A Writing Process Makes Your Writing Better
Find out how a solid writing process makes your writing better.
When I was in sixth grade, I wrote my first term paper. It was a research paper (on ghosts, in case you were wondering), and my class spent several months on it.
This wasn’t like the book reports and other, shorter papers we had written. The requirements included a number of short assignments that led to the big climax: a lengthy, fully researched and annotated essay.
We had to read The Elements of Style. Then, we conducted research on our topic and turned in a bibliography (a list of works to be cited). We wrote notes from our research materials on index cards and turned those in. Next, we wrote outlines. After that came the rough drafts. Finally, we turned in the final, polished copy.
This was before every household had a computer and before any household had the Internet. So it was all done by hand. I’m sure some of my classmates found it tedious or boring but I enjoyed the assignment, although it wasn’t until years later that I fully appreciated the gift (and it was just one of many) that my sixth grade teachers had given me: a writing process.
Better Writing
Better writing doesn’t happen spontaneously. We have to work at it. Years after I wrote that paper in sixth grade, in a college course on composition, I had to do a similar assignment. There weren’t as many steps, but I did have to write an annotated bibliography, an outline, a rough draft, and a final draft. I realized that each of these steps made the entire writing process smoother and easier.
Since that first term paper, I had attacked most of my writing assignments haphazardly, in a disorganized manner, and usually a day or two before they were due. When I was required, once again, to go through all the steps and when I realized how much better my writing experience and finished paper were, I decided to pay a little more attention to my writing process.
By then, I was old enough to know that I was becoming a writer. I didn’t know where my writing path would lead, but I knew that I wanted to write, to always write. That meant I needed to start applying what I was learning about writing and using it to make my writing better. I needed to think about my writing process and figure out how I could improve it.
Finding Your Best Writing Process
Based on everything I’ve heard from all the writers I’ve encountered, we each have our own writing process. Some of us use note cards and outlines. Others use mind maps and storyboards. Some need a detailed plan while others prefer discovery writing. Some edit as they go; others polish after they’ve unscrambled all their ideas.
One thing does seem to be consistent — successful writers are acutely aware of their writing processes.
One of my favorite podcasts, which is aptly called Writers on Writing, features interviews with published authors (there are also tons of great interviews with agents, editors, and other professionals in the literary world). One of the most common questions that the authors are asked is what is your writing process? Interestingly, they all have solid answers. Different, but solid.
What’s Your Writing Process?
From everything I’ve learned by watching and listening to other writers and from my own experiences, I’ve learned that understanding and honing your own process is instrumental to developing better writing. Before I ask you tell me about your writing process, I thought I’d tell you a bit about my own.
As it turns out, I don’t have one writing process. I have different processes for different types of projects:
- When I’m writing blog posts, I type out a simple outline with the main points I want to cover. I edit each paragraph as I write, unless I’m on a fast roll. I proofread several times.
- For fiction, I like to sketch the characters and develop the setting. I identify major milestones in my story and then I use discovery writing to let the tale unfold organically.
- For copywriting projects, I create a file of research notes, compile an outline and fill it with details, flesh out a rough draft, rewrite, edit several times, then proofread several times.
- For my first nonfiction book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises, I started with a simple outline, then I used notecards to outline each chapter. I wrote then rewrote each chapter, then edited the entire manuscript a few times. Finally, I proofread it multiple times both on screen and in print.
- With poems (oh how I love writing poems), I just write. When I’m ready (or rather, when the poem is ready), I revise and polish.
Now tell us about your writing process. Do you have one? Have you ever thought about it? Do you think that a clear, coherent process would help you produce better writing? Leave a comment and let’s talk about it.
Melissa Donovan is a website designer and copywriter. She writes fiction and poetry and is the founder and editor of Writing Forward, a blog packed with creative writing tips and ideas.
If I am writing something long or something with a plot, I would outline first. If it’s something short (like a blog post that’s not particularly well researched), I would just write it. But that’s not to say that there is no structure. There is still an outline, but it’s so short that I can just keep it in my mind.
