Blog Hop: My Writing Process

Hello! This week I was kindly invited by fellow TWCS author Rene Gilley to participate in a blog hop, and as I've been woefully remiss with my blog this year, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to connect with some new readers. So, if you're new to my blog, welcome! You can also learn about me by visiting my website. If you're an old friend, welcome back, and I hope you take a moment to check out Rene's blog hop post here and encourage her as her debut YA novel, Just Sing, is set to release in one month.

1. What am I working on?

I am working on several books at the moment. First up is the final release of my 6-book YA fantasy series, The Gateway Chronicles. Book 6, The Bone Whistle, will be out this fall (no release date yet, sorry!), and is in the final stages of the editing process. In the early stages of edits is the first book of my NA dystopian trilogy, Breeder, which should be released around Christmas of this year. While those edits are in process, I'm also working on the two sequels to Breeder, Criminal and Clone, and I'm hoping to have those manuscripts wrapped before The Bone Whistle comes out in the fall. So, I have a lot on my plate right now!

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

My fantasy work really hearkens back to an older tradition of storytelling, I think. I'm not saying it's old fashioned, but it will appeal to the adult who loved The Chronicles of Narnia as a child, and to the teenager who's looking for something on their level that is also deep, soulful, and meaningful. I read a lot of YA literature - almost exclusively so, actually, and almost all of it in the speculative genres - and I have not come across anything modern that feels or reads quite like my Gateway Chronicles. Modern YA lit tends to be all about self-actualization. In contrast, my Gateway Chronicles challenges the natural selfish tendencies of teenagers and taps their full potential to be giving, constructive, talented, and selfless members of society - granted, I do this over the backdrop of a fantasy realm with all sorts of adventures, romance, mysteries, and action thrown in for good measure. But I really do think this sets my fantasy books apart from most of the other YA equivalents out there.

As to my dystopian writing, well . . . let's just say, I guess I'm an old soul at heart, because it follows this same trend. Breeder reads more like The Giver than Divergent or The Hunger Games. I say this with some trepidation, because it's not necessarily a good thing to say your book is NOT like the most popular books current in the genre, but I really do think people are constantly looking for new spins on old ideas, and Breeder will deliver just that. As a New Adult novel, it's geared for a little older audience than my YA fantasy material, and this is because the story is really intense, and it deals with mature themes and a truly horrific futuristic world. Thematically, it has the gravitas of the older, classic dystopians, mashed together with the intensity of a good science fiction novel, and the romantic tension of a modern dystopian like The Hunger Games. It follows one girl's journey as she slowly uncovers the layers of reality and illusion in her world, and like a good mystery novel, it should cause the reader to second-guess what she's uncovering at all stages. In the very end of the last book, when all is revealed, I want the reader to sit back and go, "What? What? I can't believe that's what's been going on this whole time!" and then pick up book one and start all over just to see how all the pieces fall together once the truth is revealed. This is a tall order to accomplish as a writer, but it's already tested well with my beta readers, and I'm feeling pretty confident that it will set Breeder apart as unique in its genre once it is published.

3. Why do I write what I do?

There is one primary reason why I do what I do: I want to convey truth to a world that largely doesn't believe in objectivity. There are, of course, subjective things in this world, but I've always strongly believed in the objective nature of right and wrong. I won't go into my personal beliefs or more of my philosophy here, because I'd rather you (readers) read my books and try to figure it out for yourselves, but I will say that you will always find my books peppered with pointers to objective reality. I just realized that sounds kind of boring, so let me add that I also believe the primary function of fiction to be entertainment, and as such, it's a great venue for transmitting ideas in non-offensive ways. I must first write a good story, one that entertains and edifies, otherwise anything I want to say in my books will be lost.

4. How does my writing process work?

My writing process can be broken down into pretty distinct stages.

-Epiphany

This is the point at which the idea strikes me. I usually know when an idea is worth pursuing as a novel project. If it sticks with me and builds on itself, like a snowball rolling down a snowy slope, then I know it's a good idea, and I'll move into the next stage with it. And the epiphany can come from anything and strike at any time. For Breeder, it happened when reading an article in a magazine. For my next series after Breeder, it came from looking up at my favorite constellation one night.

