Hello, readers!
In sharing my writing journey with you, I've established that there is a lot of preparation and research that happens ahead of the actual writing. I will delve more into the details about the "pre-writing" stages of the process later on, but this week, I'm really excited to share with you my favourite part of writing a book: the writing!
What inspired me to write erotica?
I love sex! I love love! I love the intimacy of forming a connection! The genre of erotica allows me to be creative in the areas I'm most passionate about. Of course, this isn't the only genre I've ever been interested in. I’ve been writing my whole life, from childhood tales inspired by Disney, to stories a few degrees removed from my own experiences. Between 2011 and 2012, I wrote 80,000 words of a historical fiction and suspense novel that maybe I’ll never publish. Or maybe I will. There are countless storylines and book ideas in various stages of development sitting on my computer.
But erotica? Erotica is my calling. It fits, right here, inside my heart.
How do I start writing a book?
I usually begin with a lot of brainstorming. I will write down everything that comes to mind, no matter how outlandish or irrelevant it seems. Often one idea sparks another, and soon I have a giant document full of inspiration. For me, the brainstorming never really ends. I frequently go back and add new ideas or develop previous ones in more depth.
Ideas, for me, are not the hard part. I write lots of content. Some I might never use! But it’s never a waste. Writing is writing, and I’m developing my skills whether those entries make their way into the hands of readers or not.
Am I a 'plotter' or a 'pantser'?
Writing a book requires a mixture of both planning and spontaneity. In my regular life, I am more of a planner. When it comes to writing... well, I'll admit I'm more of a pantser. The writing process, for me, is not very linear. When I feel particularly inspired by an idea, I will start writing, no matter the content or relevance to my current story space.
Before becoming a writer, I had thought that the writing process was organized, straightforward, and logical. That is not the reality for me! Sometimes my writing sessions resemble chaos soup! There’s so much going on. But I embrace the process, do my best to organize content, and put anything that doesn’t fit aside for future development.
How do I plan the story arc of a novel?
Although I primarily write by the seat of my pants, there is a fair amount of plotting that goes into my process. With both FOUND and Book Two, I didn't make a traditional outline, but I did develop a story timeline. I use this timeline as a guide to provide a general plot pathway I intend to follow. Here, I make note of significant events, plot twists, and any other development essential to the story.
While writing FOUND, I didn't develop a timeline until I had done quite a bit of writing. The book had sort of formed itself, but there were a lot of spots where content either overlapped or had gaping holes. This is where the plotting came in. I used a timeline to list each month in the story and the subsequent plot I hoped to cover during each of those months. For example, the main character, Iris, meets Parker in March. In my timeline, I list their initial meeting under March, along with other significant details that happen during that month. This really helps me visualize the overall arc of the book and how it will unfold.
The same process is happening with Book Two. I wrote a lot before I turned to a timeline to make sense of it. Inspiration is everywhere, so I don't write strictly based on the chronology of events. There are times when my focus is on story, so l develop a lot of plot-driven content. Other times, I'm all about the spice! I will craft really indulgent scenes that turn up the heat.
Not everything I write fits what I may set out to work on. Sometimes I have ideas that are completely outside the current story space. But I don’t stop. I let the words flow. I write whatever comes to me. It’s a surreal experience, because sometimes I feel like the writing happens to me. It's like I'm simply the vessel for the story to find its way out into a tangible space. Pure magic. I love it!
What platforms do I use to write?
I write ideas by hand in notebooks, on loose papers, and atop sticky notes. I will dictate to my phone if I'm driving or on a walk. When it comes to doing the serious writing and composing my manuscript, I use a software called Scrivener. There is so much versatility in Scrivener. I can move entire sections around, duplicate passages, and add images for reference. I wrote FOUND on the original version of Scrivener, but for Book Two, I upgraded to Scrivener 3.
For comprehensive editing and compilation, I export my manuscript to Microsoft Word. This software is great for shareability, although editing is a lot more challenging in here than it is in Scrivener.
Do I write each book individually?
Short answer: no. As I've mentioned, there's nothing linear about my writing process. This is a topic I will tackle in depth in a future post discussing the process of writing a series. For now, I will say that my writing journey has been a lot like navigating a labyrinth. The entrance is the start of the writing process, but each writing session is a maze of passageways. I often create content that I had intended to use for, say, Book Two, but it doesn't make the cut for whatever reason. Instead of discarding this content, it moves down another corridor to where it's better suited, in Book Three, for example.
What does the process look like after the first draft is complete?
I have a big internal celebration when I complete my first draft. I wrote a book! Or, at least, the meat and bones of one. First drafts are messy. There isn’t much coherency until I’ve done several edits of my manuscript. The editing process is very intensive and takes a lot of time. There will be a number of different versions of my manuscript before it's at the point where I'm happy with it.
Final Thoughts
Writing is a very personal experience. There is no right or wrong way to be creative! Now that I've shared my writing process with you, I'll probably write something in a completely different manner than I have said I do. The process is adaptable and fluid, and I - as an indie writer doing this for the first time - am always learning and growing, too.
Until next time, happy reading!
xxx Ellie