Do I have a process? Hm, I would say that I have certain habits. Sometimes there’s a fine line between those.
I think Kevin has made an excellent distinction. With blogging I have habits, but they haven’t congealed into a process. With non-fiction, it’s the full-meal deal of research, outline, writing, revision. (Been doing that the longest, and it shows.) However, with fiction, I am a writer in search of a process and habits. My office floor is littered with discarded attempts.
A few years ago, I had several notebooks full of discarded attempts at writing a novel. Then, I signed up for NaNoWriMo, hoping it would help. I found that my problem was that I was planning and outlining too much (for me). Once I figured out the whole story, I lost interest and didn’t want to write it. NaNo forced me to give discovery writing a try, and it made me realize that’s the best way for me (writing a story without a plan). Outside of fiction and poetry, I really need a road map.
I think it’s interesting that you guys are using a process in some of your writing but not blogging — only because the blogs are getting published. I have the most strict processes for my client projects (copywriting) and for blogging because I know for sure that those pieces will be put in front of an audience.
I would agree that there’s a fine line between processes and habits. But I view habits as a bit broader — how often and how much we write, where we write, which genres and forms we read and write. I think of process strictly as the steps we take when writing. I guess one’s writing process is a habit but not all habits are processes.
I’ve always thought of my writing as a building process, I work on it layer by layer. I like the term “laying track” coined by Julia Cameron as it describes my own process very well. I just write and write and write free flowing content, than I work my way back, rewriting and reorganzing and building on parts that need more development. It works for me. I like having something solid to work with before tackling any editing and organization.
This sounds a lot like how I write, especially when I’m working on copywriting projects. It’s like the writing is clay and I’m constantly kneading and reforming it, over and over, until it becomes a sculpture.
My writing process for blogging is about the same as yours. I create a bulleted list of topics I want to cover, edit paragraph by paragraph as I go, and at the end, I edit the article in entirety to make sure it flows smoothly.
For long works of fiction, I tend to map out beginning and end to each chapter, and a few bullet points in the middle… after character sheets, setting maps, overall storyline, subplots, etc. I have extensive folders on each project.
Short fiction is usually started with a single idea, and it takes me where it wants to go. It’s my “for fun” fiction. =]
I wish I could map out everything in fiction, but I haven’t had much luck unless I limit my outlining to characters and setting. If I start planning the plot, I get derailed. I love writing character sketches and world-building, probably because I don’t outline those mini-projects. Also, and this is something I probably should have included in the post, I write all my ideas, sketches, and poems in longhand (except with blogging and copywriting). I think whether we use a computer or pen and paper are important considerations in our writing processes.
I spent years trying to figure out my writing process, and I probably tried just about everything out there. What finally worked for me was a loose outline that provided structure to keep me on track, but allowed for spontaneity. I also write in layers, getting the story and plot down first, then adding internalization, motives, description, etc. Doing a separate pass for each component per chapter really helps me pay attention to what I want to achieve and I don’t get sidetracked as often. The layers also means I can keep writing and don’t get bogged down trying to find the right word or phrase.
A few years ago I started blogging about writing, and that made me pay close attention to what I was doing. (I needed ideas for topics after all) I was amazed at how many things I did without really understanding why. It wasn’t until I started looking that I saw how my process worked and why I made craft-specific decisions. Studying books we love is good advice, but studying your own work to see why you did what you did is also a great tool for figuring out how you write.
Hi Janice, I’ve found that blogging about writing has taught me a lot about my own processes, too. I love your layer method of writing. That’s similar to what I’m trying to do with a project I recently started. Right now, I’m working on the world and the characters, then I will start discovery writing the story and keep adding layers to add the details that give any good book its extra pizazz. Thanks for sharing your process!
Layer writing sounds wonderful. I suppose I do a bit of that with story writing, but I’ve only ever thought of it as adding details. Your approach even makes adding the details a bit more thorough and less overwhelming.
I first found out about discovery writing back in 2008 but it wasn’t until recently that I came across the term “discovery writing.” I wonder if “layer writing” is an official (or unofficial) term used for this technique. If not, maybe it should be!
