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Self-awareness of writing process aids creativity

Many writers will tell you “there’s no system” to writing a book. They’re right in that the craft of writing can’t be reduced to an assembly line production, at least not unless you wish to churn out cookie-cutter stories and ultimately be incredibly dissatisfied with your passion.

Still, given that writers tend to share several personality traits – such as preferring to work in isolation, a love for the sound of language, introspectiveness, a desire to constantly read – we can draw upon other authors’ processes to inform our own. As an editor and a writer, I’ve discussed this process with many writers and have read hundreds of interviews in which they were asked how they write. Indeed, looking at how published authors of novels and nonfiction books and other writers, such as journalists, there does seem to be a general system that every one of them uses.

It consists of five basic steps – brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and formatting.

One process but no single way to follow it
Of course, every writer is an individual and so utilizes his or her own approach to those five steps. For example, how much time writers spend on each step and how frequently they switch back and forth between them is entirely unique to each person. It even can change for an author with each story written.

So granted, there's no single way to write. Sometimes you're so inspired you can pen a masterpiece with no outline and minimal revising of the first draft. Sometimes you only need a minimal outline to get going. Sometimes you need an overly detailed outlined from which you later must cut scenes. Sometimes you revise the piece dozens of times until it no longer bears any resemblance to the outline. Yet, the majority of the time, most writers still follow the five basic steps.

Thus, you might think of the five-step writing process described on this blog as a recipe. Just as every chef brings his or her own taste and flair to a dish, so each writer will bring his or her proclivities and style to a manuscript.

The pantser myth
Arguably one of the biggest mistakes aspiring authors makes is denying that these steps are necessary or that they even exist. These writers often say they don’t use or need outlines, that they write “from the seat of their pants” and proudly call themselves “pantsers.” Yet, they follow the process by brainstorming and outlining the manuscript in their head a split second before they commit their thoughts to paper. The more successful of these writers have internalized certain basic principles of writing – some novelists might always divide the plot into five parts or always ensure the protagonist is in conflict while trying to solve a goal – and imagination is enough to carry them. They are no different than the chef who bakes a pastry from memory rather than looking at a printed recipe.

So quit living in denial, pantsers.

Simply put, not being self-aware – or being only vaguely so – of one’s writing process is risking disaster. Imagine the chef who just wings it on the recipe’s steps and the ingredient amounts. The cake might turn out fine but probably not. At the very least, it could taste better. Likewise, with very few exceptions, manuscripts written by pantsing tend to require significant amounts of revision (a step, by the way, in the writing process) or even just tossing out the mess and starting over.

Productivity and creativity
Given this, awareness of the writing process helps balance creativity and productivity. Indeed, aspiring authors tend to underestimate the effort needed for their writing project. Because of this, they often feel overwhelmed and lost. A process can help writers break the project into manageable steps and to keep them on the road to completion.

Further, being aware of these five steps can allow you to better reflect on your own writing techniques and to pinpoint how you might possibly improve upon them. Sometimes when stuck on a story, you’ve skipped or not done enough work on one or more of these writing process steps, so an understanding of them can help you break through your block. Other times, these steps can provide a template to help you start and develop a great story idea that you love but feel ill-equipped to turn into a short story, a novel, or a nonfiction book.

Recognizing the uniqueness of each writer, the links below and posts elsewhere at this blog largely speak of the five-step writing process in general terms. When they do get specific, you may or may not find that particular technique useful, just as a chef may not want to add a certain spice or prefers to use a mix of milk and lemon juice rather than buttermilk. That's all right. The goal here is to expose you to a variety of approaches, many of which you may never have thought of. Give them a try and see if they do work for you.

