Hey! It's the My Writing Process Blog Tour, and I'm on it. Check out #MyWritingProcess on Twitter to hear from a variety of writers about how they survive - and even enjoy! - this process.
What Am I Working On?
I am working on a YA
contemporary novel that (I hope) will be comparable to HOLD STILL by Nina
LaCour and BOY TOY by Barry Lyga. It’s something I’ve worked on sloooowly, in
between middle grade projects over the last few years, and have now committed to buckling
down and finishing, once and for all. It’s dark, and personal, and not nearly
as much fun to write as my MG projects. But I’ve decided now is the time to
finish or set it aside for good (but I’m committed to finishing).
Why Do I Write What I Write?
Although I am working on a
YA, I consider myself a middle grade writer. I write MG because no one loves a
book like a kid loves a book. Because the vast majority of avid adult readers I
know can trace their love of reading back to HARRIET THE SPY or MATILDA or THE
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA or [INSERT YOUR CHILDHOOD BOOK OBSESSION HERE]. I love the
idea of hooking in readers for life. I also love the hope inherent in middle
grade. It’s a time of so much change and so much possibility and I love the
idea of walking with kids through that period of their lives.
As for why I’m writing a YA,
that’s a story I have to tell. It’s the story I wish I’d been able to read as a
teen and I hope might be a lifeline to someone who needs it now.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Hmm. The only way I can
think to answer this is to say that I’m the only one who can tell the stories I
tell. Even when I tell stories that rely heavily on research or imagination,
they still include huge parts of me—and my kids. I don’t even think I write in
one genre—unless there’s a genre of books with strong influences from
California, Seattle, Chicago, and Guatemala, with characters that are often
some combination of biracial, dyslexic, homeschooled, and grappling with some
painful childhood history, and often include elements of theater,
cross-cultural experiences, and strong love of/aversion to books.
How does my writing process work?
Once I’ve got a seed of an
idea, I usually do a fair bit of letting it develop in my brain before I ever
write any actual words. When I’m ready, I do some prewriting
work. Mostly jotting down everything that’s been simmering in my head, working
on character development stuff, clarifying stakes. I like these posts on character development and plot development by the
brilliant Robin LaFevers. Then I write an outline,
not for the whole book, but that will get me through about 50 pages. Once I’ve
written everything in the outline, I outline some more, basically just for as
far ahead as I can see. I find that having some outline helps me draft quickly,
and getting more writing done helps me clarify what needs to happen next in the
outline.
When I’m drafting, I plow forward. I rarely go back and reread. If something happens in chapter nine that makes me realize something major has to change in chapter three, I don’t go back and make that change. I make a margin note of the necessary change and keep moving forward. When I’ve got a draft, I’ve got a whole list of things I already know need revising. So I work on revisions until I feel like it’s solid enough to show critique partners. I do a few rounds of revisions following CP feedback. Finally, I do several polishing passes, including ones where I print out a hard copy, where I read on the Kindle, and where I read aloud, which all catch different errors and flow issues.
The final step in my
writing process is this: Once submissions have begun on one manuscript, I
immediately start the next one.
Next Monday, I’m very excited
for you to meet some awesome writer friends of mine and hear about their writing processes.
First up, Sharon Roat has been a valued critique
partner of mine for several years. Sharon grew up
in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Delaware with her husband
and two children where she writes books for children and young adults. She
worked in public relations for 20 years before deciding what she really wanted to be when she
grew up. Her contemporary YA novel BETWEEN THE NOTES will be published by
HarperTeen in 2015; she is represented by Steven Chudney. Visit her online
at www.sharonroat.com or on Twitter @sharonwrote.
Next, Laura Shovan was my pick in PitchWars last fall, because her
gorgeous middle grade verse novel THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY
blew me away. Apparently, it blew Stephen Barbara away too, because she just
signed with him! Laura is poetry editor for Little Patuxent Review. Her
chapbook, Mountain, Log, Salt and Stone,
won the Harriss Poetry Prize. Laura was a finalist for the 2012 Rita Dove
Poetry Award and was a 2013 Gettysburg Review Conference scholarship recipient.
Laura is a Maryland State Arts Council Artist-in-Residence. You can find her on
Twitter @LauraShovan and online at http://authoramok.blogspot.com/
Finally, Darian Lindle
is a fellow Seattle playwright turned novelist. She is a graduate of
Indiana University with a degree in Theatre, French, and Film Studies and
interned with Cahiers du Cinéma in Paris, the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago,
and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. Her stage adaptation of The Westing Game was published by Dramatic Publishing in 2010 and
has since been performed at middle schools and high schools around the country.
Next up, her sci-fi/steampunk play SILON will be produced by Live Girls
Theater. Darian will soon begin her querying journey for a paranormal romance.
You can find her on Twitter @dlindle and online at http://darianlindle.com/journal.htmlBe sure to check out each of their homes on the web next Monday to hear all about their writing processes!
