STAGES OF WRITING
STAGES OF W. P. P (writing, publishing, promoting).
If you have not already done so:
- Determine – or create – your workspace.
- Designate a time of day, and/or a daily time length you’ll devote to writing.
*no hard rule here – set a ‘keepable’ goal!
Knowing what kind of writer you are – a planner, a *pantser, or somewhere in between – determines what’s next.
- Planners: Compile research into organized folders (literal or laptop)
- Pantsers: Sit down, write.
- Hybrid: Order your files into chapter headings, you’ll be able to move them around throughout the process.
Setting a Word Count Goal
Many writers set a daily (or session-based) word count goal. It’s quite literal – a pre-determined number of words you’ll write in a writing block/day. I set a goal of 2000 words a day, as an example.
*again, no hard rule here – set a ‘keepable’ goal!
Watch and Listen to Stephen King discuss writing HERE
General Goal Setting for Writing
Depending on your personality, you either thrive or dive when it comes to deadlines. For me, setting a self-imposed, realistic deadline keeps me on task, accountable, and excited about my WIP (work in progress). So, as long as it doesn’t send you into panic mode, goal setting like the following is helpful. Start from biggest goal to smallest.
- Finish Date. What’s a realistic date (that also puts a LITTLE pressure on you) that you can see yourself writing THE END? 1 month? 6 months? A year? (no wrong answers here!)
- Weekly Word Count Goals. Even if you don’t write 2000 words a day – some days its 50, others it’s 1000 – setting a weekly goal keeps perspective when you have a weak writing day.
- Daily Word Count Goals. Again, make it realistic as for what you’re likely able to accomplish. The idea is to keep you motivated, not frustrated!
The Actual Writing
Okay, your sitting in your space, writing. Yay! The urge to self-edit every just-written paragraph or chapter is going to be strong. RESIST THE URGE.
This will be hard, especially for the pantsers. However, if you self-edit now, I can almost promise you you’ll never finish your manuscript.
When you sit down to write: JUST WRITE. Don’t censure, critique, or second guess. Don’t worry about plain language or overuse of words. Just get the story out. There will be plenty of time AFTER to clean & dress it up.
*If you absolutely must self-edit before the end, do it by chapters. And know that I’m scowling at you.
Nearly Done?
Very exciting things are starting to happen, right? You’re finally seing the finish line, your word count is appropriate for the genre you’re writing in… life is good.
If you are about 3/4 done, this is a great time to start letting the world know what you’ve been up to (if you haven’t already).
*Reference the Pre-Publishing Checklist File or Video as needed.
- You’ll decide your author name – whether pen name or you’re own, your preference
- Create your Social Media accounts & website
- Start considering your publishing options. Self or Traditional?
- Use your social media to find BETA READERS. These are unbiased people who will read your MS for free and give their (hopefully) constructive opinions & even do some general editing (usually they’ll catch grammar or punctuation issues)
NOW you can go and self-edit! Ideally, you’ll walk away from the manuscript for about three weeks, if not longer. I barely make it past three dys, to be honest. If you have more self-control than I do, you’ll see that you have a fresher, more observant eye as you edit. I suggest this order of self-edits:
- Round One: Grammar & punctuation. * using Grammarly or Pro-Writing aid is VERY helpful, but not a catch all.
- Round Two: Overuse of words/phrases. Find all (most of) those “that’s” and “just’s” and get rid of them! Get your language as clear and sharp as you possibly can.
- Round Three: READ ALOUD!! Yes, read the entire thing OUT LOUD. You’ll be amazed at what mistakes you find when hearing the words aloud. This will also show you how well/realistic your dialogue sounds.
You want to do all of these self-edits before you pass it on to your beta readers or editor.
*If you plan to self-publish, seriously consider hiring an editor. You will NOT catch all mistakes, no mater how many times you read your MS!
