My writing process is stepwise and applies to each story independently of any other story I have in the works. This all feeds into my plan for the entire Stratasphere but is separate from it. So here are my phases for getting a story into the world.
Phase 1 – World Building
In this phase, I do most of my world building. I design the world and the magic systems and the premise and the characters and all the ingredients that go into the cake. I have three separate documents that feed into this, but at the end of it, my world is mostly-formed. I have a document based on The 12 Key Pillars of Story Structure by C.S. Lakin and a questionnaire for each character so I can get to know them. Beyond that, I design the magic system (as there usually is one) and some of the history of the world or country involved and them I’m ready to move on.
Phase 2 – Outlining
I use a deep, complicated, and highly-detailed (possibly to excess) template to put together my outline. It explores the story pillars I established in Phase 1 as well as each character’s character arc based on K.M. Weiland’s work. I also cover world-building and any motifs I already determined. Once I fold the characters’ arcs together, I’m ready for the next level of complexity.
Phase 3 – Mapping
This is the point where I jump into yWriter and start composing the story scene by scene. I follow the outline and go from story point to story point, one eighth of the book at a time. I lay out the scenes by focusing on character motivations and the scene cycle to move them from place to place throughout the story. This is a long process which is akin to writing my first draft because it is actually figuring the story out even though I haven’t put a single word down in what I would consider the manuscript. During Phase 3, I also build my word-tracking spreadsheet with a layout of all the scenes, their POV, and the expected chapter in which they’ll land. Things are still very fluid at this point as I’m basically putting together glorified note cards.
Phase 4 – Drafting
Here I put word to page. I go scene by scene in yWriter and follow the details, scene cycle, and notes I compiled in Phase 3 to fill in the content that will one day be read. With Phase 3 acting as a pseudo-first draft, this second draft should go faster because there’s nothing for me to figure out as far as the story’s structure goes, only how I phrase it.
Phase 5 – Editing
The bane of my existence. The process of honing my story to a razor’s edge. With my first book, this was a very long process as it contained a complete rewrite as well as several rounds of editing. I do the best I can on my own and then bring in a professional to finish the job. She doesn’t do the editing, of course, but rather points me to problem areas that need adjustment. After that, I go back to work and bring the manuscript to a mirror finish.
Phase 6 – Querying
I’m stuck in this phase right now. I’ve heard it is the hardest part because of all the waiting. There’s more to it from that, as I’m finding. It’s a lot of work with nothing to show for it. It’s handling rejection, loneliness, and doubt. This is the fire from which the dross of your character is burned away. I’ll let you know how this turns out when I’ve surpassed this phase.
Phase 7 – Publication
The final phase of the project is, after all, the goal. Every author wants their work out in the world. Granted, I know nothing about this process yet. It’s a black box that a manuscript goes into and a final book comes out of. My time will come to explore this phase. I can’t wait to get there.