Step 4: Write!

Every writer is different, and so how you write is different. I think of writing as art, so it is okay to draw outside the lines sometimes! Styles will be different, so opinions will be different. That is okay!

For me, I tend to get an idea, and I will then play the scene in my head repeatedly until I’m sure I have it right. In that regard a lot of thinking goes into it before I even start to write. Then I’ll make a rough draft of the scene that I’ll come back to the next day to reread with fresh eyes

If I am ever stuck on a scene, I’ll pray and then just start writing. I’ll let the characters tell me what they would do. I listen carefully to hear what they would say. I try not to let my own desires get in the way and just let what the scene is meant to be, be. It’s surprising sometimes when the story then begins to go in a direction you hadn’t thought, but is better that way.

Just as you are carefully maintaining the outline, you are going to want to carefully manage your files. File names should include the date they were written such as: “Title_ChapterX_31719” where 31719 would indicate March, 17 2019.

I usually have one folder for the files I am currently working on and additional folders (marked “Completed Work”) for work that is done. If you are going to make major changes (like deleting an entire section) it is a good idea to make a copy of the file as a record of what used to be there. Move that copy into a folder marked “Deleted Scenes”, then rename the old file you just copied with an updated name to indicate the date you changed everything.

For now, keep each chapter in its own file. You won’t combine them until you are almost ready to publish. This will make working with the files easier.

Be sure to back up your work carefully. I use OneNote to back up my files every week or so. You might also email each file to yourself each time you complete a chapter. The last thing you want is to lose all of your hard work because your computer died!

See how easy that was? That only took a few years, right? Now on to Step 5: Edit!