How I Write

This question came up on another forum, and I thought it was a good one to answer here.

I'm an intuitive writer. I admire writers who can outline and plan a novel-length work, but I can't do it. I generally have a rough idea of how a story will begin and end, but the middle happens as I write. For example, with The Case of the Haunted Vampire, I knew I wanted Paul and Dafydd to meet, deal with a ghost and start to become friends. Other than that, I didn't really have a clue what the middle would look like.

I do most of my creation in the car or while walking. I like to put on my headphones, start some music on my iPhone and walk. That frees my mind for scene creation. Most of what I "write" on the go is dialogue and rough plot points. I add in character action later.

I do a lot of actual writing on my iPhone, using Docs to Go, which easily syncs back to my computer. Again, I plug in the headphones and go.

Most scenes have been plotted in my head before I write them down, so the actual writing is kind of a second draft. I can work through things better in my head than on paper. If it sounds free-form, it is. But that works for me. My characters talk to me, do unexpected things and generally have fun. My approach to writing gives them the freedom to do all that. My job is to capture the fun and turn it into something that tracks and is readable.

In fact, I have a 40-minute drive to an appointment this morning, Plenty of time to work on the next scene in the current book. How would you feel if you discovered a were-wolf puppy on your front step? Dafydd is finding out now in The Case of the Lost Were-Puppy.


Anyone else want to share how you write?