order in the chaos: my drafting process

but mostly just chaos

One of the things authors are often asked is, “what is your writing process?” Which could mean many things, but I take this question very literally and usually say something like “I ideate, I make a playlist, I outline, and then I draft from start to finish.”

But let’s expand a bit, let’s delve into the chaos that is my brain in drafting mode. Because everyone’s method is different, and maybe mine could work for you, too!

Firstly, for those who aren’t writers and don’t know all the jargon: “drafting” is the process of writing the first draft of your manuscript. It’s creative work, often messy, and draws from the right side of your brain. Editing (fixing your mess) comes later.

This is how I tend to operate:

1. Ideation. This is often the longest stage in my drafting phase. It’s the part where I don’t write much at all, but instead just sit and think about the book I’m going to write. During this time I let myself get lost in the creation of it all. It’s not about forcing a plot into three acts, or even about knowing the details of the world I’ll be writing in. I do this as I’m falling asleep at night, while I walk the dog, while I’m in the shower… but almost always, it involves music. I rarely write anything down during this stage as I tend to see notes as set in stone, and I want the story to be very malleable.

2. Playlist. There is always a playlist for my WIPs (works in progress). I can’t write without a soundtrack, and I need music that will both amp me up and inspire me. Curating these playlists is both intentional and random — I’ll pull songs that remind me of the characters or setting, and songs that are brand new to me and maybe don’t fit the vibe of the story, but which fire up those happy chemicals in the brain.

3. Mood board. I use Pinterest for this. I usually have one board for each of the main characters (sometimes more), and then I just go hog wild adding any and all images that remind me of them. It’s also a great resource for marketing down the line, when I’ll need an endless supply of aesthetic photos for my silly little TikToks and grid posts.

4. First Chapter. This happens before the outline. I don’t know why! But I need to start writing and dive into the world and the characters, feel them out a little, before I know exactly how their stories are going to be told. And writing one chapter always gets me revved up to write more, which helps in motivating me to write the most annoying part of the drafting stage, which is…

5. Outlining. I hate writing these, but if I don’t write one, it’s scientifically proven that I’ll never finish a book. I used to write incredibly detailed scene-by-scene outlines of my novels, but now I’m a bit of a plotter/pantser hybrid (plotser?) wherein I write down all the major plot and character beats ahead of time, but I leave the rest of it vague. Part of me needs that structure in order to stay on target, but the other part of me would shrivel up and die if it didn’t get to narratively fuck around and find out sometimes.

6. Drafting. And now we write! And write and write. My goal used to be 1k words per day, but lately it’s 2k words, minimum. I find that if I set lower word count goals for myself, it’s actually harder to meet them than if I set higher ones. So even if my minimum is 2k, in reality I’m aiming for 3k. And this is a biggie: I do not edit as I write. I fix typos, and if there’s a major fuck-up in a scene I just wrote that will bother me to death if I don’t fix it immediately, then I will. But for the most part, I write from start to finish with zero editing. I try not to even go back and read what I’ve already written. I use the outline as a guide, so I’m not tempted to reread my draft and do sneaky sneaky edits. Eventually, if I play my cards right, I’ll end up with a novel manuscript.

---

Drafting Hot Tips: Speed Writing (Or, How to Write a Novel in 3 Weeks if You’re Unhinged Like Me)

• Writing sprints. Set a timer for 30 minutes and see how many words you can write in that time. No distraction, no inner critic, just writing.

• Pump-up jams. Find a song that inspires you, motivates you, and makes you want to run a marathon. Put it on a loop while you’re sprinting.

• Abandon all else. Accept that if you want to write a book super fast, other things may have to fall by the wayside. Such as: nutrition, hygiene, sleep, social life, etc.

---

Everyone has a different way of writing, and mine is definitely not for everyone. But it’s the one I’ve found that works best for me, and maybe you’ll find something useful that you can use in your own writing!

I’ll be doing my best to send out a newsletter every Monday, so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t so you don’t miss a single riveting post! I’ll be announcing preorder details and ARC sign-ups for The Frost Queen’s Blade in the next month or two, and I’d hate for you to miss out.

Meg x