show up to your notebook or computer, a plan - but process also includes everything that goes on behind the scenes in a more cerebral way too; the thought processes which can be hard to chart, but which all start somewhere.
Why have a writing process?
How many of us crave uninterrupted time to write, but then when we finally have it, we don’t really know what to do in that time or how to approach it/ Time passes us by, and before we know it, it's gone, and we're not entirely sure where it disappeared to - or what we did with it. It can be really overwhelming to face a blank page and it’s unsurprising that so often, we freeze in front of it.
But having a process means that there’s a way out of this kind of writer’s block.
A writing routine, or a writing process, means that we can potentially avoid this scenario! If you have a writing process, if you know how you are going to structure and organise both your day but also your thoughts, then it’s easier to face that blank page. It’s easier to be consistent, and turn up the next day and the next day. It’s easier to sit down and write when there’s an order to the way you approach your creativity and do things. A writing process will help you form the habits you need to help you create regularly and long term.
Where to begin?
Start with daily reading
There's a certain degree of groundwork that goes into writing a novel or even a short story. It's like study prep. And I'm not talking about research specific to your novel idea, whether historical or contemporary, and I’m not talking about the work that goes into planning and outlining a novel.
I'm merely talking about spending some time learning, honing, developing your craft before you jump right in. By which I mean doing things like, reading but reading very specifically, as I’ll go on to explain.
2. Form a habit of reading in an engaged, active and critical way
Make a distinction between the reading you do for pleasure, and the reading you do to help you think like a writer. To me, the latter means selecting the work of someone I admire, someone I would dream of writing like (most often Alice Munro, Jhumpa Lahiri, Tessa Hadley, Elizabeth Strout - as examples), and engaging with an extract of their work - a chapter or a short story - in a critical, active way; underlining, unpicking, analysing, considering their language choices, beginnings and endings, looking into the significance of, say, recurring images or particular descriptions, and anything to do with character development. Keep a note book just for this and refer back to it.
I love doing this kind of work, because it’s so rewarding and fulfilling. It is not procrastination because you are doing this in order to learn.This is all still very much part of the process and arguably more important than trying to just get 15,000 words down from scratch when you don't really know where to begin.
Of course, a lot of ‘learning your craft’ comes from, well, just simply doing the writing, the first draft. But I would say that you can structure your writing process in such a way that you can do both. For me, it works when I start my writing day with engaged reading for an hour, and then move into my own writing. It's this engaged studying of the craft, your craft, that's going to bring you closer and closer to the shape of your own story, before you get going with plotting and outlines.
3. Learn to structure the writing time available to you
Unlimited time to write sounds like a dream! But if you don’t structure it, you could end up wasting it before you realise it. It’s not for me to tell you what your writing day should look like, it will depend on the time available to you, your existing commitments and responsibilities. But there are a few things you can consider to help you make the most of the time you have to write, no matter how limited, which will in turn help create your writing process and routine.
You could begin by figuring out what time of day you write (your creative work) best. Ask yourself what your daily non-negotiables are (like, exercise! lunch! coffee!) and, include them in your day in order to put the building blocks of structure in place. Next, see where you can insert time for your engaged reading but also, most importantly, your own writing. Try and stick to this routine every time you sit down to write. Remember, half the battle of writing is simply showing up and being consistent.
4. Remember that there’s no one way to be a productive writer.
All too often, we're told that there are best practices for writing and creativity - writing first thing in the morning, writing before anyone else wakes up, writing by candlelight (I'm joking with that last one, but you'll know what I mean!). But these romantic and frankly not always realistic ways of working might not fit in with your life. They certainly don't for me.
What does work for me is getting the necessary stuff of life out of the way first and then sitting down to write. You don’t often hear writers admit to this. Doing the laundry and picking up groceries for dinner may not sound like the romantic life of a writer, but for some of us it is real life. Getting these jobs done first and often early in the morning still leaves a large chunk of my day clear for either a couple of hours of writing (if I'm at the writing stage) or craft study/ close reading/ some element of practice (I often take writing courses to keep developing, whether that's redoing my own or trying someone else's).
I'm sharing this not because I think my way is better than any other author's way (it really isn't about that) but because no matter what you might hear or read about a writing process or writing routine - there really isn't one perfect way to do it. The only way to do it is to see what will work in your daily life, around all your other commitments and responsibilities. So find what works for you but also what makes you feel good about yourself in the process too.
5. Set yourself small, manageable writing goals.
There's nothing more overwhelming than telling yourself you are ‘writing a novel.’ A novel is a huge daunting being, a massive undertaking. Is it any wonder that we might freeze in front of it?
My advice is to start small. Why not try a morning of close study-like reading, and then follow it up by writing just a couple of hundred words after, just to find your feet, your rhythm. Try this for a couple of days and the chances the more you do both reading and writing, the more you'll be able to focus on your novel and be able to, say, write an outline or make some preliminary notes at least.
You could go a little further each day - develop some plot points, write character notes, start an opening scene and then a handful of more scenes, and then rewrite them if you like. You don't have to do any of this all in one go! But all of these are far more realistic goals than ‘Must write 15,000 words in four weeks.' And all of them are very useful and will, in time, get you to where you want to bel. They are all entirely achievable, no matter where you're at with your writing. If I spent a week doing any one of this each day, it would feel pretty productive to me.
6. Don’t define your creative success by a word count
Working towards a specific daily word count is a really good idea - if it works for you. And it does work for a lot of people, and there are times when I’ve hit my writing stride when it really works for me too. But there are also times when it just doesn’t work, and I might hit refresh on my word count again and again, thinking what more I could add. What you don’t want is to be obsessing over your word count, aiming to fill up those 1000 words with any words at all, no matter how good.
If word counts do work for you, be sure to settle on a number that is sustainable and that you can hit every day. Challenging enough to keep you motivated, but not so demanding that it leaves your burnt out.
Here’s an alternative to consider. Instead of working towards an arbitrary word count, start by thinking how long you could write for instead. Even at my most productive, I'm really only doing the deep work of writing for two, sometimes three, hours in a day - depending on what stage of writing I'm in. Then the rest of the day is structured around the groundwork or ‘study’ that will bring me closer to whatever it is I am writing. For me, this isn't just found in reading alone. More often than not, I'll find it in film too and I'll aim to watch a movie once a week that is set along the same themes of what I'm naturally drawn to or interested in. Not only is this simply something to look forward to at the end of the week that makes me happy, it also gives me a new perspective and a renewed sense of inspiration. Sometimes I might make notes and do more reading around whatever film it is too, to understand the creativity behind it. All this means is that I've found ways to think about stories, even when I'm not actually writing, and forming these habits means I know I will come to the page when I'm ready feeling less lost, so to speak.
7. A bad writing day isn’t the be all and end all of your writing career
If an idea isn’t working, it’s okay to gently let it go. It's not a big deal to start over. It makes sense if an idea you had several years ago and are just starting to explore no longer speaks to you. You’re not the same person as you were then. People change, ideas change. Be kind to yourself. It's okay to play around. Nothing is set in stone.
8. Fill up your well of creativity with inspiration
Don't forget, in order to write a word of anything, you do have to be inspired. You will know what moves you, what inspires you, whether it's theatre or art or film or being in the company of others or just taking a long walk. Prioritise all of this, too, before you sit down at your desk. Make this a non -negotiable. You must draw from your well because it will help you whenever you feel stuck, at times like this. So, take the time to keep it topped up before you do anything else.