-Dreaming and Brainstorming

This stage can go on for any length of time, and now that I'm an actual published author, the length of this stage is usually determined by publishing demands or what I think will sell. For example, I had my "epiphany" for Breeder only about two years ago, and I've had several ideas on the back burner for a lot longer than that, but I know that dystopian is hot right now, and I want to get on that train. So, I quickly moved Breeder into the organizing notes stage and on into planning and writing. But I have many more ideas that are still in the dreaming and brainstorming stage, and it's just a matter of when I will decide to publish those stories that determines moving on to the next stage with them. But this stage is fun - it's comprised of lots of randomness and lots of jotting down things in journals and drawing sketches and stuff like that. I usually come up with names and character and plot details during this stage, but it's very disorganized, and I have to be careful to write things down so I don't lose them. Much of what I work on during this stage doesn't actually make it into the final project, but that's okay, because it's all about dreaming of what could be. I'm in this stage right now with the series I will write after the Breeder Cycle. The next series is a science fantasy (yes, that's a thing) for a middle grade readership, and I've been dreaming and brainstorming this story for about two years, as well.

-Organizing notes

I only move into this stage once I've determined it's time to start actually working on a book (ie. when a publication date or goal is established). I take all the random notes from the dreaming and brainstorming stage (usually handwritten and in no particular order) and plug them in to a typed fact sheet. This is not an official outline, just a way for me to sift through what I've come up with so far and see where I have character, setting, and plot holes. This stage goes pretty quickly, and I will usually add the planning portion to this same document so I don't have to flip between my notes and my outline when I'm outlining and then writing. I will also usually write preliminary summaries of my story/stories at this stage.

-Planning

Anybody who's ever spent any time on my blog, website, or Facebook page knows by now that I'm a huge believer in planning a novel before writing it. This can be difficult, as I'm not a natural planner and usually I'm very disorganized, but I've found that I can't discipline my mind to finish a novel if I don't have the details spelled out ahead of time as a way to both keep me from following rabbit trails, and a way to keep the story coherent straight to the end. For this stage, I plug my organized notes into a sort of outline. I have utilized traditional outlines in the past, but I usually now use a ring composition chart outline that gives me not only the order of events, but the themes and points of importance that go along with each chapter, as well as the corresponding places to mirror and/or reverse echo those things from one half of the novel to the next. This method keeps my novels from becoming train-of-thought ramblings and ensures that every event is important to the story and moves the plot forward. I should point out, however, that my outlines are not exhaustive. I typically leave blanks and gaps where I don't exactly know what is going to happen, but the beauty of having an outline is that these gaps don't cause me to grind to a halt when I'm writing (the dreaded - and illusory - "writer's block"). Instead it's kind of like going on a journey. I know my destination (you must know the end of your story before you start writing it!), and several stops along the way, so gaps are often just rivers I need to bridge, or forests I need to traverse, and it's just a matter of figuring out how to get to the other side. That might sound cheesy, but it works!

-Writing

My writing stage goes pretty quickly, all things considered. If I've planned well, then there's no reason to get truly stuck, as I mentioned above. Having my notes organized into a reference sheet, and the linear progress of the story mapped out on a chart and/or outline of some sort, allows me the freedom to just write. My novels tend to be between 100,000-160,000 words each, and I usually knock that out in 6-12 weeks of straight writing. I don't like to be distracted when I'm writing, and I love to engage in what I call "marathon" writing sessions - where I write 5,000-15,000 words in one sitting. I get the least amount of sleep when I'm in this stage, and I'm totally focused on forward progress. I only re-read what I wrote the previous day when I sit down at my computer, and I resist going back for any deep revisions. If something strikes me as needing to change earlier on in the story, I'll make a note to go back and change it later, but I don't let it derail me from moving forward. My writing pace picks up the closer I get to the end of the novel, too, so it usually takes me half or a quarter of the time to write the last half of the novel as it took me to write the first half.

-Revising

Once the first draft is complete, I try to let it rest for a day or two or three before I start revisions. Sometimes, because of deadlines, I don't have the time for the resting period, but it really is very important whenever I can squeeze it in. I do one complete and thorough read-through revision before I submit the draft to my editors. This is where I go back and make any changes I noted in my writing period, check for story continuity, fix general typos and errors, and get a feel for it. I should love my story at the end of the revision/read-through, and if I don't, then I have a problem, because I probably haven't written a very good story. I will also revise my outline, if necessary, and my notes and preliminary summaries at this time to match the actual draft (because often things change a little as you write.) Once I'm happy with the draft and have it all polished up, I submit it to my editing team (and beta readers, too).