Here are articles that go in-depth on each of the five steps:
• Brainstorming
• Outlining
• Drafting
• Revising
• Formatting

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Editor’s latest book receives positive review

My latest book, Love Letters to Sophie’s Mom, received a positive review at Amazon.com. Marie Lorac on Friday, wrote of the book, “Mr. Bignell takes you into the heart of a love story starting at their first encounter when they know then they will be together forever. He then plunges you into their heart and soul – their very lives – and does it beautifully. He describes the man’s feelings for his love in passionate prose that will move you. When her downward spiral begins, you are there with him hoping against hope that it is not so. But ‘life’ happens, as it always does, and you know he will lose her...in some way. Your heart will break as you witness his pain, knowing that his memories may be all he has left. Mr. Bignell has woven a set of poems into a beautiful story that will touch your heart.” Love Letters to Sophie’s Mom is available at Amazon.com.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Boston, Massachusetts, or a small town like Intercourse, Pennsylvania, I can provide that second eye.

Promote your book at writing conferences

Another way to promote your book is through a public appearance at a writing conference. Writing organizations, colleges and other groups offer a wide variety of such programs. Typically, they help writers develop their skills, learn the industry, and make connections.

There are number of ways you could make a public appearance at a writing conference:
• Workshop program – During the day, some conferences give attendees the opportunity to attend sessions about different elements of writing, from the craft itself to the business side of the industry. Find a niche that relates to what you’ve written and offer a session.
• Panelist – Sometimes conferences offer discussion programs on various writing topics for attendees. Perhaps you have a unique perspective on a topic that would fit panel discussions being offered.
• Keynote speaker – If well-known enough, you could be a speaker at the conference’s luncheon or dinner. Following the meal, you would present a speech to those attending.

You’ll have to pitch yourself to a conference organizers to become one of these speakers. A number of websites offer lists of upcoming conferences with contact information. Personally, I find The Writers’ Conferences & Centers (WC&C) website useful.

Likewise, if you’ve written a nonfiction book, consider speaking at trade conferences related to the subject matter you wrote about. After all, now that you’ve written a book about it, you’re a de facto expert on the subject.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Sacramento, California, or a small town like Intercourse, Pennsylvania, I can provide that second eye.

How to handle page numbers, running headers

How many times have you read a book then later as trying to find some statement or paragraph in it said under your breath, “What page was that on?”

Eventually you probably just give in and look up the page number in the index or table of contents. Good thing the author included page numbers!

You, too, should include page numbers in your book. Besides being useful to readers, including page numbers helps your book look professional.

Page numbers and running headers that include the book’s name and your title also are called folios.

Almost every page in your book should have a page number. Start with the introduction/preface and run through the main text, appendixes and index. Forewords and prefaces get Roman numeral pages (i, ii, iii, etc.); all other pages get Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). You can skip page numbers, though, on the half title page, copyright page, dedication, acknowledgements, table of contents, first page of a chapter (though each first page of a chapter is counted), and the author’s bio at the back of book.

Some other basic rules for placing page numbers in books include:
• Don’t write “Page x”, just give the number
• Left pages are even numbers, right pages are odd numbers (Side note: To avoid looking amateurish, place the first page of a chapter on an odd-numbered page, even if that means you must leave the even-numbered page before it blank)
• Put page numbers on the outside margin (e.g. the side of the book away from the spine)
• Post them on the bottom of page (They can be combined with the running header, though – read on!)
• Change the font and point size so they appear slightly different than the book’s text

As noted above, you might include the page number in the running headers. Appearing in the top margin, these include either the book title on each page (typical of novels) or the book title and chapter title on opposite pages (typical of nonfiction books). Usually, the book title appears on the even-numbered page and the chapter title on the odd-numbered page, but there’s no hard and fast rule for this. Sometimes the book title and author’s name both will appear at the top of the page.

The running header can be centered rather than aligned left or right. If doing so, then consider placing page numbers at the top of the page. Align the page number to the outside margin (e.g. the side of page farthest from the spine); otherwise align them to the margin edge farthest from the spine.

Regardless of what format is used, place the running header slightly more than a line of type above the top line of text appearing on a page.

