I’ve written drafts from anywhere between 100-190,000 words, but all first drafts have taken largely 6-9 months of solid work. Obviously things get broken up, especially if I publish a book during the drafting stage, but that’s what it usually shakes out to. The editing and pre-publication process can take anywhere from 6 months to another year of work. For example, the first draft of RED QUEEN took six months to write, and I finished in January 2013. It was sold in April 2013, edited again over the next year, and then published in February 2015.
About Writing
What’s your least favorite part of writing?
Act 2 of a first draft. And pitching. I despise pitching because it makes me feel like a lunatic. Explaining your story that pretty much only exists in your head to someone else? No thanks, I sound outrageous.
What’s your favorite part of writing?
I love to worldbuild. I love to draw maps and get really into the nitty-gritty of fictional histories. A lot of this part never reaches the page, and largely exists to help me metabolize the world, as well as find the feel and tone of the story. If you need someone to beat out the trade routes of a fantasy world, I’m your gal.
When it comes to actual drafting, I’m all about the setpiece. I love writing action sequences, it’s such an adrenaline rush for me. I’m a really visual writer, so I usually choreograph out the steps either in my head or on paper, sometimes with a song to match. It all combines into a moment I can feel and see, and hopefully reproduce on the page for a reader to experience in the same way.
How do you stay focused?
The routine helps, not to mention the reality of my situation. This is how I pay my bills and buy dog food. I support myself and I have to work. Not to mention, I really enjoy doing it, even on the hard days. I can always fall back on knowing this is what I love and what I’m meant to be doing for the rest of my life.
When I was first starting out, I had my back against the wall of exorbitant college loans. I was lucky enough to be living at home with my parents’ support, but those loans were looming, along with the knowledge that I was either going to use my degree or completely waste it. That was a good motivation. I work best under pressure. And while those particular issues have faded, the pressure hasn’t. It’s certainly changed and taken on a new form, but I feel the constant weight of what I’m doing. It’s a double-edged sword. It weighs you down but also pushes you forward.
What program do you use to write?
I use Scrivener when researching, worldbuilding, and drafting. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a great product to keep everything in one place and keep yourself on track. I use Microsoft Word for edits since it’s the only program we have that supports the type of editing done in publishing.
Do you write to music?
Yes! I have a public Spotify account under my name, and I have dozens of playlists. I generally don’t label them clearly until after the work they’re for is solid, but sharp-eyed readers always manage to pick up on plot cues based on my playlists. I do a lot of brainstorming to music as well, but sometimes I do write in silence. When I’m really dug in, it doesn’t really matter whether I have sound or not. I’m in the zone. I hear the story’s world, not mine.