-Panicking, take 1

I spend the few weeks it takes my editing team to read and evaluate the manuscript panicking over whether or not they'll like it. I usually don't start off panicking, because finishing a manuscript and submitting it for publication is a pretty euphoric feeling, but once that euphoria fades, I panic. The anxiety can be so severe that I usually don't read my manuscript evaluations until a few days after my team sends them back, because I need to mentally prepare myself. (My lead editor teases me for this, as they've never actually given me a poor review... knock on wood.)

-Editing

This stage takes several months and is comprised of three main parts: substantive, copy, and reader edits. My editors do most of the work, and when they send their portions back to me, I basically just have to go through and approve the changes and corrections they've made. I usually don't end up with major rewrites - not anything I would consider major rewrites, at least. And I'm a pretty good sport about the whole process. When you're an author, you have to remember that your editors are trying to make your books better, not worse, so giving them the benefit of the doubt to do their job well is very important. I don't fight anything unless it's changing my voice too much, or unless they're trying to cut something that's crucial to the story, which doesn't happen very often. I have a very good relationship with my editors, and I intend to keep it that way.

-Panicking, take 2

Once the editing is complete, the manuscript is off to formatting, and at some point close to publication date, I receive a final document I have to sign off on. This always makes me panic at least a little because what if there's some major error none of us caught?! But . . . at some point, you have to declare the book done. So I sign off on it, and then spend the next few weeks until publication panicking over whether my readership will like it - which is really what it's all about in the end. It's so much blood, sweat, and tears to write, prepare, and publish a novel, and if nobody likes it after you've published it, I imagine it would feel like a wasted effort - and I know I would feel like I have let my entire team down. Thankfully, that's never happened to me (yet . . .), so I don't have any legitimate reason to panic, but it's hard to shake that anxiety. But, to end on a positive note, maybe I should add one more stage . . .

-Relief and Rejoicing!

Publishing a novel and having your readers respond in positive ways is one of the best feelings on the planet. My panic is replaced with relief, and I have a blast rejoicing with my readers over story details and anticipated conclusions. And then I rejoice a little personally at their agony over having to wait a whole 'nother year for my next book to come out. I'm not going to lie, it's great. :)


Okay, so that's my very thorough breakdown of my writing process. If you made it all the way to the end, huzzah for you! *Long-distance high five*

I hope you tune back in to the blog hop next week to learn all about my friend and fellow author Fran Amerson and her writing process. She writes memoirs about her struggles with infertility and journey to adoption, and she's releasing a new book on Mother's Day! You can find her blog here.

ALSO, I've roped a former student into participating, because she's writing her first novel (that she intends for publication, at least), and is a young and fresh mind, and I'm sure she'll have some excellent insight into the starting-out stage of the journey. Her name is Maggie Rapier, and as she's just now setting up her writing blog, I'll post the link as soon as I have it.

Thanks again, everyone! I hope you've enjoyed the post.

"There and Back Again"...

...The Beauty of Ring Composition in Life and Literature.

As you know if you read my previous blog post, when I was in Sydney, Australia a couple weeks ago for the Sydney Writer's Festival, I had the opportunity to speak with a 9th-grade literature class regarding my books and how I write them. I ended up speaking primarily about literary alchemy, but I started the discussion with ring composition. Ring composition, otherwise known as chiasmic/chiastic structure, is an ancient literary device named for the Greek letter Chi: X in which a poem, passage, or entire text builds up to a central point (what I usually call the axis when I am teaching it to students) and then builds down to the conclusion, stressing the same points in the reverse order. So, for example, the text could look like this:

A (beginning)
          B
                    C
                              D(middle/central point of the story)
                              D
                    C
          B
A (conclusion)

Or:
                              A (middle/central point of story)
                    D                 D
          C                                     C
                    B                 B
         (beginning) AA (conclusion)

And there are other variations. In my books, I tend to follow the second example I gave, but the basic principle is the same - the second half of the story mirrors the first half of the story either by comparison or contrast (ie. D2 could either mirror D1 or be a reverse echo of D1).

Okay, this is all getting a bit technical, so let me get down to the why of the matter. Why bother doing this at all? This is what one of the students in the class asked me, and it is more than a valid question, in fact it is at the heart of it all. Doesn't this make for a lot of work? Isn't writing just about self expression? Isn't it more important that I just get words on the page? Stop! You're stifling me with your compositional restrictions! The answer to these questions, in order, is: Yes. No. Kind of. Let me explain...

