What is the writing process for people who are actual authors?

Hi Santiago,

You've gotten some great answers already. I'll echo Kendall's point that every writer has their own process. And to make it even more crazy, there are so many different kinds of writing — my process for writing poetry is very different than my process for writing a magazine article, for example. It's important to discover what works best for you.

That means trying lots of different approaches, including those Kendall and Daniela mentioned. It takes time to get to know what works (and doesn't) for you as a writer. There are few right or wrong answers. When you write for school, of course, your teacher might ask you to follow one specific approach. This can sometimes feel frustrating, but it's a good way to get started. Following a specific process stretches your writing muscle and makes you better at it in the long run. When you're done with school, you can use what you learned — keep the parts of the process that work for you, and replace those that don't.

At any given point during a project, I might do one or all of the following:

• Researching: If I'm writing non-fiction (a magazine article, for example), I might read about the subject and jot down notes and interesting facts or observations (or even questions I'd like to answer). This helps me when I'm ready to start the rough draft.

• Outlining: If I know what my project is about, I'll jot down a very high-level structure and start to fill in the gaps. I don't worry about how the words sound, or even if they're complete sentences. I basically create a path to follow once I start writing a rough draft.

• Free writing: I just write whatever comes to mind. It doesn't have to make sense, or make a clear story. Sometimes I start by asking myself a question (for example, "what did she have for breakfast this morning, and why?"). Let your imagination go: there are no wrong words when you first start writing.

• Cut-and-pasting: Once I have a lot of content to work with, I often rearrange things. Sometimes, I rearrange a lot. Sometimes, I rearrange only a little. But I try to put the sentences and paragraphs into a structure that makes logical sense, and it can take a few tries to get it to a place that feels good to me. Sometimes I find that something I've written doesn't really have a logical place in the final piece, and I have to take it out all together. That can be a difficult pill to swallow.

• Revising: Throughout the process, I tend to rewrite sentences and paragraphs a lot. It's very rare that the first thing I write stays the way it is. My rough drafts are just that: rough. As I polish them, words change and even the structure changes. Sometimes I change something, only to change it back later. This takes a lot of patience.

You mentioned that you have trouble particularly with rough drafts. Rough drafts are hard! A blank page can be daunting, and it can be difficult knowing where to start. The most important thing to remember is that you don't have to get it right the first time. Letting yourself just write can lead you down some very interesting paths. Don't get hung up on whether it sounds good, or is "right." Just keep writing. You have to write a lot of bad stuff in order to write a little good stuff. It doesn't come easy. But the process itself can be incredibly exciting if you let it.

The last thing I'll suggest — and this is true, no matter what your process is — is to write often. Every day if you can, even if it's just one page, or just 15 minutes. Make it a habit. Practice it regularly. By doing this, you will start to discover and develop your own personal process. And it will become easier every day.

Good luck and happy writing!

Hi Santiago,

There are as many different writing processes as there are writers. Most people do a fair amount of preparation work before they actually start writing the book: thinking about who the characters are, what will happen to them, maybe doing some research. Sometimes, this means writing an outline. Sometimes it means writing on post it notes or notecards and putting them up on the wall. Sometimes people write in their journal to start organizing their ideas. And some people just start writing the book - but they have to be prepared to reach a dead end, or to change their idea, or even start again.

In my writing, I always make an outline, even though it's not always as fun as actually writing the story. It helps me know where I'm trying to go - which is especially important if you're writing a long book. Good luck with your writing!

Kendall

Hello Santiago,

Here are a few tips that I've found helpful when I sit down to write about a book. Give them a try!

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  Before you begin writing, make a few notes about the points you want to get across.
  While you're writing, try thinking of your reader as a friend to whom you're telling a story.

  
  


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  Try to mention the name of the author and the book title in the first paragraph — there's nothing more frustrating than reading a review of a great book but not knowing who wrote it and what the title is!

  
  


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  If possible, use one paragraph for each point you want to make about the book. It's a good way to emphasize the importance of the point. You might want to list the main points in your notes before you begin.
  Try to get the main theme of the book across in the beginning of your review. Your reader should know right away what he or she is getting into should they choose to read the book!

  
  


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  Think about whether the book is part of a genre. Does the book fit into a type like mystery, adventure, or romance? What aspects of the genre does it use?
  What do you like or dislike about the book's writing style? Is it funny? Does it give you a sense of the place it's set? What is the author's/narrator's "voice" like?

  
  


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  Try using a few short quotes from the book to illustrate your points. This is not absolutely necessary, but it's a good way to give your reader a sense of the author's writing style.
  Make sure your review explains how you feel about the book and why, not just what the book is about. A good review should express the reviewer's opinion and persuade the reader to share it, to read the book, or to avoid reading it.

  
  


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  Do research about the author and incorporate what you learn into the review. Biographical information can help you formulate your opinion about the book, and gives your review a "depth." Remember, a book doesn't come directly from a printing press, it's a product of an author's mind, and therefore it may be helpful to know something about the author and how she or he came to write the book.

  
  

Read more in: http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/bookrev/tips.htm

I wish you creativity and success in your writings!

Every author is different and has their own style when it comes to the "writing process." For myself, I like to either do outlines or just write out my ideas in a rough draft first and then fix them up once I get back to it. Some people like mind maps, others like lists. So there really is no set way, just write it out and see where your ideas take you.