Writing Your Way

by Mindy Obenhaus

When I began writing some seventeen years ago, I knew nothing about the craft. I wrote my first manuscript unaware of POV (point of view), GMC (goal, motivation, conflict) or story structure. Then I attended a writers’ group and the learning process began.

Since then, I’ve loaded my shelves with numerous books on the craft of writing and routinely attended writers’ groups, workshops and conferences. Because let's face it, we never stop learning. Sometimes I come away from an experience enlightened, while other times I’m confused or feel inadequate, like I'll never be as good as that author. Or I’ll be really excited…until I try to execute someone else’s tried and true writing process and find that it stymies me.

Let me pause here to say that I’m not talking about the elements of writing. Every scene/manuscript needs POV, GMC and story structure. What I’m talking about is finding a process that consistently helps you take an idea and turn it into a book. Because just as no two people are the same, no two writers are the same. We all learn, think and work differently. That’s why there are so many books on the craft of writing—The Hero’s Journey by Michael Hauge, Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, to name a few—and workshops that teach the same principles with different approaches.

It took me years to settle into a system or process, that worked for me and made me a more productive writer. Basically, I don't like things complicated. I prefer a simple approach. I don’t care to waste precious writing time getting bogged down in too many details about my characters because I’m also a doer. I don’t like to be idle. I need to feel as though I’m moving forward. So I gather what I need to get the ball rolling, then discover the rest as I write. Now I have writer friends who would go absolutely bonkers if they had to use my process. They want to details. Like I said, we're all different.

So how does one go about discovering what does work for them?

First, ask yourself if you’re a plotter—someone who prefers to plot and have everything figured out before they start writing—or a pantser who prefers to let the story unfold as they write. This is going to be key to your process. 

I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I'm a pantser a heart. However, to be a more productive writer, I've had to become more of a plantser. I plot, but if I'm inspired, I give myself permission to write and that satisfies the pantser in me.

Now that you know what type of writer you are, it’s time to—

Explore – We should never be so set in our ways that we’re not open to something new. The key is to find what works for you. Revisit those writing books and conference notes and look at those aspects you did like. Perhaps as a whole you found a process lacking or overwhelming, but even if there’s only one thing in there that helps, claim it. Talk to other writers and find out what's worked for them. A friend of mine shared her plotting chart with me several years back and it changed my approach to plotting. Granted, I tweaked it to fit my needs, but I'm a better plotter because of it.

Try – Now that you’re armed with some new tools, let’s take them for a test drive. Add them to your current process. If they work, great! If not, let them go like Elsa's gloves vanishing on the wind. Remember, this is about finding what works for you. 

Make it yours – You are unique. No one tells a story the way you do. You deserve a writing process tailored to the way you think, learn and write. One that will make you more productive and evolve with you, setting you on the road to success.

Okay, now for some fun.

She’s always played it safe…Can he reach her guarded heart?

Ready to open his camp for young cancer patients, Daniel Stephens must impress foundation overseer Blythe McDonald to ensure she approves funding for next year. But the cautious former cancer patient was once let down by a similar program, and she’ll leave no stone unturned in her evaluation. Can he convince her his camp is worthy of the money…and that he’s worthy of her love?

Life has been far too serious lately. Makes me want to escape in a book until it's all over. So, with that in mind, let's giveaway some books. Five sounds like a good number. Simply leave a comment telling me about your writing process or simply how your life has been impacted by recent events to be entered to win one of five copies of my latest release, Her Rocky Mountain Hope, or any of my backlist titles. (US mailing addresses only, please)

Three-time Carol Award nominee, Mindy Obenhaus, writes contemporary romance for Love Inspired Books. She’s passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren at her Texas ranch. Learn more at www.mindyobenhaus.com