My writing process…

As a teacher who writes, I get asked often about my process and as an English teacher, I get paid to teach the writing process or the trend of the moment. I often ignore the trends and stick to the tried and true. It works better for all concerned. For me, personally, writing always starts with pen and paper, not a computer. I truly believe there is a connection between our brain directing our hand and the thinking process associated with the physical task of writing as opposed to the disconnection of the brain and a computer screen. And, yes, I am aware of several studies that back up my theory about writing, but in reality, I believe I write better with pen and paper over a computer. Once I’ve gotten my ideas down on paper, then I transfer them to the computer and from there, I can revise, revise, revise. That’s the other key to writing well—your ability to revise your work. Nothing is finished, not even your “final” draft. That’s just the one you have to turn in by the deadline. To be honest, there are plenty of things I’d like to continue revising in my first two books, but that’s just me and my views on my work.

If you’ve seen any of my earlier TikTok videos or some of my Instagram posts, you will have been introduced to my writing journals and one in particular—the soft leatherish bound journal with an etching of the Tree of Life on the front cover. This journal was gifted to me several years ago by a dear friend, who is actually a sister more than just a friend; and in its pages are all my recent ideas for The Valaraii Rising books. Some pages hold ideas that never made it into the books. Some pages cover ideas that made it in and then got changed or revised. Some ideas are full fledged scenes while others are simply outlines like the final battle scene from The Dead where (spoiler alert) Sylle and Tarin face off with the Dark Lord Merilik and his armies in front of the ruins of Shara and Cere. I also have jotted down family trees and flashes of early history like the origins of the Dreor and the destruction of Lumenas. These histories in various forms also made it into my books. (The scenes from the Desolation of Lumenas you’ll have to wait to read in The Dead. Sorry.)

My point is that this journal is my first step when writing about MithTerra. Every idea that rises does so on those pages first before being transcribed onto the computer. It’s the most important first step and I believe this so completely that when my students are assigned a writing task, I have them handwrite the rough draft first as well as requiring them to handwrite their own journals, which I call daybooks, in class. Sometimes, I write in front of them as well. For example, the impact letter assignment. I sat at the front of the class and wrote my own impact letter rough draft by hand while they created their own. I think it’s important that I actually practice what I teach, which is why I don’t really follow the newest educational trends or try to convince my students that essays only have five paragraphs. They can have six or four or FIFTY. It truly depends on the prompt. (Sorry. I’m ranting, but I HATE seeing my students’ anxiety spiking because they can’t make their assignment fit five paragraphs. So write it in seven or three or ten. I promise the world won’t end.)

The step that gets repeated into infinity is revision. That’s my students’ least favorite step. Or maybe it’s the idea of a rough draft. Or maybe it’s just the idea of writing period. For most, they just want to write it, turn it in, and never look at it again. Revision is unnecessary. I disagree. Revision is key to good writing. No one ever gets it right on the first try. (I refuse to use “perfect” in that sentence because, frankly, no one ever gets it perfect.) Once entered onto my computer, the trilogy was read and reread too many times to count. Sometimes a few words were changed. Sometimes entire scenes were rewritten. Several times entire chapters were deleted, reworked in my journal, and then retyped into the computer. Once I deleted the first five chapters and started over and twice I deleted the final ten chapters of The Dead and reworked them. It’s a process and it continues even now. After I finish this, there is a chapter in The Dead that still bothers me; so, I’m going back to it in my journal and then on the screen. Hopefully, it will be my last time, but I doubt it. It’s revision and that step is always happening.