I don't storyboard, or plot, or plan—at least not at the beginning. Storytelling, for me, starts with people, and I form the story around them. Because of this, my approach to writing is very different from most of the tips and techniques I see people promoting. And that's ok! What works for me might not work for you, and what works for you might not work for me. But I did think it would be fun to share some of my process, as I bring you along on my author journey.
The Plan
In brief, there is never a plan. My ideas for pieces of writing are born when characters pop into my head. From there, I word vomit everything that they tell me. I had actually planned for the WIP that I'm sharing with you all (going to have to come up with a code name for it until I release the title 😀) to be a literary fiction novel, but the way Penelope and Brie were interacting made me realize that I was actually writing a romance.
Character Breakdowns
Something else I don't do until draft zero (sometimes even draft 1) is complete is make character breakdowns. I tend to get really caught up in the idea that, once I create a document and attach certain traits/characteristics to a character, it's set in stone. I prefer to play around with who my characters are in the draft and use things like character breakdowns as a tool later on to stay organized.
Scene Breakdowns
If you've made it this far, it's probably not a surprise to you that early versions of my scene breakdowns are more interpretative than they are informative. I have two writing journals: one specific to the piece I'm working on and one that I jot general ideas/dialogue/word vomit into. The journal specific to my WIP basically looks like it was created in code.
But that two page spread is actually my storyboard. Well, not the whole storyboard, but, when I look at it, I see the entire falling action. Sometimes, I do go into scenes with an idea of their shape, but, more often than not, I just let the characters talk and go from there.
Drafting & Organization
I should clarify that, once the idea for the book is formed and the characters are born, I do get organized. That part usually comes in around draft two, and I do place a lot of value in it. However, I find that starting with too much structure feels limiting to me at the beginning, so I'm most successful when I fold that in later. Basically, I start with a vibe and cross my fingers that it'll make sense.
Finding an audience
Lastly, I want to end this by saying that I never worry about writing for an audience when I first put pen to paper. I start by writing for myself. If I find the story at all interesting, chances are someone else will too. I have lots of pieces of writing that will probably forever stay in my notebook because the story just isn't there. There are some that I might come back to later on and others that I borrow from for other works. I also have stories that I needed to write so that my brain would be free to tell others. The amazing thing about inspiration is that it's a renewable source. It never goes away.
...and that's my process :)
