I’ve always loved watching behind-the-scenes featurettes of movies to see how it all comes together. Everyone’s different when it comes to where ideas start and their process to bring them to fruition.
Today, I thought I’d share a little about my process, specifically when things are in conception mode.
The Beginning – Characters
Usually, I start with characters, not a storyline. The times when I’ve worked in reverse (plot, then characters) have not gone so well for me. Therefore, I now pretty much have a rule that I begin with my main characters. (And I also have a sister who is often the rule enforcer…)
A Cozy Mystery Series Takes Shape
For example, with The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, I originally had an idea about a young socialite in Newport, RI, during the Gilded Age, who meets a handsome detective in the middle of a murder investigation. I think the couple came to mind after touring a mansion in Newport.
(If you’re curious how that happened, check out my post about The Tour That Inspired Belinda & Bennett.)
I liked the general idea, but not the period setting.
So, I modernized it, and that’s when Belinda Kittridge and Bennett Tate started to take shape. I stuck with the idea of Belinda coming from a wealthy family, but Bennett got a job change. I decided to give him an event security business instead.
The side characters grew out of Belinda & Bennett. Detective Jonas Parker made sense as Bennett’s friend, and Victoria Hart simply came as a complement to Belinda’s personality. And Belinda’s twin brother, Kyle, jived well with her.
Once I had the two of them, everything else fell into place. I knew my direction and could move forward.
A Dive into Royal Romance
My upcoming series, Royal Ties, came to life a little differently.
I’ll get into details about the series in another post, but the two main characters for the first book grew out of a glamorous setting. As a crown princess, and the main character of the first book, Desi blossomed into a chic, sophisticated woman.
One tool that helped establish Desi and her romantic interest, Astin, was Pinterest.
I use Pinterest boards as a visual guide now for all my books. Pinning outfits and photos of relevant locations, buildings, and anything else I need helps a lot when I’m writing. But it also helps solidify my characters (and the setting) in my head long before I draft a word.
Once I had Desi clear in my mind, it only made sense that her love interest would be a charismatic, sexy guy. (And a lot of fun to write!)
Ultimately, knowing my characters really comes from imagining them in my head. How they look, how they talk, behave, dress, think. That involves a lot of head work.
While this can be fun, there comes a point when you have to figure out a story context as well.
Storylines
Once I start to get to know the characters, the story begins to emerge. I keep my mind open for ideas–a conversation I overhear, a historical documentary, a news story. Anything and everything can spark a direction.
I keep extensive notes in the beginning, jotting down anything that might be useful later on. (Regardless, saving ideas is never a mistake.)
I still start with a plain old notebook and pen. (I simply find it easier to brainstorm that way most of the time.)
I keep all my ideas for current and upcoming books together. That way it’s easier to steal ideas from one book for another. Once a book is more solidified, I move relevant notes to a computer file. But I still tend to gravitate toward my notebook…
Once I’ve got ideas rolling, I start narrowing down the field to the best ones. You can’t squeeze everything into one book, so some things have to go. More often, if the ideas are strong, they’ll show up in another book.
In a series, sometimes I realize something belongs in a later book, so I mark it or move it. (This happened while working on Truth or Die.)
Once I know what I’m working with and the book’s foundation is strong, I move on to pulling it all together.
The End (or Maybe A New Beginning)
My concept to draft process has changed a lot over the past several years, and I now have a much better system for working. I’m always refining my process, but it’s much simpler than years ago.
Scene Lists & Chapter Outlines
Taking my notes, I draft a scene list, which is basically a one sentence summary of each scene. At that point, I’m getting into grittier details–how am I going to put all my notes into action?
This step is helpful in noticing any story problems. And it helps me adjust the story’s pacing long before I write a word.
Once I’m satisfied with how it’s reading, I move on to chapter outlining, which is an expanded version of the scene list.
I add details like clues, bits of dialogue, and setting notes. I also add timeline notes, so I know when and where the story is in each scene. Again, this step helps to identify any problems.
For instance, while working on the chapter outline for A Royal Affair, I realized the story needed more action. That’s the kind of thing my chapter outlines are good for.
I take my time with that step, really fleshing out the summaries so I have a lot to run with once I start drafting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always perfect, and I do make changes as I’m going sometimes, but they’re always on the minor side.
When I’m satisfied with the chapter outline and confident I can move ahead, I start drafting.
Writing (Finally!)
The act of writing is a whole other beast–a furry, gentle giant kind of beast–but still a beast.
Some ideas will only materialize once I get writing, and I think that’s what makes writing so special–and fun. However, for any major, story-altering ideas at that stage, they go into my notebook for a later novel.
I spend one to two months drafting. I honestly like spending closer to two. I feel less rushed and end up with a more finished first draft.
But I was so excited about A Royal Affair that I unintentionally finished it in about a month.
The amount of revision work I have just depends on how well I did on the first draft. 😉 Which is why I like to take my time these days.
With Misfortune, I fleshed out some parts and added a scene or two, but it was very complete otherwise. Truth or Die, on the other hand, needed more material (and I wound up altering the ending, too).
Regardless, I start with the big changes and work down to the details. Like with the planning stages, I’ve carved out a system for revising that works for me. And that’s often the trick–finding what works for you!
Taking a step back, all of this sounds like more than what it feels like when I’m working. But the extra steps are totally worth it for me, and I’m all about finding effective work methods so I can savor the parts of the process I love.
I’m sure I’ll keep tweaking how I approach planning, and each book presents its own challenges. Ultimately, writing is still writing, and no number of systems changes that it’s a creative process. And for that, I’m grateful!