thinking, planning, writing

Writing is a process, obviously. Every writer has their own unique process that (hopefully) works for them. My process has evolved since THE PROTECTRESS and will probably evolve again and again. Being a panther was FUN but made for such a messy first draft with no real structure.

So, for NIGHT SOIREE, I added OUTLINING to my process and it totally paid off with a draft that had structure and plot and character arcs! WOO!

But, even before outlining NIGHT SOIREE, I thought about it a lot, vividly imagining it in my head. Before I even sat down to begin outlining, I imagined the crux of the plot: A warlock searching for his lost love curses a town to recreate the night he lost her. And hopefully bring her back at last. That gave me an antagonist and a curse to defeat (obviously!), so that my other characters would need to be working against this warlock or for their own agenda. I won't ramble on about all of them, but once the world became populated with the sisters of his lost love who were cursed too, the vampires using him to keep the sun set and the witches fighting to restore magical balance, there was a lot I already knew before writing it out chapter by chapter.

If your writing process doesn't involve a lot of thinking before you make yourself outline and write, spend some time picturing it in your mind! I think it makes it easier when you can already see it.

Just something I've been thinking about while THINKING about my newest story: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST MEETS PSYCHO/HAMLET.