Back in January I was tagged by
Shirley Golden to take part in this Blog Tour, but due to family matters and
other commitments (and writing!), I kept postponing working on this post, until
I finally found time to sit down and think about it.
My writing process… I never really
reflected on the subject. How and why do I write what I do? How is it different
from other authors’?
I’m not sure I can answer the
latter question. I suppose most writers go through the same process: conceive
an idea, think about it for days, weeks, develop it in my head, jot down
quick notes about characters, time frame, location, main plot points, and
finally write the story.
The way I go about
writing a novel is a bit laborious and goes against what most writing manuals
teach not to do, which is writing and
editing at the same time. Sensibly, we are told to write the first draft in an uninterrupted
flow and then go back to edit as many times as necessary to produce a better,
tighter second, third, fourth draft.
Unfortunately I can’t do that. I
work like Penelope on her proverbial Shroud.
I write, I read back, I delete,
add, change; then write a bit more, read back, delete, add, change and so
forth. Sometimes I read back from the start of the last chapter, sometimes from
the start of the novel. This way, you ca imagine, writing the first draft takes
ages. But the first draft it’s also the second, third or fourth, so when I
finish and start the editing, this normally doesn’t take long as so much of
the work has been done as I wrote.
I don’t claim this is the best way
to write a book, but it works for me and it gives me a better sense of how the
story is shaping up.
On occasions the flow is so good
that I don’t want to stop it, so I write several pages without feeling the need
to edit, but at some point I have this urge to take a break and look back at my
work to polish it.
Aside perfecting the form, the main focus when I write is on the characters and so a lot of attention is given to make sure they are
well crafted, believable and empathetic, with their own unique voices and
quirks, distinct not only from each other, but from the narrative voice. i.e. me,
the author.
In addition, I am a bit of a stickler
for factual, geographical and historical accuracy. I spend a lot of time
researching the tiniest of topics to make sure I get it right, whether it’s
what song was number one in the charts in a particular week on a particular
year, to how a street looks (or looked!) when you take a stroll down it, or the
weather details for a specific month in the past.
This type of work featured a lot in
my novels Playing on Cotton Clouds – which spans three decades and is set
in locations as different as The Midlands, Italy, London and New York – and A Summer of Love, where it was important to convey the beauty and romanticism of
the Cornish coast over the course of twenty years.
I am currently doing a lot of
research, as I plan to write a historical novel set during and in the immediate
aftermath of World War I. The initial idea has already changed and expanded due
to the fascinating information I have uncovered in my research. It’s an ongoing
project at a very early stage, but about which I am very excited. Watch this
space.
I now pass the baton on to Catriona King to continue in the Tour with her ideas on writing. Trained as a Doctor and Police Forensic Medical Examiner in London, Catriona worked
closely with the Metropolitan Police on many occasions. In recent years, she has
returned to live in Belfast.
She has written since childhood: fiction, fact and news reporting. A
Limited Justice was her first novel – and the 1st in Belfast’s
Modern Thriller series – and follows DCI Marc Craig and his team through the
streets of Belfast
in the hunt for the murderer of three people.
You'll find more about her Belfast's Moder Thriller series on her website
http://www.catrionakingbooks.com/
http://www.catrionakingbooks.com/