I find that I’m so inherently scattered that writing down sentences, be they topical or not, on 3×5 blank index cards is very useful. I end up with a stack that’s kind of like a library card file box. Then I start to sort, oh where does this go, is it the topic sentence for this group or an addendum for another. The factual ones are easy, it’s the circularity of where and what to start “it” with and where to stop “it” that gets fleshed out having to make grouping “it” decisions.
I love my 3×5 note cards! They’re great for outlining chapters or organizing themes and ideas.
I love using 3X5 cards to organize my thoughts, especially on a bigger project.
Me too! I keep a couple of stacks of index cards in my desk drawer because I also use them to jot down temporary notes and reminders. I can easily clip them to my notebook or tuck them into a folder pocket. They’re awesome for organizing ideas and information. And as an added benefit, they require writing in longhand rather than on the computer, which I find boosts my creativity (for some unknown reason).
When I write shorter, nonfiction pieces I find using a “bubble chart” helps me. A traditional outline doesn’t because it is too linear. But a “bubble chart” (ie a bubble in the middle with the title or subject and “bubbles” extending from them I fill with info) lets me see my who process at once. It helps me to pull things together I might not have noticed otherwise.
But on a large project, I am more like Christine. I write and write and write and write and write. Then I go back and find the story.
Also, I find the largest part of my process comes from being in a writer’s group, where I can get feedback on a regular basis.
Hi Rose, Another name for your bubble chart might be mind map — it sounds like the same method of organizing ideas and brainstorming. If you Google “mind maps,” you will find some beautiful examples. Some of them are works of art!
For research papers, I’ve retained much of the sixth grade process. Take notes and include resources. Make groups of notes based on topic. Arrange topics in logical order. Write an outline. Insert quotes into outline. Write it into one, fluid paper.
For story telling fiction, I usually jot some notes down about character ideas and a basic plot. Then, I discovery write, letting the characters tell me what happens next. I sometimes go back to add in details and improve descriptions. I always go back to make sure the story would make sense to others.
For story telling non-fiction, I write down what I remember. Writing a few key events down usually leads to more remembering, and more remembering leads to more details. Eventually I feel like I’ve gotten out of memory everything that will come out, and I edit.
For poetry, I usually just write. With some prompts it’s less free flow. For some poems, I have an idea of where it’s going from the beginning, but most often I just let it happen.
Thanks for sharing your writing process, Jess. It sounds like you and I have a lot of the same writing habits and processes
Perhaps my biggest issue is not having a writing process. I’ve only ever written free-writing journals, or English papers and stories. When I write, I pretty much just write whatever comes to mind, and critique it along the way. This gives me plenty of room for spontaneity, which I adore in my writings. However, it becomes an issue when nothing comes to mind.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping a journal or writing whenever you feel like it. When you make a decision to become a writer, to produce publishable work, that changes. You need to read and practice writing (study the craft) and develop discipline. It also helps to set goals (for example: by the end of the year, I’ll complete a 2000-word personal essay about an experience I had as a teenager, based on some of my journal entries). It sounds to me like your writing adventures are just beginning!
I learn so much from your website. I am on to my second fiction novel and when I think of where I want a certain character to go, I just type. I get the ideas down. To me it doesn’t matter where that event takes place in the story but it will fit somewhere. I get an idea for one of the characters and I just ramble on. Maybe it will never get used in the book but I keep things like that in another file for the future. After allowing my inspiration to flow and just type, I move the text around to fit in with the storyline later. I write something everyday. I have a whiteboard with all my main characters followed by their families. DOB careers, height, hair colour etc. A flowchart. Then I allow the story and events weave together. I am mindful of my audience at all times. I have a beautiful velvet covered book that I write thoughts and events into, conversations I hear, or sentences using my gold pen. I feel prosperous then. The last fiction novel I wrote I think I re-read it eight times before I was happy with the end result.
Your passion is so inspiring! Thanks for your kind words, and keep writing!