The Writing Process
When I first began trying my hand at writing a novel many years ago, I struggled with how to go from idea to first draft. All of the books, workshops, and writing retreats gave me some new tools but mostly they felt like trying to “make the dress fit”. Their methods were solid and worked for them but didn’t for me.
My twenty-year career as a professional software developer meant I was used to tackling big projects with many parts, so I wasn’t intimidated by the amount of work. The continual learning process needed for creating elegant, bug-free code amid constantly changing technology also wasn’t a problem.
So why was tackling a novel proving to be a difficult endeavor? Then one day I had a revelation. It wasn’t a gentle dawning, like sitting on the beach watching the sun rise over the horizon. Mine was like Road Runner dropping an anvil on Wile E. Coyote. The process of writing a novel was the same as the process of writing software!
Both require a solid framework (story and character arcs) to get the end-user (reader) from point A to point Z. Each section of code (scene) has a purpose that, when connected to other sections, creates a finished product that serves the intended purpose. In my old office, I had twelve feet of whiteboard for the initial design of a project. The visual representation along with the flexibility ensured the module I was working on kept to the plan. Currently, I have a four-foot board and an outline in Scrivener that seems to be working. A glance at either lets me know where the story is headed next.
In addition to realizing the process similarities, I remembered some important lessons software development taught me. The first iteration (draft) is never pretty. Get the rough modules in place to make sure an important piece (plot or character arc point) hasn’t been missed. Once the basic framework is solid only then add the experiential layers, like building a house or creating a painting. Otherwise, time is wasted during debugging (editing) trying to figure out where the problem is. Next, it’s important to remove all code that isn’t absolutely necessary. If a section is taken out and everything still functions, it wasn’t needed in the first place. The goal is lean, elegant code that doesn’t bog down the process. Finally no matter how hard you work at perfecting the final product, the end-user (reader) will find the weak spots. Embrace it.
It took me years to develop a process that included time of day, applications, desk setup, music, lighting, and even food. Tapping into that past experience has helped me find a unique writing process that fits me. We’ve all had experiences in creating a way of doing something in our lives that is comfortable for us, whether it’s in our personal or professional lives. If you’re struggling to find your writing groove, look at the rest of your life for inspiration and hopefully avoid the anvil drop.
