Kinds of Writers

There are two kinds of writers. One kind of writer sits down and researches something. They then go onto days, weeks, maybe even years of vigorous planning to make they’re story. And in some ways it’s probably easier because you sit down and know exactly what it is you’re going to write.

Then there’s the other kind of writer who doesn’t plan things because they don’t like it. They just get an idea and write away.

There’s nothing wrong with either of them of course! I always think that whatever suits you are fine and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.

So whilst Kathryn and I were sitting in a restaurant in Soho (with very sore feet and student prices of course!) on Saturday night, we were discussing the kind of writers there were. Kathryn also writes, as I also draw, and we’ve both deciphered that we’re the second kind of writer.

And this is where I’m going to contradict myself.

I like not knowing what I’m going to write, for small things. I like making up scenes and situations and just sitting down and seeing where my hands guide me. Of course, when it comes to bigger stories I’ve discovered for me that there needs to be a little bit of planning in order for things to work.

This is just so that there are less continuity errors, the story makes sense and characters don’t get forgotten about! I’m not ever going to be someone who sits down and plans things out so vigorously I know what the characters are going to say, but I do plan things out so that I know the essential plot points for each volume.

Then I leave the rest to my imagination. And I like that, because when I write action scenes I feel as though my heart is pounding and have adrenalin running through me, even though all I’ve done is sit down in my living room chair and write. If it’s dangerous then I have fear inside me. If there’s something sad, I feel it and get sad or low. If it’s funny I laugh and get looks from whoever else is in the room with me and if it’s romantic I squee for my characters.

That’s why I found myself getting more and more excited with the last scenes I was writing. They’re very thrilling scenes and I can’t wait to open the file in a moment and type out even more of it. Especially now it’s getting towards the end of V1, obviously I won’t say what happens but I know that I’ll come out of the other end of it and feel so excited/tense/thrilled by what had happened.

This is how I’m writing Heartstones, by a little bit of planning (very, very small amount which then probably changes anyway) and a very, very, very, large sum of imagination.