I don't think any serious writers want their works to be irrelevant, and in order to prevent irrelevancy, one must take steps to write works that subconsciously lodge themselves in the reader's brain. Ring composition is one way to do that, and it is tried and true. It is subconscious for the reader because, unless they are purposefully studying the text to look for it, they won't see it, but they will feel it. The human brain responds to patterns, and especially to repetition and mirroring, so if you use a chiasmus in your writing, it lodges your story more firmly in the long-term memory of the brain, and if you've written a good story, it should end up being something that readers relate more easily to and want to go back to for more. But yes, it makes for a lot of work! In fact, it's down right hard to do. Many a sleepless night have I spent pacing my living room, trying to puzzle through how to make this structure work with my stories, but in the end, it is always worth it (and it's gotten me out of more than a few writer's-block binds!). Besides, anything worth doing ought to be difficult in some degree. Who ever said rewarding work should be easy? And no, writing is not just about self expression, and if you use a structure like ring composition, you can ensure that your work goes beyond you and hopefully becomes something that is relevant not just for you and your time, but for others and times to come. How do I know this? Let me name a few of the texts that have utilized ring composition throughout the ages and let the examples speak for themselves: The Histories, Beowulf, the works of Aristotle, the Bible, Dante's Inferno, all the works of Shakespeare, Aquinas's Summa Theologica, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, and many more. And yes, while it is important for a writer to "just get words on the page," it is also important for a writer to think about the order in which those words will be presented. All literature is instructive; all authors have some point to make. Ring composition can help you make that point subconsciously without wasting your words.

There are other benefits to using ring composition beyond what I have already mentioned. It lends a sense of purpose, permanence, and completion to a text or story. Have you ever read a book that, if it were a building, it would look like a Jenga tower with odds and ends sticking out here and there, dangerously close to falling over? I have, and usually these sorts of stories feel unfinished or unsatisfying when I get to the end, and I'm left with dangling story elements that were never resolved. I usually chalk this up to poor, or no, planning on the part of the author, and I rarely return to these stories for a second read. If you successfully use ring composition, this should never happen in your own work. Your story will not only make a point, it will lodge in the readers' brains, and when it's finished, it will feel finished. Lastly, ring composition imitates real life and the journeys that all of us take. I thought about this as I was winging my way over the Pacific Ocean coming back from Australia. The same journey, in reverse order, that I took only a week before. When I got back to the Dallas airport and waited for my connection to Birmingham, I even saw some of the same security personnel I had encountered on my way out. This may seem trite to you, but it put a contemplative smile on my face as I pondered its relevance to my writing, and to the greater story of life (ashes to ashes, dust to dust, naked from my mother's womb and naked I return, etc...). There is something beautiful to me about the chiastic structure in life and literature, and it will always be a structure I come back to in my writing. After all, who isn't moved by the deeper implications behind Tolkien's simple words? "There and Back Again." 

Plugging Along

"Plugging along" is a good way to describe what I am doing right now. I got the detailed outline through chapter 14 typed up today. This was more or less busy work, as I had already pretty well outlined these chapters in my handwritten notes. I then spent some time researching ring composition and scanning through my scattered notes regarding things that I need to "not forget" from the two previous books. Now that I am heading into book 3, the fear of dropping the ball on something that I set up in a previous book is rather prevalent, but I think it will go away once I actually start writing the book. There's just so much to keep straight! I also named all but one of the rest of my chapters for this book tonight, and I think that I have them pretty well figured as to how they will fit into my chiasm (having to do with ring composition). It feels strange to be working on my official prewriting so many weeks prior to my start date for writing the book; so much of what I'm getting down in outline is hypothetical. If something ultimately doesn't work/flow with the story, then I will just end up rewriting much of my outline anyways, but I'm going to trust to my methods and see where they take me. As long as everything fits with the chiasm that I am creating, I should come out with a sensible story in the end. (If this feels rather nonsensical, it's probably because it's very, very late.)

In other news, I started my "summer" reading this week. I thought I'd get a head start because I think that writers learn best by imitation, and I'd like to learn a thing or two about narrative misdirection before I start in on my writing this summer. Jane Austen is one of my favorites, and a master of narrative misdirection, and I've read all of her books except Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. So, Persuasion is where I'm starting! Does it seem strange that a fantasy author would look to take lessons from Jane Austen? Perhaps, perhaps not.