The Writing Process by Robert E. Kearns

It differs for everyone, but a constant of the writing process is that the author must make a start. This may sound obvious, yet time and again, prospective writers can get hung up on a variety of self-inflicted snags; from character development to the order of scenes they scribbled sketchy outlines for. The result: procrastination. It's what happens when, in advance of putting pen to paper, they try to make everything perfect.

My advice is, keep it simple. Jot down whatever comes into your head. Don't worry if some of it doesn't fit, you can always discard what later on feels off. I like to sit with a clear head and a journal, block any unwanted interferences, then see what comes out. It's more often than not I'll move things around, scrap what I don't like, change names, add in new details, or come up with fresh or improved plotlines. Messing around as I write is okay, because once I have crafted an outline, I get on the laptop and type away.

For the new writer, set realistic targets. But make your targets a challenge. I enjoy giving myself mini deadlines. And, you know what? It's all right if I don't nail them. As long as I'm moving forward, I don't care if I run a day or two over. That's fine. What's not fine, is to make a target so easy that you never get a thing done. If you set five paragraphs a fortnight as your goal, you'll end up writing one or two paragraphs a fortnight. You might only come up with working title and little else.

The inverse applies too. Don't make goals that are over ambitious. See how you are getting on. If 800 words a night is your average, keep that number in mind. It's wonderful if you can keep producing day in and day out. Plus, it's a heck of a lot better than supposing 2,000 words every 24 hours will be a cinch, then getting discouraged when you write a mere 200. It's important to stay positive. And staying positive means recognizing that after five days, a daunting number like 4,000 words was not so bad. That's because you broke it down into simpler chunks. You'll feel great for having achieved it, and it will spur you on to continue.

Give it a real go. Start writing and don't look back. Yes, there are times when I edit my work as I go along, (and I'll get to that in a second) but when on a roll, the secret is to not let up. If the creativity is at full-throttle, let the rubber burn. Editing can come later. Editing will come later, because no matter how well we think we are writing, changes are inevitable. That's why I say, if the words are coming out, let them come out. Don't second-guess what you've composed or go back to check for mistakes. They are there. But the point of a story is to write it. And when you have typed The End, then you can check your work, correct your errors, and find ways to further improve your manuscript.

I've written several full-length books and many short stories and novellas. In the main, I follow my own advice. But I'm only human, and humans suffer from human frailties. We can't always shut out what's happening around us. Joyous events may intervene to take us out of our stride. Moments of sadness can also bite us where it hurts. Then we have the banal stuff like finding ourselves in bed for three days with a winter cold. There is no end to the variety of happenings that can ruin our concentration or turn off the tap of ideas.

So, what do I do about it? I break the rules. That is what is supposed to happen with rules. There are times when we need to try something the rules were not written for. I apply the following advice to the short story and novella formats. Due to the style and size of these pieces, for me, it's where it works best. There are times when I'm not in the mood to sit in front of a computer for three hours. The box of writing tricks is empty, and I'm in form for little except parking in front of the television to continue watching that exciting new series I started.

If I'm re-visiting an old idea (I often make a brief note of story ideas in my journal, then develop them later), then most of the time, I'm happy with that idea. So, I begin. I'll pen a paragraph or two, even as my subscription TV is beckoning me with its seductive treats. What comes out may be rubbish, but at least it is something. Afterwards, I edit those paragraphs. Then I'll edit them again, so that I've devoted some time to what will afterwards become a completed work. Later, I can tell myself I produced something, which is always better than producing zip.

The next evening, I'll read over my measly three paragraphs, perhaps edit them some more, then tack on a further three paragraphs. Later, I'll edit these, and revisit them on the morrow when I will continue my draft with a further four paragraphs.

Do you get the picture? When, on a dark and dreary winter's night I'd love nothing more than being a couch potato, I can still be a couch potato by putting some words to paper. They can be terrible words with awful grammar and their meaning intelligible to me alone. Yet, I did it. As well, I can fix what I've written - the wonders of a PC over an old-fashioned typewriter. Edit, write, edit, write. Then maybe a flow will arrive, and soon a torrent of words may rage. I stick with it until the mood returns.

Writing is not easy, but nothing worth doing will ever be easy. For the novice, get started. Keep writing. Don't second-guess yourself or become downhearted. The reward comes after all the hard work. You did it. You wrote that book or story you knew you had in you. And you achieved it though sheer bloody-minded determination.

If you fall forward every day, you've gotten a yard closer to your goal. And every extra yard will bring you within sight of the finishing line. Then when you've written that novella, or a couple of full-length books, you'll discover what system works best for you. This will help you persevere even when it's easier to cozy up in front of that fabulous 60 inch screen you treated yourself to in the sales.

Tell yourself you can do it. Your story is waiting to be told.

Enjoy the ride, and keep writing.

Robert E. Kearns is the author of novels, A Donnybrook Affair, Embers, Ossuary, Freedom is For the Few, Carnivore, Crabb and Hy Brasil: Island of Eternity

He has also composed multiple short stories and novella's

Link to Robert's author page:

Inquiries to the author via direct message on Linkedin.

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