If formatting your book in Microsoft Word, you can set up running headers, but it gets complicated. Sometimes the best thing to do (especially if you have a nonfiction book or any book in which chapters have titles) is “cheat” by creating a text box for a running header for an even numbered page, copying and then modifying it for an odd page running header, and then copying and pasting each one to where it should appear on each page, changing page numbers and chapter titles as you go. This can be rather tedious, though.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Oakland, California, or a small town like Oakley, Idaho, I can provide that second eye.

No closed doors: Accessible vs. assessable

If you want to get your foot into the publishing world’s door, you’ll want to know the difference between accessible and assessable. These two words often are confused because of their similar pronunciations and spellings.

Accessible means easily entered, approached or obtained. For example: Our building is accessible by wheelchair. By the way, you don’t need to place “easily” before “accessible”; to be accessible implies ease.

Assessable is a quality of something for which the value, significance or extent of can be estimated or determined. For example: “Among the assessable elements of writing are diction and a consistent point of view.”

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Orlando, Florida, or a small town like Oakley, Idaho, I can provide that second eye.

How to come up with a great pen name

Should you decide that you want to use a pen name, the question then arises as to what you pseudonym should be. You’ll probably want to brainstorm several names then think about which one sounds best before going with it. After all, this name will be on your book’s cover, Amazon.com page, and a dozen (if not more) other places forever.

So how do you come up with a pen name? There are lots of possibilities:
• Easy to remember – One word of your name should have only one syllable and the other word of your name have two syllables, as in "George Orwell," so it’s easy to spell and remember.
• Gender neutral initials – Teen novels like “Harry Potter” used to be read predominately by boys. So Jo Rowling became “J.K. Rowling.”
• Something symbolic – Samuel Clemens used “Mark Twain” from Mississippi River steamboat jargon. Don’t get cute or showy, though, with your pen name (Remember, a bad real name is one that sounds silly, and so is a bad pen name.).
• Think marketing – Why not sandwich your book between the names of two bestselling authors on a bookstore shelf? Of course, since most book sales are now done online, this shouldn’t be a primary factor in choosing a pen name.
• Combination of above – Perhaps pick a name with three syllables in it while going with one that’s gender neutral, such as Quinn Fawcett.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like San Jose, California, or a small town like Poipu, Hawaii, I can provide that second eye.

Finding writer’s Holy Grail: ‘a place to write’

One of the obstacles facing beginning writers is finding a place where they actually can write. Too often our responsibilities and modern civilization’s many distractions don’t allow for a moment – or place - of peace and quiet in our lives. Yet, just such a place where we can put our fingers to keyboard or pen to paper for a while is necessary if we are to write.

To be a writer, you must find a place where you can write with few distractions. That means no new magazines or books in easy reach, no TV, email or Internet to take your focus off the task. It must be a place where others will not carry on a conversation with you. For some, this place is the kitchen table, for others a den, for yet more the coffee shop.

In addition, your writing place should be stocked with what you need so you don’t spend valuable time looking for those items. Always keep on hands items you need to write: laptop/desktop computer, paper, pens, dictionary, whatever it is that will keep you from getting out of the chair so words aren’t flowing from your fingertips.

Wherever you do write, ensure that you can avoid ergonomic issues - repetitive motions (carpel tunnel syndrome, tendonitis), awkward positions, improper lighting. If writing becomes physically stressful, you’re not likely to keep at it. So avoid the library with the too low/too high of a table, the tree in the park that doesn’t offer back support, the coffee shop where the sun glares through the windows so you can’t see your laptop’s screen.

Remember, to become a successful writer, you must write. And part of writing is finding “a room of one’s own” to practice your craft.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Portland, Oregon, or a small town like Poipu, Hawaii, I can provide that second eye.

