My days really don’t follow a predictable pattern.  I know that the majority of people would tell you that a ‘real’ writer writes every day, but I’ve never been able to follow that sage advice.  Staring at a blinking cursor – aptly named, don’t you think! – kills my creativity instantly.  Instead, I never sit down at my desk until I know exactly what I’m going to write. 

Before even beginning the book, I do an extensive amount of prep work.  A new book is a lot like taking a trip.  I wouldn’t dream of going someplace unknown without a map, and the same holds true for a book.  The plot, characters and as many details as I can gather, must be neatly tabbed and arranged in three-ring binders and my color-coded plot board must be in place before the first word springs forth.

I’m an admitted anal-retentive plotter.  Not only is my plot board color-coded, so are my file folders and my floppy disks.  Depending on your perspective, I’m either very organized or on the verge of serious OCD. At any rate, it works for me and that’s the key – discovering the best process is an individual thing.  Maybe you function best with complete spontaneity; or perhaps you’re a list-maker; outline, index cards . . . whatever.  There is no ‘one’ way to approach writing.  My system evolved over a period of years. 

As a visual learner, I need to be able to ‘see’ the whole book.  Hence, the evolution of plot board. 

It isn’t a fancy thing – a plywood panel the size and shape of your average door, covered in fabric and loaded with colorful Post-it™ notes, each indicating a different element of the story.  For the purposes of neatness – yes, that’s something important to me – I create a grid that has 15 chapters.  Why?   Because 3 rows of  5 chapters each appeals to my sense of balance and remember,  I’m staring at this board for months as the book is being written. 

Each colored Post-it™  is assigned and labeled.  The plot board in this photograph shows day-glo green for the villain, pink for the heroine, orange for danger, blue for the hero, purple for heroine clues, etc.  As the story develops, I scribble crucial events on each note.  One pink one might say, “Molly explains the psychological profile of the villain.”  Another one – blue – might say, “Chandler gets job offer.”  I begin by putting everything I know from my synopsis on to notes.  Then it’s time to brainstorm and fill-in as needed. 

I should stop here and mention that I’m blessed with a great plot group.  Four of us get together in a different city every 6 months or so.  We bounce ideas off one another, which is incredibly helpful because we all have different strengths.  While each of us is perfectly capable of plotting books alone as we have done many, many times, this is a great way to turn a completely solitary activity into a pretty fun week punctuated by lots of laughter.   Not to mention the benefits of room service, shopping breaks and massages.

Back to the process . . . After I’ve filled in as much of my plot board as possible – sometimes I know I need another red herring but nothing comes to mind so the note reads “Another red herring” – it’s time to go home and gather visuals.

When I started writing The Rose Tattoo© series, it wasn’t supposed to be a series.  As it evolved, I realized that I kept going back into previous manuscripts to find out how I had described the furniture in a particular home – or had to hunt for a secondary character’s previously mentioned middle name.  Not practical, so I started keeping indexed binders so I didn’t have to stop and go find some long-forgotten, important detail.  The binders include sections for characters, synopses, family trees (if applicable); maps, floor plans, pictures of characters and/or locations, and research gathered. 

As a new book or series starts, I begin filling in the sections.  For The Landry Brothers© series, I had extensive research on Montana, extensive backstory relevant to all the brothers, and individual storylines to keep track of.  I use a number of sources – the Internet, magazines, my reference library, emails or notes from experts consulted – anything and everything that might be helpful as the writing progresses.

Once I’ve done my plot board and organized my binders, I’m ready to sit down and write the book.  When I first started, this process literally took me weeks.  Since I’ve got more resources now – bookmarked websites, a decent reference collection, templates on my computer, etc. – it now takes maybe a day.  Truth be told, this day of organization really helps me to focus on the story and get to know the characters in my own mind.

Much to the chagrin of many of my friends, I really, really like bionic writing.  Once I start a book, I don’t want to stop – not to eat, not to sleep, not for anything.  This means that I can write for 40 hours straight, sleep for 8 hours, and then get right back into the story.  If I do stop, it’s usually because some member of my family needs me for something or I’ve hit a snag.  Something in the story isn’t working, so I have to stop to rethink – maybe a clue isn’t as compelling as I might have thought, perhaps some part of the story just isn’t working.  The point is, I write on a computer with a delete key.  The book isn’t etched in stone.  Better to fix a glaring problem or a weak plot moment myself than embarrass myself by having my editor find it. 

Here’s where having a plot group is really handy.  There are 3 people besides my editor who I can call if I need to brainstorm over a bumpy patch.  They already know the story, they often know the characters as well as I do, so their input often jumpstarts me past a snag.

One of the hardest things for me to learn was to move on.  When I first started writing, I could spend days tweaking a scene, a page, a paragraph – even a sentence!  A book doesn’t finish itself, so I had to stop editing for perfection and finish the story.  Don’t get me wrong, editing is an important part of the process.  Editing for perfection (EFP) is a completely different thing.  EFP is when you devote a large part of your time trying to decide if the character should ‘chuckle’ or give ‘a little half-laugh.’  While words are the essence of the craft, accepting that not every one of the 80,000+ can or will be perfect is very important.  This is where a great editor comes in.  The editor might be a critique partner until your first sale, nonetheless, a new pair of eyes brings invaluable objectivity to the process that often gets lost in those EFP moments.

I believe one thing with every cell in my body – you must finish the book.  Even if it never sells, you must take the characters from beginning to middle to end.  My first completed manuscript sits in a drawer in my office to this day.  It isn’t saleable – it isn’t even fixable, but it’s a thing of beauty.  With that manuscript, I learned how to write a book.  The characters were different when they reached the last page.  They had evolved.  The plot – though painfully contrived – had carried me through to a logical end. 

So, I’ve finished the book and mailed it off.  I usually sleep for a day or so.  Then I start to think . . . never a good thing . . . 25+ books into it, I still think my editor will read the manuscript, pick up the phone, call me and ask, “Very funny, now where’s the real book?” I envy those people who mail off a manuscript with complete confidence.  I’ve never had that and I doubt I ever will.  But that can be a positive thing.  I continually try to be better, to study the craft, to learn from others, to embrace criticism. 

I’ve been blessed with great mentors, great editors, great opportunities and a fair amount of luck.  I can’t imagine doing anything else.  Writing is more than a passion, it’s my compulsion.