Process

Different writers have different processes when it comes to writing.

For me, it varies depending on what I'm working on.

Short stories are one thing. In the field of mystery writing, the average length for a short story tends to be around 3,000 to 5,000 words, give or take. Mine are much shorter. I've written many that came in at under 2,000 words. As a consequence, my short story writing tends to be manic bursts where I put a rough draft down on one sitting, maybe two max. I give no thought to anything else...just getting words on the page.

My short story then sits untouched for around 2 weeks. I then approach it again with a fresh and critical eye, rewriting, tightening, making sure the plot is sound, etc.

Then off it goes!

For some reason, I tend to work on short stories on the weekends and longer work during the week. Not sure why.

My novel is different. Everytime I sit down to write on the novel, I set a goal, depending on the time available to me. If I have an hour, my goal might be 500, 750 or even 1,000 words. If I have a couple hours, my goal might be 2,000 words. Accomplishing these goals helps in making me feel like I'm moving forward in the book.

I write fast, throwing words on the page with little concern for advanced elements of grammar and sentence/paragraph construction.

However, almost daily, I go back and re-read pages I wrote a couple weeks ago. One those pages, I replace passive with active verbs, eliminate adjectives and adverbs, clear up inconsistencies, and the like. It is a process that seems to work well for me.

An interesting subject for me is what folks listen to when they write.

I have a friend and co-worker in my "day" job who needs utter silence to write. Not me. I need the noise and chaos -- too much time in a newsroom perhaps.

I can't write with the TV on -- that's distracting, but I listen to music. Usually harder rock or alternative. The funny thing is is that I tune it out. I couldn't even tell you what the last song played was when I'm in full writing mode.

I know of writers who change their environment around a lot. They write at writer's colonies, coffee houses, different rooms of their home.

In the end, all that matters is what process works for you. Which one will allow you to write productively, always moving forward and always growing as a writer? To determine this takes time and experimentation, but once you figure it out, it is well worth it.