No "Right" Way to Write a Novel

I had a new book release in May (The Heart’s Pursuit), and I’ll have another one releasing next week (Four Weddings and a Kiss).

Because of these new releases, for weeks I’ve been answering lots of questions about my books and about writing, both in written form and in radio interviews (live and taped). Since I’m an extravert, I love lots of interaction with people. However, the marketing part of being a novelist is a huge time drain. I have watched it steal hours and hours from just about every day. You know … like sand through an hourglass.

A suggestion from one interviewer was that I share a deleted scene from my book. The thing is, I rarely ever cut a scene once in the revision and editing stage. And during the writing of a book, I don’t save anything that I cut. I’m not thinking about needing discarded words. Even during the early writing, I am more likely to change a scene instead of cut one.

Perhaps I envy those writers who cut entire scenes which might be shared later as something of interest to readers, but I have to accept that it isn’t likely to ever happen to me. It isn’t the way I write.

Writers, whether published or aspiring to publish, must all learn to write the way they were wired to write. That takes some doing. You write one book and then another book and then another book. You attend workshops and read how-to books and you try the different suggestions. If something doesn’t work, you don’t do it again. If something works for you, you make it part of your process.

There is no “right” way to write a novel.

Some writers are plotters. Some are pantsers. Some like to put on headphones and dictate their work while pacing a room. Others plant their behinds in chairs and type on keyboards. There are even some who use pens and papers in the early drafts. Some tell their stories in a linear fashion. Others jump around, even writing the endings before they write the beginnings. Some writers choose to create in public places like coffee shops or libraries. Others like to sit in one particular spot 100% of their writing time.

There is no right way to write a novel.

However, there is one thing that is universally true. A novel doesn’t get written unless a writer writes it.

So that’s what I’m going to do now. Behind in chair, fingers on keyboard.

~robin