Tag Archives: My Writing Process

My Writing Process – Kimberlie Hamilton

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rebel dogs, book, I used to live in sunny Southern California and now live in misty Northern Scotland with four cats. Life has been a whirlwind ever since I moved to the UK a year and a half ago – lots of travel, enrolling in a Master’s programme at the University of Aberdeen, getting an agent, earning a coveted “Blue Peter” badge and publishing three books. I’m currently working on a new book (my third for Scholastic UK) and will be presenting at the Edinburgh International Book Festival for the first time this August  Really looking forward to that.

I have written all sorts of things over the years, including advertising copy, travel brochures and blogs, screenplays, newspaper articles, websites, PR and marketing materials, digital content and even some teaching materials (for my English language students in Kyoto, where I once lived). But my true passion is writing entertaining nonfiction books for children ages 8 to 12. 


My latest book is Rebel Dogs! Heroic Tales of Trusty Hounds, published by Scholastic UK (August 2019). It features 30 real-life dogs that all did something amazing and memorable with their lives, plus pages and pages of fascinating trivia about canines across the centuries. It’s the follow up to Rebel Cats! Brave Tales of Feisty Felines (November 2018).

 

I write nonfiction and that requires a load of research, both online and the old-fashioned way, with proper books. After a stack of ‘source material’ starts to pile up, I go through everything, type up a rough outline, and begin distilling and editing. I always edit my manuscripts with a pen, then re-type all my messy scribbled notes the next morning to get myself back into a productive writing groove for the day.
Do you plan or just write?
I’m a Virgo, which means I always plan everything down to the tiniest detail. I’ve met other authors who work without a plan – they simply write a scene here and a scene there and somehow it all magically comes together in the end. I cannot relate to these people at all! I think most nonfiction writers need a structure of some sort.
What about word count?

In the initial phase of writing, I don’t think much about it. I tend to be a very concise writer, even when not writing for children, so there’s little chance of me ‘going off the reservation’ in terms of excess prose. With the Rebel titles, the books were designed and formatted while I was working on the manuscripts, so the Art Director was able to tell me precisely how many characters would fit on each page. I loved that. It was like a game for me, making sure everything fit just right.

What do you find hard about writing?
For me (and I suspect most writers), everything about writing is hard. I vastly prefer editing. Sometimes I think I write just so I have something to edit.

What do you love about writing?
I love the challenge of taking something based on fact and making it sound as playful and entertaining as a good piece of fiction. Tough to do so it’s very satisfying when I actually manage to pull it off.

Advice for other writers. 

My first real job after university was as an advertising copywriter, and everyone in the agency worked way too many hours. But my boss encouraged me to get out of the office and read and travel and see movies and try new things…to experience life to the fullest. He said that the creative spirit is like a battery that needs to be recharged now and then. Life experiences are what sparks and feeds creativity. 

 

@ScholasticUK  | youtube.com/ScholasticFilmsUK  | facebook.com/ScholasticUK  | instagram.com/scholastic_UK

My Writing Process – Tora Williams

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A bit about you. 

I’m one of those people who was always wanting to write a book, but could never find the time to write. Not that I wrote nothing at all—I used to write fan fiction and short stories purely for my own entertainment—but I never quite believed that anyone else would be interested in reading anything I might write. Then about ten years ago I signed up for an Open University course on writing fiction and was encouraged by the feedback I got. Suddenly writing a novel didn’t seem such an impossible task, and I started writing seriously. Much to my parents’ horror, I resigned from my job and set up as a maths tutor and freelance proofreader to give myself more time to write.

What you have written, past and present.

I write historical romance, set in medieval Wales and the Welsh Marches. My debut novel, Bound to Her Blood Enemy, was published by The Wild Rose Press last year. They’ve now published two more of my books, the latest one being His Clandestine Bride, published in March. I’m currently editing a fourth medieval romance with others at various stages of completion.

A bit about your process of writing. 

I try to get up early and write between about 5 and 7am. I then get on with my day job until mid-afternoon, then return to writing. If I don’t write first thing in the morning, I find it really difficult to write later in the day, so I have to be strict.

