What was your process?

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Q: What was your process for writing this book?

A: Early in 2023, I began developing the idea for a novel. It sprouted from some earlier scraps of writing I found in a folder on my computer called “Seeds.” That’s where I store bits of inspiration that float through my mind that are not related to a particular project (yet).

I wrote a few scenes and realized I really liked this idea. Sitting down at the desk, I felt energized, curious, and excited. Those were clues that this might turn into something.

I’ve written novels before that ended up in a drawer because I hadn’t thought through the plot well enough. I wrote a full novel up to the last chapter but then couldn’t figure out how to end it! The more closely I looked at it, the more the plot unraveled until I finally gave up.

I didn’t want that to happen to Blue Mountain Rose. So I took a step back and started thinking through the plot. I looked at how other writers do this and followed their cues. Those who know me will not be surprised that there were spreadsheets involved!

I wrote about my characters like an actor does when studying a part, coming up with detailed backstories that may never make it into the final cut. It helped me understand the people and how their lives might intersect in interesting ways. That was the foundation of the plot.

Developing a coherent plot took about a month. When that phase was over, I had an outline of five acts, each with at least eight chapters. I chose the five-act structure because “if it worked for Shakespeare, it can work for me.” Of course, Will wrote plays, and this is a novel. When I went back into the writing process, I was fully prepared to give up that structure if it just didn’t work or felt forced. But as I wrote, I continued to feel that five acts was the right scaffolding within which to build this story. I’ll be very curious to know if my readers agree!

Once I had the plot outline, I immersed in the writing process, spending time at the desk just about every day. It took about four months to create the first draft. That was more than a year ago! I’ll talk about the rest of my writing process in another post.

Thanks for reading!