Writing Is A Process

When I first began my writing journey in 2015, I didn't realize how much of a process writing would be.

I spent a great deal of time on writing as a hobby before beginning my first novel. However, writing stories for fun and relaxation is completely different from crafting and fine-tuning a full-length novel intended for publishing.

Through the writing and publishing process, I have discovered several stages of crafting a novel. Let me share them with you.


1. Ideas
     Writing a book, or any story for that matter must begin with an idea. For me, the story of Patriot came in stages. My very first idea came in the form of the first page of the book. A young woman running on a track at dawn. The idea played over and over in my head as if a movie until I put it on paper. Once the first idea was written, the next came. And the next, and the next, until eventually, a book was in the making.
     As a Christian author, I often find myself talking with God. Asking Him for guidance in my writing, seeking His direction with the road down which the story is going, begging Him to show me the lesson He wants me to share through the story. I must remain constantly in prayer and seek His will daily in order to craft the story He has given me.


2. First Draft

     Crafting the first draft of a book is time consuming, frustrating, depressing, all while being uplifting, encouraging, fun, and exciting.
     You may be asking how it can be so many contradictory things. Well, let me tell you. Writing is time-consuming. I can't tell you how many times I have spent two or three days writing one single chapter in one of my books, a simple 4,000 words. There is research that must be done. At times, the words just won't come. Other times it is a challenge just to find the few moments each day to sit down and put words to paper.
     It can be frustrating and depressing as I struggle to find just the right way to clearly convey the thoughts, actions, and emotions of my characters.
     But, writing can also be uplifting, encouraging, fun, and exciting at the same time. As thoughts appear on paper, watching the length of the book increase day by day, a sense of joy presents itself. Excitement at creating something from a single thought. Having the chance to share myself with my readers.  I often learn something new during the writing process, one of the things I love most about being an author.
     The first draft can be a painful process, but at the completion of that first writing journey, I am left with the core of a brand new story that I will get to share with my friends, family, and more.

3. First Edit
     This is where things get fun. Well...not really. As a beginning author, I never realized just how much work goes into a book. A lesson I quickly learned when it came time to edit my first novel.
     Once the first draft is completed I then have to go through the entire book looking for spelling and grammatical errors, unclear thoughts, even plot holes where things are not consistent from one chapter to the next. There is also the matter of repeated phrases and words that clutter up the chapters, consistency with point of view, and use of unnecessary words.
     The editing process can be long and frustrating, but oh so rewarding when completed as I have a much cleaner, easier to read manuscript.


4. Second Draft
     When the first round of editing is complete, I have a second draft. Reading through this new version of my book I look for ways to enhance the story. Scenes to add, lessons to incorporate, or even things that restrict the flow of the story that needs to be removed. Things are added and taken away in order to polish the manuscript into a well-rounded story for my readers.



5. Editing
     Yep, again!
     Editing is a never-ending process. Any time words are added to or taken away from the story I repeat this step. I want my work to be as grammatically correct, easy to read and understand, and as free from errors as possible. I don't want my readers slowed down or distracted by mistakes and lose the momentum gained from the story and the lessons contained within.



6. Beta Reader
     Now, I know what you're thinking. What in the world is a beta reader? Well, it's much like a beta tester for a new computer program. It is someone who is willing to test the product and give feedback.
     When I ask someone to beta read my book I am providing them a free copy of my edited manuscript. As they read I ask them for feedback on the story, notes on any errors I may have missed. As well as overall thoughts on the story.
          I like to have at least two people read my book and provide constructive criticism before I even think about moving on to the final stages of releasing my book to the public.

7. Editing
     This stage of editing is where I take the notes provided to me by my beta readers and incorporate them into the story. Everything from a simple comma, to a notation on the flow of the story, is carefully considered and incorporated into my novel. After which I repeat the process of searching for spelling, grammar, and continuity errors.



8. Re-Reading & Final Editing
     When my manuscript has been through rigorous editing, and beta readers have reviewed it, I take a break from the project. I step back to clear my mind and re-focus my thoughts before tackling the final editing process of the book.
     After a week or two without so much as even opening the document on my computer, I pull it up and read through it again. This allows me to better identify little errors that have been missed and correct them. I am also better able to note any issues in the flow of the story at this time as I am now looking at it as a whole book instead of a single chapter, or small section.
     This step is crucial as many times small issues are missed in the editing process.

9. Book Cover
     Upon completion of the novel, it is time to move on to the process of publishing the book. This requires a title to be chosen, if not done already, and a cover to be created for the book. The book cover requires a few steps of its own.
     First, the title must be chosen, and a sub-title refined if used. The title can sometimes be elusive. Finding a word, or two, or three, which defines the book and is attention-grabbing is quite the challenge. This is where prayer comes into play once again. When writing Patriot I struggled with what to title my work. Spending much time in prayer became crucial as the writing phase drew to a close. Then, one day, I just knew what to title my book, and I never looked back.
     Once the title is chosen, then comes the daunting task of choosing a cover image. Once again, it should convey what the book is about without giving too much away. This is where knowing a good photographer comes in handy as one must also ensure they own the rights to the image. A simple google search will not suffice.
     The final stage of book cover creation comes in crafting the summary for the back. A summary is one of the hardest things to do when writing as it must be clear and concise, yet not give away any of the main points of the novel which will spoil the story for the readers.

10. Publishing
     So, my book is written, endured multiple edits, been read by beta readers for feedback, edited again, fine-tuned, a cover is created...now what?
     The next step is to publish the book. Some authors have the pleasure of working with a publishing company which will assist with editing and formatting the book, as well as cover design. However, there is a growing number of authors who choose to self-publish. There are many reasons for this and each has to consider the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing.
     Once the publishing route has been chosen the book must be either submitted to the publisher or formatted for self-publishing.
     This can be another lengthy process but is crucial to getting the novel into the hands of the reader.

12. Enjoy Finished Product
      The manuscript has been completed, the hours of editing endured, the beta readers pleased, the formatting double and triple checked, and the publish button pushed. So what's next?
     The answer is simple. Now you obtain a print copy of your novel, grab a drink and snack, settle into a comfy chair, and enjoy your completed novel!

And then you start the process all over again!