Most authors, at least in my experience, have a writing process of one form or another. Some people insist that they can’t write unless they’re in a certain mood, others feel most comfortable writing for set hours in the day. Personally, for me to get any writing done, I have to abide by a very strict set of rules. These mostly involve setting up my surroundings to encourage a creative mind-space (and usually sitting up in bed against a gargantuan stack of pillows).

When I know that I’m about to sit down and write, I will make sure that my room or writing space is tidy. If there’s any chance that I could be distracted by mess or chores, I most certainly will be. Next up, I make sure I’m warm and that I have something to drink, then I’ll sit down to actually get on with it.

Usually when coming up with ideas on how to write a scene, I’ll sketch out a couple of concepts on how I want it to go and make a bullet pointed list of all the things that need to happen. Then, I’ll put some headphones in (see the links page for my playlist recommendations), drown the world out and write.

Since I’m a stubborn perfectionist, I tend to have a hard time writing for long periods. This is because I find myself editing and re-editing the words as I go. As time consuming and frustrating as this is, I simply can’t avoid it! So, I’ll painstakingly write the first draft, re-draft it alone, show it to my peers, gain feedback and re-draft it again.

This way I can always make sure that my work is the best it can be!