My Story Process

By Debby Giusti

Our town holds a weekly Farmer’s Market and folks in the surrounding area bring their produce, farm fresh eggs, honey, baked goods and handmade items to sell. I snapped some photos last Saturday of the beautiful vegetables and wares all of which brought to mind the verse I chose for my writing soon after publication.

It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you

to go forth and bear fruit.

John 15:16

As a fiction author, my fruit is my writing--the stories I create. In Seekerville, we discuss various aspects of the writing craft and techniques that improve production and make our characters more engaging and our plot more compelling. Today, let’s look at the process of pulling a story together.

When writers mention their story process, I often think of whether they’re a plotter or pantser, use Schrivener or follow one of the how-to techniques, like James Scott Bell’s Write Your Novel From the Middle.

In this blog post, I’m veering away from those traditional processes and revealing the stages I use to produce fruit and go from initial concept to completed manuscript.

As with anything, a story begins with an idea…

The Lightbulb Moment

Eureka! I get an idea. Often it’s visual, a picture in my mind’s eye, such as a still shot of an opening scene.

The Introductions

A character—either the hero or heroine—has tapped into my subconscious and plants that opening glimpse of a story. I need to get to know her better and find out what she’s trying to tell me. Some characters are forthright. Others refuse to divulge information. I woo those elusive characters with chocolate and long walks or by staring into space until they start to reveal themselves to me. 

Bookends

The opening, inciting incident draws the reader and the editor or agent into the story so I start the action with a BANG! Similarly, I need some idea of how the story will end. Not the resolution as much as the climax, the battle between my heroine and her nemesis/villain/antagonist. 

Backstory

What has happened in the hero or heroine’s life to bring him or her to that inciting incident? Who is this heroine and why is she in this particular situation? Am I interested in the character?   

The Big Three

I start to dig, needing to uncover the character’s goal, motivation and external conflict. What does she want/need, why does she want it and what’s stopping her? Like a woman using a grocery scale, I weigh the GMC to determine if it’s worth the time and energy needed to write the story. 

The Pearl of Great Price

The special treasure that also needs to be unearthed is the internal conflict, which, in my opinion, will make or break a story. What’s the character’s wound? What’s holding her back from living life to the full? What keeps her from being the person God created her to be? 

Begin to Write

I start with the inciting incident and introduce the love interest as soon as possible in the first or second scene. (Note:  If the love interest doesn’t appear until the second scene, I mention his or her name or allude to it in the initial scene. The love interest also needs a worthy GMC.) 

Set the Ball in Motion

The action in the first chapter propels the hero and heroine into the story. Chapter Two moves that story to a no-turning-back point that hooks the reader at the end of Chapter Three. 

Build the Framework

Like a carpenter, I build a fast frame on which to hang the various story elements. That’s my synopsis. In my opinion, the synopsis is an invaluable tool for the writer that shows how the story will fit together. The synopsis leads me through a series of steps that go from point A—the inciting incident at the onset of the story—to point Z—the resolution and/or epilogue. No matter how rough, I need that basic frame before I start to write the remainder of my story. 

Hit SEND!

I pray before emailing the first three chapters and synopsis to my editor and then breathe a huge sigh of relief. The most difficult part is done…or so I think. I usually give myself a day or two away from the story as reward for my hard work thus far. 

False Euphoria

I feel optimistic about the proposal and falsely believe the story will practically write itself. 

Proposal Accepted

My editor gives me the go-ahead. I pull out my AlphaSmart and start to write the next chapter. My euphoria plummets. Writing is hard work. I review the synopsis that I thought was so brilliant. I slowly type one word after another and question how I can call myself a writer.

My Trusty Timer

I grab my kitchen timer and set it for 30 minutes. The tick-tock-tick spurs me on. When the timer dings, I stand and stretch, get a drink of water and grab something to eat. I set the time for 30 more minutes and type more words.

 The Challenge

My daily goal is to fill an AlphaSmart file that will download into my computer as 25 pages of text. I break the writing into 30 minute segments, which means I need six, 30-minute writing sessions to create roughly 5,000 words a day.

Ride the Roller Coaster

Sometimes I have bursts of creativity when my fingers fly over the keyboard. At other times, I struggle to pull a phrase together. The scroll of the AlphaSmart screen becomes hypnotic and lulls me to sleep. I eat to stay awake. I brew tea and drink cup after cup. I chew gum, sometimes a pack a day. I stare out my window and wish I was anywhere but sitting in my house with my AlphaSmart.

Push to The End

I keep writing without editing or rereading until I type THE END.

The rough draft is done. I’m happy, but despair follows all too soon as I realize how rough the draft really is.

Rewrites

I set a two-week deadline to work though the story in three or four editing sweeps, tackling 50 to 75 pages a day. I don’t want picture perfect at this stage. Instead, I tidy up the biggest problems first, then do a second sweep to clean up more debris. By the third review, I begin to see the pages come to life and am optimistic about the story.

The Worst Ever

Around this time, I invariably go through a “This is the worst story I’ve ever written” phase. My husband and children remind me that I always hate the story, hate the plot, hate the writing, and most of all, hate the author.

Deep Edits

I roll up my sleeves and tackle the remaining problem areas. This rewrite requires patience and stamina. More gum, more tea, less sleep. No outside distractions allowed.

Total Immersion

I enter totally into the story. Live it, breathe it, eat it, sleep it, then pray and repeat the process.

Final Read

I read the story in web format or change the font to pick out typos and errors. Make more changes.

Print Hard Copy

Give to Beta Reader. Make changes. Read hard copy. Make more changes.

Final Checks

Review chapter numbering. Add scripture and dedication. Write Dear Reader Letter. Type cover letter to editor.

Pray! Gulp! Hit SEND!

I mentioned a few places where I pray, but in reality, I pray almost constantly as I’m writing a story. I start the day with The Writer’s Prayer and often stop to call on inspiration from the Holy Spirit when I’m struggling to get words on the page.

Let’s discuss your fruit and your writing process. Can you “see” your story before you start to write? Do you understand story and how the parts fit together? Do you invariably have holes in your plot? Do you struggle with sagging middles? Are you too verbose or do you leave out major turning points? Do you build a framework before you start to write? Do you write a synopsis early on or after your story is written?

Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for the first two books in my Amish Protectors series, AMISH REFUGE and UNDERCOVER AMISH, along with a 2018 calendar/planner.

I’ve brought scrambled eggs, hash brown potatoes, cheese grits, bacon and biscuits for breakfast. The coffee is hot, so is the tea. Get some food and pour a cup of your favorite beverage as we delve into your story process.

Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

Amish Rescue

By Debby Giusti

Hiding with the Amish

Englischer Sarah Miller escapes her captor by hiding in the buggy of an Amish carpenter. Joachim Burkholder is her only hope—and donning Plain clothing is the only way to keep safe and find her missing sister. But for Joachim, who’s just returning to the Amish, the forbidden Englischer is trouble. Trapping her kidnapper risks his life, but losing Sarah risks his heart.

Order HERE!

Watch for AMISH CHRISTMAS SECRETS, book 4 in the

series, coming October 2018.