What Writing Process?

Last week I asked for questions from you, my dear readers, in hopes of drumming up some new blog topics. Kris Atkins was kind enough to suggest "You (I) should talk a little bit about your own process of writing. Do you have an inspiration-art you're using for your WIP?"


Thanks for your great question, Kris. Sadly I don't have a very great answer, seeing as how there has never been any method to my madness. Sorry, I know, very unhelpful. I tend to not follow any rules of writing discipline. I simply write when I feel like it and don't write when I don't. When I am struck by an idea that really speaks to me, I have been known to draft remarkably fast. I think my current record is 8,000 words in one day, and 30,000 words in one week.

While I definitely have the ability to write a draft in a month or less, that doesn't mean I write twelve books a year. Because when I don't feel like writing, I don't do it. I have tried in the past to force myself to write. But I never like the stuff I come up with when I'm writing out of obligation to a self-inflicted schedule and not simply typing as fast as I can in hopes of keeping up with my muse.

So currently, I do not have a WIP. I have a few ideas floating around in my head, but nothing I feel overly inspired to write down. I know I will write more books in my life, because enjoy following my various whims and know those whims at times involve frantic typing. But when I write those yet unknown future books, it will likely be rather manic event (as most of my past writing stints have been). Things like inspiration-art are far to logical to feed into the process.
 
If you have any other questions, I'll try to come up with a better question for the next one.