Bernadette Benda

Writing bloggers: Here is how I write a novel: One, I take the idea and put it in a special box. Two, I start working on character profiles. Three –

Me: I AM CHAOS.

The more I write and edit, the more I find I rarely do something the same way twice. The only thing I do consistently is print out my first draft after I finish. Everything else is just up to the fate of four winds or whatever. Basically I toss a story idea in the air and see where it lands.

Well, I’m a little more organized than that.

When it comes to writing novels, I’ve outlined, I’ve written from the seat of my pants, I’ve semi-outlined, I’ve planned the novel for years, I’ve just sort of whipped it up over night, I’ve used special notebooks for it and drawn all sort of doodles for some and none for others.

I just can’t stick to one way to write a novel. There are so many different ways the process could go, so why just stick to one??

Maybe it’s just part of my personality. I like to write with reckless abandon. But I also am constantly learning, so that adds to it too.

I kinda feel the same way about daily writing routines. I’m sure if I dig long enough into my archive I can find some sort of post talking about how important it is to have a routine. And it is. (Ah, here it is.)

That’s how I won last year’s NaNoWriMo. I did the exact same thing every. single. day. and it worked.

But at the same time, I realize I kinda…don’t have a real routine??

I wake up, shove food and coffee in my mouth, dress, sit down at my computer, put on Hans Zimmer, and write.

But even with that, there are days when that doesn’t happen. I have to have a different schedule sometimes for each day (this comes along with working like 500 different jobs). I just gotta go with the flow.

So basically what I’m saying, if I’m saying anything is welcome back! The Stark Expo! (Sorry not sorry but I can’t say that without saying that).

But here’s what I’m really saying: Sometimes you gotta flexible. Sometimes you gotta keep to a routine. But it doesn’t have to be something fancy, it doesn’t even have to be something that your consciously doing.

I guess sometimes feel that we’re so strict on how we’re “supposed” to do things? But I do have to add (again, I think I said this earlier) writing routines are good, but they won’t always be the same, and they don’t always have to be the same.

Same with writing a book. If you asked me to describe my writing process, it would differ for every book. Every book calls for its own stuff. Every editing process is different. (oh my gosh I also said this earlier and forget. Help)

One time I just clean wrote it again, and like redid the whole thing.

I also feel like I’m constantly learning. Better ways to do things, or things not to do (hold off on line edits as long as possible, so you don’t end up editing to death a scene and than deleting later) (though sometimes that is just going to happen anyways and that’s the way things go) (This is the way)

Writing is an art form (at least I always thought so) and you can’t stick art in a box. You can’t say only do steps 1, 2, 3 all the time. Rules are made to be broken, especially in art. That doesn’t mean certain principles go away (like symmetry is pleasing or characters need to have motivation, and please use good grammar). Everything else is just up for grabs or whatever (that’s the wrong phrase). Art isn’t rocket science (which I have said before).

BUT even with rocket science, you gotta think out of the bag (box? Container?)

Like with the Apollo 13 mission, things, well, they didn’t go as planned. They had to improvise and get creative. The only rule?

So write. Write freely, write WILDLY. Routines and systems and diagrams are all great, but life isn’t a routine, system, or diagram. What was that whole thing about the Chaos Theory?

Ok, I’m sorry, I’ll stop with the gifs.

It’s just that writing *art* is more than routines and rules and blah, blah, blah. It’s about creating, doing what you need to do to create (like…have a routine)

Alright we’re gonna end this here.

Header Photo by Taylor on Unsplash