Former student releases first poetry collection

One of my former students, Karie Jo Blemke, has published her first book of poetry. “Horsie Keep Your Tail Up: Poems about Grandpa Leo...A Granddaughter’s Memories” contains 15 poems. “Each one represents a special part of my childhood, and each one tells its own, unique story about my grandfather,” Karie Jo says. The title poem, for example, is about a song her grandfather would sing to her whenever it came on the radio. Karie Jo certainly was among the best of many great students who took my classes, and it’s great to see her finally in print. The collection is available at Amazon.com.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like San Francisco, California, or a small town like Chauncey, Georgia, I can provide that second eye.

Spunk up your writing: Replace overused verbs

Even when using active verbs, sentences still may sound flat. More than likely, those active verbs are also overused.

An overused verb is one that’s commonplace and dull. Among the many active verbs that tend to be overused in our daily language and writing are sat, looked for, felt, enjoy, gave, and became.

Using such commonplace verbs amounts to inefficient writing and hence inefficient storytelling. Such words don’t give you the most value for your writing dollar.

Instead, invest in verbs that reveal mood. For example, replace a word like sat with slumped or flopped.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Charlotte, North Carolina, or a small town like Chauncey, Georgia, I can provide that second eye.

Tips to ensure a successful book reading/signing

The day has finally arrived: Your first book reading and signing! No doubt your stomach is aflutter, not just with excitement but with a little apprehension. What if you mess up in the reading? What if you can’t think of what to say when someone answers a question? What if the crowd finds you boring and starts to leave?

Don’t worry. None of that is likely to happen at all. And with a little preparation, you can take the edge off these fears while decreasing the chances of something going wrong.

Some tips:
• Know what you’ll read – If doing a book reading, select in advance which passage you want to read. Practice reading it out loud a couple of times. You don’t have to memorize the text, just refamiliarize yourself with it. Make sure it doesn’t go any longer than 10-15 minutes (If reading a short story from an anthology, just go with a single story.).
• Think about questions in advance – Attend a few book readings by other authors and get a feel for what kind of questions your audience might ask. Then think of some answers to them. After you’ve done a few book readings, you’ll discover that the same questions keep getting asked.
• Dress appropriately – You don’t have to be dressed to the nines but look professional or at least match the part. For example, if you’ve written a nature book, show up in a nice pair of jeans and a button-down shirt; an outdoorsman don’t wear a suit and tie when on the lake, after all.
• Stroll around until you feel at home – Get to the location where you’ll be reading and signing books a bit early. Walk around to get a feel for what the place is like. Familiarity breeds comfort.
• Win over the crowd – When answering questions, get involved in a conversation with the audience. They’ll sense that you care about them and will be more interested in you (and your book!).
• Bring books and pens – Take with you more books than you expect you’ll need (you don’t want to leave any fans disappointed). Sign a few copies in advance. Carry a couple of additional pens in case the ink runs out.
• Remain good humored – If you do misread a passage or use the wrong name, be self-deprecating and good-natured about. It was an honest mistake, and so long as you don’t get defensive, your audience and host will overlook it and maybe share a laugh with you…and the latter is a good thing, by the way (But don’t deliberately make a mistake to get a laugh – it will appear inauthentic.).

Usually the book reading follows a simple format: Introductions by a host, a few introductory words by you, you reading your book aloud, an audience Q&A with you, and then the book signing. When done with the Q&A (because people will begin to leave after that), be sure to thank the audience for coming and the host for having you. When you get home, send the host a thank you letter. Your graciousness will be remembered the next time you have a book to promote.

Finally, don’t forget publicity before and after the event. Plug your book reading/signing with press releases sent to local media and posted on your website/blog/social media pages. Make sure the location hosting your book reading/signing has a placard or bulletin board plugging the event; if you have to create one for them, do so. After the event, send pictures of the reading/signing to local media and post them on your website/blog/social media pages.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Arlington, Texas, or a small town like Pineland, Florida, I can provide that second eye.