Do you plan or just write?

A bit of both. Before starting a new story, I plan the hero and heroine’s characters and have a rough idea of where the plot is going, but after that I write as the story comes to me.

What about word count?

I try to write 1000 words a day. If I can get down 500 words in the morning, writing another 500 later on never seems like too terrible a task.

How do you do your structure?

I don’t consciously follow a structure when writing the first draft, but when editing I always find the story falls roughly into a 3-act structure and I edit to firm up that structure.

What do you find hard about writing?

Every day it’s a struggle to force myself to silence the inner voice telling me the story is rubbish and no one will want to read it. Once I get going that voice goes away, but dragging myself out of bed every morning to turn on my computer is never easy. 

What do you love about writing? 

I love dreaming up the characters who inhabit my stories and get a real rush planning how they’re going to achieve their happy-ever-after. It’s the best job in the world. Who else can say they’re a professional daydreamer? 

Advice for other writers.

Take every opportunity to connect with other writers. Writing is a lonely business and rejections can be hard to handle. Meeting others going through the same experience can help you stay sane and provide the motivation and encouragement to keep going, especially when your family and friends think you’ve lost your mind!

 

My Writing Process – Helen J. Christmas

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Helen J Christmas, authorI am a website designer and an author and have written a five-book mystery thriller series. 

When I was out and about one day, walking our dog along the beach, my imagination ran wild and I remember getting my first ideas for a story. It started with the characters but grew into a suspenseful saga that spanned four decades; this was my inspiration for ‘Same Face Different Place,’ a series I completed in 2017.

Writing is something I’ve always loved, but working full time, it was difficult to find enough hours to write a novel. Once I started however, I found myself waking up earlier (5-6am). So why was I lying there, restless, thinking about my book, when I could be up writing it? This became my prime time for getting the bulk of my story written.

I spent seven years writing my series and it wasn’t just the writing I loved but the planning, the research, the development of new characters and the way the storylines fused together. I always started out with an outline plot but the best ideas flowed when I was creating the scenes. At the time I wasn’t bothered about word count. I tended to include a lot of description and dialogue but this can be whittled down in the editing process to give a tighter novel. 

I derive a huge amount of pleasure from writing but the biggest reward is getting good reviews. No-one can describe the euphoria an author feels when they see a glowing testimonial from a reader. Just the thought that someone has enjoyed your book is a wonderful boost, something that really makes it worthwhile.

I confess to feeling an anti-climax when I reached the end of my series but fortunately, had an idea for a new book. After writing such a huge saga, I wanted to try writing smaller stories. Such was the thinking behind Rosebrook Chronicles, The Hidden Stories. This novel follows the lives of three lesser known characters, all of whom are abused as teenagers. It is the interlocking stories of these characters that drive the plot, a blend of social history and psychological suspense, told from the heart and quite different from my thriller series. It also provides a background.

Writing this, I also experimented with different writing styles, one being present tense, the other first person, which I really took to. So with all this experience under my belt, what would I advise other writers?

This year I started a standalone psychological thriller set in modern day Sussex. I found it a little difficult to get into though, with a whole new cast of characters. It helps to have an outline plot to base your story on, but the one thing that works is getting to know your characters. Try to imagine how they think. Plot their back story, consider their family and friends network, where they work, maybe even what music they like. I’m sure this why my series became so easy to write in the end, because the characters to me felt like real people.

I occasionally end up writing extracts based on one character or scene; something to focus on if the writing process becomes cumbersome. So don’t give up. 

Reading helps too. I like to lose myself in a good book as much as I like writing and with so many good psychological thrillers around, it is inspiration for the soul.

BIO: Helen lives in Sussex with her husband where they work from home in their idyllic 17th C cottage. They began their web design business in 1998 (still running) and other than writing, Helen loves walking, cooking and photography.

Books by Helen J Christmas: 

Beginnings

Visions

Pleasures

Retribution: Phase One

Retribution: End Game (series: Same Face Different Place)

Due to be published in July

Rosebrook Chronicles, The Hidden Stories.

