25% off Preorder & Exclusive Sneak Peek 👀‼️
Sneak Peek, 25% off Preorder promo, and My Writing Process: How I Write a Book
Hey, y’all! Every month I feel like there’s always something exciting to share with you. And this month’s book news ! have two great things happening! First up, TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to get 25% off my book when you pre-order from Barnes & Noble!
Go here to preorder your copy of In the Hour of Crows. Use promo code: PREORDER25 You don’t need a membership to get the discount, but you do need to be signed up for their free rewards program.
Secondly, exclusive to my newsletter subscribers, you guys get a sneak peek of my book before anyone else! If you want to read the prologue and first chapter of In the Hour of Crows, check out the link below in the “Book News” section of this post.
And you know me, any chance to be goofy with a little twilight love I’m in! ICYMI…When did you become a twilight girl?
My Writing Journey
EPISODE 3 - MY WRITING PROCESS: HOW I WRITE A BOOK
Last month I said I’d write about “My Writing Tips for Getting “Butt in Chair,’” but recently someone commented to me, “Oh, that’s your writing process? Very interesting.” And I felt more compelled to share that aspect of my writing journey with you this month. Because knowing your writing process and understanding how to use it best, can make your writing sessions more productive and fruitful.
WRITING PROCESS
First, you need to identify your writing process. When my writer’s coach asked me what my writing process was, my answer was, “Wake up. Grab coffee. Sit at my desk. Stare at the computer for hours.” But that’s my writing routine, not my process. Your process the series of actions that got you to an end result. My coach had me recall all the times I was prolific with my writing, then back track the previous 24 hours to understand what I did to get there. And I discovered quite a few things about myself.
Lots of working parts go into your writing process. These are a few key things that work for me.
FINDING THE SPARKS
Sparks are the things that light a fire in your imagination and creativity. There are a few things that really do it for me.
Concept. It starts with a clever concept, something unique and interesting and peculiar that peaks my curiosity. Something I’m eager to explore. Something that I haven’t seen done before or maybe it’s just never been done quite like this. Then I create a Pinterest board. (Here’s mine for In the Hour of Crows.)
Images. They are the most powerful tool for me. I’m a visual person by nature. When an image captures the vibe I’m looking for, it can fuel my creativity.
Music. Especially a song that evokes an emotion that specifically fits with my character or setting. It sets the tone for what I’m trying to capture in my story. I don’t listen to music when I write, but I use that music to warm up my writing chops and get myself in the mood to write.
Objects. I love using objects in my stories. Typically I take the most ordinary thing and make it into something really unique and interesting. A recipe box used as a grimoire of sorts. A bone tooth key that opens magical boxes. A windchime of shiny objects from the dead, brought to her by a boy who was sometimes a crow. For In the Hour of Crows I did a writing exercise to get to know my main character. I closed my eyes and sat down in her room and looked around. And on her dresser was a cobalt blue perfume bottle with a stopper that did not match. And I thought what is that used for? Then an idea came to me. What if after my character talked the death out of the dying, she coughed up a death ooze? A black sludge, a poison that could kill people. And the idea of Sin Eater Oil was born.
Other people’s words. To read another author’s unique story and devour their words sparks my imagination. Lyrical clever writing sets me in a mood, and it helps me sink into a deeper place with my writing.
SET MYSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Create a writing routine. It’s something simple I do but it really makes a huge impact. It’s a really important part of my writing process. For me it’s: Show up every day. Cup of coffee. Clutter free desk. No distractions. No music. Work in silence. Maybe rain sounds if my environment is noisy. Set strict boundaries around my writing time —with myself and others. Know what I’m going to write. Then write. If I do all those things, I will have a productive writing session. Then I do that day after day, and the words start to add up and the next thing you know I’ve completed my first draft.
GIVE MYSELF PERMISSION TO WRITE IT WRONG
This was the hardest for me to incorporate into my writing process. But once I accepted it, it made my writing flow so much smoother. I have to give myself permission to do the wrong things when I’m drafting a book. For instance, it’s okay to info dump in a first draft, just get the words down. Give myself permission to have shortcuts. Like allowing bullet point notes in a chapter when I don’t know how to flesh it out just yet. Toothpick bridges from one scene to another are okay when I’m not sure how to get there. Noting when something is weak, so I can move on, knowing I’ll fix it later. Highlight repeat words, so I don’t waste time burning up creative calories on something that will be easy to clean up later. Highlight when something sucks or when a verb is wrong or a word isn’t strong enough. Over write what I want to say because I can refine that paragraph into one sentence later. Not everything has to be perfect in the first draft, that’s why they call it a first draft. This is not the final version your editor or new agent will see. Give yourself permission to write at a subpar level and save all that minor stuff for the revision stage.
