sometimes I wish I had a typewriter
Whether it be an argument I might have in the future that I drafted in my notebook instead of paying attention during math or those 200-page-minimum things I occasionally punch out on Google Docs (11 point Source Sans, 1.15 spacing, just in case you were wondering) I always have a systematic process for writing. It usually starts with an inspiration of some sort. For example, I once read an article about haphephobia. So I wrote a book in which the main character suffers from haphephobia. Another time I was walking down the street before the quarantine and I overheard a conversation about fanfiction, so I went home and posted a few fanfictions online. When I had a source of inspiration, something to build my story off of, I sat down and started the first draft. I just wrote whatever came to mind, and when the surge of creativity slowed down, I reviewed everything and deleted all but the best parts. From there I used bullet points to establish a cohesive plot — creating detailed characters, designing storyline, and coming up with phrases to use that would enhance my writing. When I was satisfied with the outline, I wrote the ending. If I didn’t have a conclusion set up before I got down to business developing everything else, the story would never end. Once I had the ending I wrote the introduction, then it was just a matter of forming the passages that comprised the main features of the story I had drafted in the outline. After that, I used filler sections to turn the separate chunks into one whole. Then I deleted everything and started over from square one. The only thing that stayed the same was the overarching theme of what I was trying to write. I’d repeat this cycle maybe seven to eight times, because only then did everything fall into place the way I wanted it to. Finally, when I was happy with the outcome, I started the editing process and reread everything over and over again, weeding out all the mistakes until I was certain there weren’t any. Then I dropped the story for a week or so, came back, and edited it again. I’d do this every once in a while, until it was faultless. Altogether, writing a book would take around three months, more or less depending on how long it was. I learn a lot about myself when I write, about who I’m writing for, about why I’m writing. The last time I wrote a book, I ended up with a thousand and one drafts.
Discussion Question:
How do you write? What is your thinking process when you’re writing?
