By Abbey Normal

It's Friday night. And I am in revision hell.

There is a child on my couch playing Minecraft. Loudly. There is a husband snoozing on my shoulder. And a show about the happenings at Skinwalker Ranch on the TV in the background.

I am not succeeding at edits.

Why, you ask?

Well. That’s because I’m being stubborn and ignoring some of my fundamental rules for writing spooky things. So Abbey, you ask, what are some of those fundamental rules?

I’m so glad you want to know.

Unless you are writing for fun, it’s important to find some sort of routine to follow. So, since I’m ignoring my own rules by editing on my couch with all kinds of distractions—this is a great time for a refresher of my writing process.

So, I’ve come to realize that each person’s writing career is like foliage.

That’s right, plants. Pick your plant. Are you a cactus or a lilac? A Venus Fly Trap? Orchid or pine forest? Writing is a slow-moving, delicate, often devastating journey. Sometimes you need sunshine, sometimes you need shade. And you need to learn to grow some roots, but also reach for the sky. Think of your writing as whatever growing thing you’d like, and settle in for the duration of its cycle.

So, on to one of my first rules of the writing journey: follow your process. Here is the list of steps I use, which has grown and evolved over time. Hopefully, you can borrow or steal some idea nuggets for your own writing practices, even if you don’t want to follow my process as a whole. Needless to say, this can be used for any writing project—it doesn’t have to be spooky.

1. Structure and Purpose

2. Planning and Setup

3. Brainstorming

4. Actual writing

5. Motivation

Structure is the how, when, and where part of the process. This is the absolute beginning of how you become a writer. Are you going to hunch in your apartment corner, pecking away at an ancient typewriter, or work on a laptop late at night when all else are dreaming? Are you going to work on your writing project weekly? Every moment of every day that inspiration strikes you? Figure out a sustainable structure and writing routine for you. Just like dark academia classes, there must be some structure and stability in your writing endeavors. And honestly, this may take some time for you to figure out.

Purpose is the why. Defining the why is also one of the first steps in creating your masterpiece. If you are reading this, I am assuming you are writing for an audience. Who is that audience, and why is your book going to be important to them? Do you plan to try to self-publish, indie pub, or traditional pub? What type of book are you writing? Is it non-fiction, poetry, memoir—or fiction, with a genre and a theme? You don’t have to know all of the details for your project, but these few things are crucial to identify at this point in the process.

Planning and Setup is the what. If you’re a pantser, feel free to ignore what doesn’t apply! At this point, I like to focus on any needed research for my project (like getting sucked down the rabbit hole of r/chupacabra) and learn about craft for any specific type of writing I want to use (dual timelines or POV, unreliable narrator, etc.) Start with your point-of-view, main characters, setting, goal/conflict, and a rough idea of a plot and subplots. This step can be extensive, with scribble-filled notebooks, aesthetic content, and intricate plot plans. Or it can be short and sweet, such as a list of the important ideas of the book, and a prayer or a whim.

Brainstorming is my favorite part. While it coincides with the actual writing, too, the majority will be done in preparation for the actual writing. This step is where you get to stretch your imagination. Imagine what your book baby will become, what type of journey your characters are going to go through, how much you will torture them, and what will be the reward? Give your project some bones. You can work this all up in advance, or, if you are a fly-by-the-seat kind of person, you can keep this brainstorming process active as you write. Brainstorming can also be vital in the editing process—or when you get ‘stuck’ with a scene or subplot during your first draft.

Actual writing—this is the work. We could go on forever about this step, so I’m just going to impart this: it’s time to add the meat to the bones. Set realistic goals to help you make it through the first draft. If you expect your first draft to be perfect, I suggest you go read a lot of writing quotes about first drafts, and then make yourself a cocktail to cope. Also, if self-publishing, you might have to work on your own editing, marketing, and content creation as part of this step of the process.

Motivation is the reason to do it all over again. Search your soul and find the reason you love to write. Then find ways to support those feelings. Read books, educate yourself, connect with other creatives. Focus on hobbies and social media, get active, visit with friends. Once you find whatever gives you your spark, guard it like it’s the holy grail. It’s going to be crucial to enjoying your journey.

Okay, writerly friends. If you’re like me—someone who wants the fruits of their writing labor to grow—think about your process as something that can be refined to work better for you! Just like with houseplants, you must nurture it and put in some work. And don’t be afraid to shake things up when you need to–no one ever became an excellent writer without taking some risks.

Stay spooky, and look out for more writing tips at Collective Tales Publishing

Abbey Normal is a lover of the spooky and magical. She is book-obsessed, and a writer, sometimes. She lives in a big-small town, taming a herd of 5 beasties with her crazy husband. @instagram.com/the_abbey_normal

Guest Post: A Spooky Writing Process