
At the end of 2018 and beginning 2019, I completed two books and I’m in the middle of a third. The reason I was able to make such great strides was because of a few key breakthroughs
I don’t write romance.
I wanted to. The community is a great one and they have amazing classes. But, the romance reader is very particular about what they expect in a book. The stories I write don’t meet the required beats/ I didn’t want to change the story to comply with what was required. It was freeing not to have to. I sometimes have romantic elements, but it is never the main part of the story. Once I allowed myself to embrace this, I wrote my first mystery/suspense in three months.
There is nothing wrong with being a pantsers.
Thanks to the writer strengths classes, I stopped trying to work against myself. I have six novels that are plotted out. I’ll probably never write them. Right now the Flashlight method is my go to process. I have a vague idea where the story is going, but how I get there, is a series of short term decisions.
I have to use the process that works for me
You do you, and I’ll do me. There is nothing wrong with that.
Writing avoidance is a clue
When my house is clean or I’m looking for projects or I read five novels in a week or I spend the day daydreaming of a different story, I’m in avoidance mode. This avoidance is the strategic part of my brain stuck on an issue. I need to talk out the problem to figure out why.
All of these breakthroughs needed to happen. It was the only way to get my poop in a group.
What have you found has helped you with your process?
Commitment. I have too much on my plate so writing seems to get pushed back first. I made a public commitment to work on a novel during Nanowrimo. Now I’m obligated to try to keep my promise. So for me its telling my support group what I want to accomplish, then actively work on it.
Good for you! I’m excited to see what you come up with.
Going to write on the “no title novel” Google document we discussed.
I’m rooting that you can make great progress.
We will see on November 1st. 😉
Absolutely!