How to Write a Book: My Pre-Draft Process

In the coming months I’ll be working on a first draft for book 3 in the Heart of the Forest series, and wanted to share a bit of behind the scenes for my writing process. This will be my fifth full-length novel draft, and my approach to writing has evolved a lot through all that writing–to the point where I finally feel I have a process to share in the first place.

This will be book 3 in my series, but because each story follows a different set of characters and has a standalone plot, the process is mostly the same as it is for all my works. (I’ve been calling this one Project Bloom for shorthand, but you’ll see example visuals from mostly Book 1/2 to avoid spoilers!)

My Writing Goal

As an under-writer, my first drafts usually come in around 60k words–that will be my goal for November. While this is a pretty demanding pace, it’s in line with previous drafting targets that I’ve been able to hit successfully. I have always found my drafting process goes smoothly when I give myself deadlines and push through the first draft phase quickly. I also find this time of year conducive to the type of focused hermitude that drafting a novel requires. Something about the dark days and drizzly PNW rain just makes the writing mood.

A Note About NaNoWriMo…

Following a number of recent controversies, I am among a number of authors who will not be participating in the organization's annual novel writing challenge. So, while I AM going to be writing a novel in the month of November, I won’t be using any of the organizational resources, branding or donating through the organization itself.

Brainstorm

I start by compiling into one document all the thoughts, ideas and inspirations I have for the story. Sometimes I’ll have very solid ideas for scenes or characters that come to me before the larger plot, so using them as a starting point is part of my process. 

During this process I’ll collect things like:

• Links to articles for research

• Character art or name ideas

• Conflict types and ideas

• Music or playlists

• Scenes or particular character interactions

There are no rules about what needs to go into my brainstorming process, but I usually stay in this phase until I feel the story is ready to move forward. Once I have the bones of a plot, a rough sketch of characters and research I’ll need to have on hand while drafting. 

Outline

Once a plot has taken shape in my mind, I’ll put pen to paper and start writing the whole thing out in as much detail as possible. There are plenty of templates that I will sometimes use (like Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody) but I like to sketch the outline first without it and see what organic form the story takes.

This outline isn’t anything fancy, just a long bullet pointed list of scenes that I can lay out and rearrange before drafting. For stories like this one which are dual- or multi-POV, I’ll note those POVs here, so I can tell quickly if one character is getting more “screen time” than the others. 

The outline might change significantly while I’m drafting, but having a roadmap makes the writing easier and cuts down the time I need to spend in developmental edits.

Research and Character Profiles

Once the outline is done I have more direction for the character profiles I’ll need, and any topics or things I might need to do a bit of research on. Doing this step third means I don’t waste time on character details that won’t be used in the story. While trying to hit lofty word goals, efficiency is best. I find it helpful to note the characters major features and personality traits so they remain consistent. While main characters get comprehensive notes, most side characters 

While Book 2 is more focused on the history of logging in the state, book 3 really brings us into the current day, and will feature a lot of conflict inspired by current events. Consequently, I’ve spent a lot of time digging into news articles these past few weeks, using my local library to access the digital articles and saving snippets that might be useful. (For Under Moss and Maple, I compiled a whole pasteboard on the flora of the rainforest, but I hardly need it now.)

Set the Tone

Moodboard for Book 3, which takes place in the spring.

Last November when I was writing Under Moss and Maple, I didn’t have to work that hard to access the cozy, autumnal vibe of the story. For Book 3, which will take place in the spring, things are a little different. For each story, regardless of season, I like to choose a few small things to help capture the atmosphere of the story. 

In the past this has looked like:

• A moodboard. (Obviously.)

• A special scented candle, only to be burned while writing.

• A playlist (without words because they ruin my focus) to play on repeat in the background.

• A drink to reach for while drafting, like a chai tea or a maple old fashioned.

As frivolous as it sounds, I swear by these things to help capture the mood of the story, and they serve as a nice bit of motivation when the writing gets hard. 

Write a Book with Me

If you’ve never tried writing anything before (or maybe you’re a seasoned writer) I think it’s a great challenge to practice creativity in the winter month. Set a goal and write along with me, or follow along this month as I work on the next installment of my series. Either way, thanks for being here!