What is process, anyway?
Welcome to Process week!
Hey, Runners!
What makes my workshops different is that I’m not centering the writing; I’m centering the writer.
Sure, you’ll learn all the craft stuff when it’s time, but my north star is you as a creative person, because the beliefs we have as creatives can undermine our work before we ever get started.
This is why I’m running a process-first show.
What is process?
Process is not about what you write; it’s about how you write.
The problem with most writing advice is that one writer finds a process that works for them and they tell other writers, and then those writers try it and it doesn’t work, and they think they’re failures.
They’re not
Not every process is for everyone.
Imagine if I walked up to you and said, “Hey, these pants fit me great, here’s a pair for you, WEAR THEM EVERY DAY AND DO NOT FALTER and then all of your dreams will come true.”
That would be ridiculous. My pants will not likely fit you, and even if they do, that would really just be a coincidence.
This is how it works with process.
Question: If you were to do Running of the WIPs this fall, do you know what you want to write?
What are some examples of process?
A process is a specific action you take to make your writing go easier.
Processes are as varied as the writers who use them. Here are a just few examples:
Write every day at the same time.
Go for a walk while listening to your soundtrack, then sit down to write.
Write your scenes out of order.
Write for x minutes or x words every day.
We’ll go deeper into process in my next letter, but for now just know this… not every process works for every writer and that is okay.
I'm currently writing my book for the Year of Writing Magically, which is going now, so for rotWIPS this fall, I'm going to be in revision, but honestly... I wasn't sure which book I was going to write this year until about a week before drafting. And amazingly, it's going really well. So if you have no idea what you want to do, don't worry; you'll figure it out. You might figure it out at the exact last minute (which, if that's your style as it is mine, no worries at all) but you will figure it out!
YES! And she’s dusty and waiting.