AboutDorothy K Morris Expertise I can answer questions about writing fiction, creating characters and re-writing. I cannot answer homework questions.
Experience I am a published author, writer of Secret Sins of the Mothers, published in 1999, Coyotes of Creek Crossing, 2004 and The Eighth Evil, published in 2006. The fourth is in re-write stage. Organizations belong to: National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, California Dressage Society, Santa Clarita Valley Chapter. Review of my novels appears in The Book Reader, Barnes & Noble Review Magazine, online at B&N and also online at Amazon.com. Awards and Honors: I am listed in Who's Who of American Woman,
Who's Who in The World, Who's Who in America.
Question Hello
I am trying to write my first novel and I am having a hard time. Currently I am writing or summarizing what i want to happen in my novel then I thought I'd go back through and write in the details. Is this the right way to do it? Or am I completely wrong. I haven't had any classes yet so I was just wondering what is the writing process?
thank you
Answer Hello Angela,
There are as many methods of writing as there are authors. Each of us has our own peculiar ways of creating. Here is how I do it:
I have to begin with an idea or a question. I have to have an era, a place, and a setting. I have to know my first character. Then I sit down at the computer and I type a sentence. And I type another. Perhaps these two sentences are not very good, but I continue typing. This exercise releases the creative mind and gets you out of the "editing" mind or into the right brain and out of the left. My characters come as they are needed. They simply show up and they tell me who they are and what part they are to play. I allow them to help me write the story. And here is the most important thing I do. I do not edit, correct, re-write, polish, or even consider doing these things until I have a complete, rough draft of my entire novel. The only thing I do is this: sometimes I feel the story going astray and I have to get back on track. Sometimes the going astray is where the story really needs to go and I go with it. It becomes a matter of "feel". Often I do not know what scene will be next or how the plot will develop or how the book will end until I get there or almost there. I have to trust my creative mind to lead me. It has never failed me. I also never allow anyone to read the story or any part of it until I have completed at least two rewrites.
Now to the rewrite process. This is where I restructure, cut and paste, delete, add, work for continuity, clarity and correctness. I do as many as 8 or 10 rewrites before I am totally satisfied that I have made it as balanced as possible.
I suggest you try this and see how you go. This may work for you as it does for me, or it may not. You may need to do the outline procedure. (I never use outline and could not if I wanted to.)
Keep me posted and let me know if you are making progress.