 

My Writing Process – Juliette Forrest

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My writing journey began quite late. After I left school, I moved to London and worked as an art director in advertising. It was years later, during an evening class at Glasgow School of Art, that it finally dawned on me I was awful at life drawing. So, I gave it up to attended my first writing class on a Saturday morning at Glasgow University. I wrote a piece for the group and the teacher suggested I could have the beginnings of a children’s book. I thought he was bonkers – but decided to give it a go. When I won a New Writers Award from Scottish Book Trust in 2014, everything changed. They gave me a bursary, a mentor, time away at a retreat, social media training and voice coach sessions. It was their belief in me that spurred me on to finish my first book, Twister, which was published by Scholastic in February 2018. It was a Sunday Times Book of the Week, The Guardian’s ‘must-read’ kid’s book of the summer and won the Calderdale Book of the Year Award 2019. I’ve just finished as Writer in Residence at All Saints Primary in Greenock and my second novel The True Colours of Coral Glen launches on July 4th.

What is your process?

I tend to work quite early in the morning because there are fewer distractions. I think one of the most positive influences on my writing process is my dog. He won’t let me sit at my laptop for too long and walking him gives me the space to work out plot or dialogue. Plus, I meet colourful characters in the park, who always make their way into my novels.

Do you plan or just write?

I use my synopsis as a guide and think carefully about what needs to happen to drive the story forward. I let it rattle around inside my head for a while, so I can tinker around with it and explore different options. It helps for me to imagine the story as a film playing out – so I tend to visualise each chapter before I begin writing.

What about word count?

Some days, I don’t seem to be able to write much at all, and others, I can whizz through entire chapters. I don’t adhere to a strict daily word count for this reason. If it’s not happening, I never berate myself, but turn my attention elsewhere for a while. There is always something to be getting on with like research or answering children’s letters.

What do you find hard about writing?

I’m often convinced I’ve got a great plot idea and I’ll spend ages working on it, only to discover at the very last minute that it’s flawed. I find this frustrating – like it is precious time wasted. However, I do believe it’s good to go down the wrong path because when you eventually hit the right one, you feel confident the story is the very best it can be.

What do you love about writing?

I absolutely love creating characters. There is one I’m working on for my next book who is going to be so much fun to spend time with. It’s brilliant when a character comes alive and tells you what is going to happen next. If you’re surprised, you can be sure the reader will be too. The next best thing about being a children’s author is chatting with the kids at events. It makes all the blood, sweat and tears worth it.

Advice for other writers?

I think it’s important you always celebrate when good things happen with your writing because any achievement in this industry is huge. And I firmly believe there is no genius except for the genius of hard work.

 

Published on 4th July.

 

My Writing Process | Holly Wainwright

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I’m Holly Wainwright and I’m a writer and a journalist, editor and a podcaster – all the things.

Most recently and significantly, I have written two novels – The Mummy Bloggers and How To Be Perfect, about women who write on the Internet and whose online personas don’t much match the chaos and artifice of their real lives. The books are really all about the lengths people will go to for Likes.

Latest Book.

The Mummy Bloggers. It was my first book, it’s just come out in the UK via Legend Press and I’m very proud of it.

A bit about your process of writing.

I find I have to treat writing a book in the same way I treat a job – I sit down every day with a number of words in mind and I just do it, even if I don’t love the words. The idea is that I can fix that later. Some days the discipline works, others not so much!

I also mostly write sitting on my bed, in silence. Other than when my kids come and ask, ‘What you doing?” and proceed to make a mess of everything.

Do you plan or just write?

A bit of both. Our bedroom wall at home is covered in Post-It notes, which is how I plot out a book with the characters and then, Chapter by Chapter. Post-its are great because you can move them around, but I do find myself procrastinating by obsessing about colour and placement!

But once all the Post-Its are up, often the conclusion of plot-points come to me as I’m writing. That’s the best kind of day, when problems are just solving themselves on the page.

What about word count?

