writing tips, tricks and treats

I've been on a deep dive lately reading writing tips and blogs and articles to uncover the secret about writing a really good book. One that has all the components of books that get published AND are books that actual people actually want to read!

Frankly, it's been exhausting. Also, frightening. And, it feels a lot like when I get the urge to bake some kind of tasty treat (which happens like maybe twice a year).

There are ingredients to buy and so many things to measure and measuring cups to pull from the back of a cluttered drawer then stirring and whisking and steps to follow and PREHEATING. It never ends.

Surprise! I love to cook, though. Because cooking is completely unstructured. I mean, you can follow recipes, but mostly they're just vague suggestions. There's no measuring and plenty of additions of all kinds of spices and extra ingredients that'll taste good. Why not?! It doesn't have to be so exact to turn out delicious in the end.

If you're following this, then what a treat! Here we go back to writing.

All of my research on book writing has left me super stressed that I don't have all the right elements of a successful story. Maybe I don't hit a turning point early enough or introduce the first twist in the right place or insert Major Missing Element here.

So, what's the right formula for structure vs. no structure in writing? It's surely somewhere in between a rigid formula (Recipe Baking) and delightful chaos (No Recipe Cooking).

Reflecting back on this year and half writing journey, this is what's helped me the most. I hope it helps you, too. And, I'd love to hear what works for you.

I was a pantser...

Until I realized that it was definitely not like cooking. There was very little hope that my final product would be a salvageable meal without some structure. My first draft was a mess. But, after a series outline, book two outline and four subsequent drafts, I realize the process would've been easier with an outline to follow from the beginning. At least that's what I tell myself when my first draft comes to me in nightmarish flashes of meandering exposition. Plus, I thought outlining would take the fun out of writing, but I really enjoy how it gives focus but leaves a ton of room for creativity still.

Find voices that resonate...

Just don't listen to all of them. It's totally worth reading tips and insights from writers and editors and publishers, but it can be overwhelming to read too much. At least it was for me. Now, I mostly read as much as I can from authors I love about their journeys and processes. Also, even if you're really busy writing, still make plenty of time to read actual books.

Recipe baker or no-recipe cook...

Know where your strengths are, then try to balance them. Maybe, that means having writing days where you outline what you're going to write before writing it. Maybe it's skipping the outline for once and setting a timer to just write write write. Be curious with your own process and open to trying new things.