TRY ALL THE TECHNIQUES
At some point I forget how to write and decide I should probably do the thing successful writers do…outline. I’ll start with post it notes, to try and organize my thoughts. Then I’ll switch to index cards because those are easier to rearrange. When that clutters up my desk and proves to be a waste of time, I’ll create a bullet-point outline in a Word doc. Then I’ll go back to my old ways and revisit the Plot Whisperer’s line graph. Or maybe Save the Cat technique will work this time, though it has never worked for me in the past. So I’ll do the thing—whatever that is—until none of them work and I fail at outlining, again. I’ll tell myself I’m an imposter, a fraud. I was never a writer, just a hack trying to write. I had everybody fooled. And I will probably never write anything ever again.
And then I remember I’m a pantser and outlining is the devil’s work.
Someone told me, some famous author said something like:
“Outlining is like trying to play the piano with a straitjacket on.”
And I have never felt more seen. When all else fails, remember your writing process. What’s the thing you do to get the words on the page? You should have a list of everything you use or do that helps you write, so you can refer back to it when you lose your way.
With all that said, how do I write a book?
HOW I WRITE A BOOK
I’m a pantser. I’ve written 8 or so books, and I’ve never outlined a single one, and I’m not going to start now. So how do I start? With an idea. A concept that’s clever and unique. Then a character forms, unfleshed but she’s there, ready to tell me her story. Then voice. I cannot move forward in a story without voice. If I write a few chapters and there’s no voice, I’ll shelf the story. For me that means the story needs more baking time in the thought oven. BUT…once I capture voice, holy cow, I’m off to the races!
I take off running with no clue where I’m headed or how it ends, but I can’t get the words and thoughts out of my head fast enough. Then I hit the 15-20k words wall, and I have no clue what’s next. But somewhere in that first 20k, I’ve thought of an ending—and I usually write it out in the moment it comes to me. Along the way, I’ve jotted down some cool scenes I’ve come up with. Then I start thinking through where those scenes should fall in the story and how they get me to my ending. A lot of times I’ll know what’s happening three chapters ahead, so I ask myself how do I get there and start filling in the gaps.
Each time I sit down to write, I reread what I wrote the day before, so I can remind myself where I am in the story. I tweak and refine yesterday’s words and then start adding today’s words. Each chapter needs to start with a hooky sentence and end with a cliff hanger, and both of those must have profluence*, “that which moves the story to flow smoothly and abundantly forth.” Forward action that will make the reader want to turn the page and read more. And when I start a new chapter, I’ve given them a meaty hook that will keep them reading. Rinse and repeat. Of course I’ll stall out and stutter along the way. Then do the things that do not work until I remember what does, then do them. Slowly but surely, one word at a time, I finally make it to the grandiose THE END. All caps. Stamped with pride. Then I slump in my chair from sheer exhaustion from the brain drain. And I never want to look at this stupid draft ever again!
Until tomorrow, when I start the revision process.
Stay tuned because in the coming months I’ll talk about: how I organize my writing, my experience working with a writer’s coach, the power in successful writing retreats, leaning into your strengths, and how to get “butt in chair.”
*SOURCE: Profluence definition here.
Book News
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for: Exclusive sneak peek at In the Hour of Crows, click here!
ICYMI…my bestie and New York Times bestselling author, Evelyn Skye, interviewed me over on her Substack. I didn’t expect to be so vulnerable, but her first question brought up a touch memory for me. Go here if you want to check it out.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendar! Are you a bookseller that will be attending the ABA Winter Institute in Cincinnati, OH in February? If so, be sure to stop by the HarperCollins booth where I’ll be signing a limited number of ARCs. I’ll also be at the HarperCollins dinner where I’ll get to meet all the awesome booksellers and tell them about my adult debut, In the Hour of Crows. I’ll be in attendance Feb 12-14. Be sure to find me and say hi. Hope to see you there!
What I’m Loving Right Now…
LOVE this blush tulle skirt! I saw my author friend Stephanie Garber wear a similar skirt from Anthropologie. But I found this dupe on Amazon, and I’m so excited to wear it to my book launch party in June.
I fell in love with Alix Harrow’s The Ten-Thousand Doors of January. Her writing and words are lyrical and her stories are so magical and creative. I’ve just started reading Starling House, and I’m getting so much writing inspiration from her words. Love love love!
I’m obsessed with graphic t-shirts lately, and I had to have this retro Smokey the Bear t-shirt the second I saw it. I love wearing it with my long leopard print skirt and black sneakers. Super cute and super comfy!
Happy Friday, y’all! Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for reading!
xo,
Dana