I would often give myself a daily word-count. I wouldn’t get to it every day, but I’d aim for most. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the feeling of hitting the word count on my first book, I was so bloody proud.

How do you do your structure?

See aforementioned Post-It note wall – very high-tech.

What do you find hard about writing?

The constant self-doubt. And the amount of tea I drink while I’m doing it…. lots of toilet breaks.

What do you love about writing? 

Everything else. On a good day, when it’s working, there’s nothing that makes me happier, puts me in a better mood and feels more like the thing I should be doing with my time. Creating people and worlds is the best job in the world.

Advice for other writers. 

Don’t assume it’s easy for everyone else and you must just be the untalented one. Writing is difficult for everyone who does it well.

That, and to lay off the cups of tea a bit.

Holly is the author of The Mummy Bloggers (Legend Press, out now) and How to be Perfect (out 1st November)

Our social media is:

Legend Press @legend_press on Twitter, @legendpress on Instagram
Holly is @hollycwain  on Twitter and @wainwrightholly on Instagram

 

My Writing Process | Rosanna Ley

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How I write.

A big question! To be brief… Once I have a detailed synopsis I tend to write each new scene longhand in a notebook and then edit it as I get it on to the computer. More edits follow and then I move on to the next scene. Once I get to the end of the book I’ll go back for more editing and consider if I’ve got the structure right. Final edits are about fine tuning and polishing.

I’ve written all my life and also done a lot of teaching of creative writing here and abroad with a particular interest in both novels and life-writing for therapeutic practice. I moved to West Dorset, my ‘soul-home’ seven years ago and find it inspirational and peaceful. I love travelling and my books are always based in foreign climes as well as either Dorset or Cornwall or occasionally somewhere else in the UK. I like to think of the books as mainly relationship driven – I’m very interested in people!

What you have written, past and present.

I’ve written 8 books for Quercus including The Villa and Bay of Secrets as well as numerous short stories and articles.

What you are promoting now. 

The Lemon Tree Hotel out in paperback 13th June 2019.

Do you plan or just write?

Plan. I do a lot of planning which gives me a good structure to come back to if I then decide to go off piste. Organic writing is lovely and spontaneous but it tends to require a lot of editing…

What about word count?

My books are between 115,000 and 130,000 words long and they always turn out that way…

How do you do your structure?

Before I begin, I think about timeline, viewpoint and narrative tension and decide on the main structure of the novel. I’ll change it if it doesn’t seem to be working. I don’t work to any kind of formula in terms of narrative arcs and points of tension – I don’t want my books to become formulaic and prefer to trust to my instincts.

What do you find hard about writing?

I may have lots of ideas but it’s often hard to form these into an outline that will give me a sufficiently strong story-line (or two) and which will work on all the levels I need it to work. Structural editing can also be very difficult and requires a lot of clear head-space!

It can be hard, working to a deadline and for all writers there is a lot of pressure and often anxiety to deal with. I also hate waiting to find out if readers like my book…

What do you love about writing? 

I love the feeling when I know I’ve written a good scene or even a good paragraph and I’m totally satisfied with it – there’s nothing like that feeling for me. I also love being able to go off in my imagination and take control of another world (control freak – haha). I love it when a character starts speaking to me in my head and I love the process of writing a first draft on a fresh page of my notebook whilst sitting on a warm beach somewhere. I love going to new or much-loved places and planning how to set a novel there. I love research but sometimes get too interested in it. I love it when the finished book is delivered and looks beautiful – but I’m already worrying about the next one and whether it is good enough! 

It turns out there’s a lot I love about writing, which explains a lot…

Advice for other writers.

Read a lot. Write about what you want to explore. Don’t start writing fiction until you hear the voices in your head. Plan or don’t plan – do whatever feels right. Listen to advice from people who know what they’re talking about. Don’t listen to advice. Don’t give up. Go for a walk or do the ironing if you get stuck. Enjoy. (Turns out there are a lot of contradictions in writing advice too)

 

The Lemon Tree Hotel by Rosanna Ley will be published by Quercus in paperback on 13th June, £7.99