A Look Inside: What Type of Writer Are You?

These little asks are so fun to go over. Some of these things I’ve never even thought too hard about and others I base my entire writing life on. I always discover a little something about myself by going through these types of questions, and thought you might like a peek inside my mind!

Planner : What is your favourite plotting method and why?

I definitely don’t have a specific method that I go to regularly. I kind of use a mashup of all of them. Mostly, if I’m writing out my outline and plotting more seriously, I’ll just list out bullets of things I want happening. I’ll start big picture and then break those down into smaller chapters or scenes until I have a fleshed out book!

Pantser : Tell me about a time you wrote something for your WIP on a whim.

Oh, man. There are actually quite a few things that happened a bit out of nowhere for me. Because I leave a lot of the middle ground in my books empty, I let the characters dictate what happens in those chapters. For example, in Star Supernova, I did not plan on our MC and another character to be so violently against one another. But when I started writing their scenes together, their personalities clashed so much that it was obvious how their interactions needed to be altered. I let them dictate the relationship and it made for some really awesome scenes.

Plantser : What is the first thing you do when you start working on a new WIP?

Stare at the blank page. No kidding. I have a massive fear of writing first sentences. I will spend weeks knowing exactly what the scene is going to be but be unable to start writing because I don’t have the perfect first line. It doesn’t matter if I know exactly how it starts, I manipulate that first sentence a million times before I actually get started.

Up with the sun : What is the earliest you’ve ever woken up to write before?

Back in grad school, I used to get up at 3:30am to grab a workout. I was writing by 5am. More recently, I did get back into the #5amwritersclub on Twitter for a few months… until I got pregnant and could not sleep or function that early.

Night owl : Have you ever stayed up til the wee hours of the morning just to keep writing?

Not often do I stay up late to write. If I’m on a roll and need to finish a chapter or scene, I can usually keep chugging until about 11pm, but that usually doesn’t work out well for me. I have to do a lot of editing in the morning for those scenes. My brain just doesn’t do high functioning tasks after about 8pm!

Character questionnaire : What is the most important question to answer about your characters?

I think figuring out their personality is the first thing I need to know before I can continue writing them. It doesn’t have to be a detailed backstory as to why they have that personality (that comes later), but some basics for how they should act in certain situations is a necessity. Understanding their voice helps me write them more authentically.

Not even a last name : What is one thing you’ve never planned for your character?

For Serill in the Smoke and Shadows series, I never intended for him to be as critical of a character. He existed in my world and had an impact, but when his personality mixed with the rest of the cast, he came alive in a way I never anticipated. He’s everyone’s favorite character now! Serill was going to have a big role as the books continued, but his impact in the first book really surprised me (in the best way possible).

Gardener : Quick, on the top of your head, give me a first sentence for a (genre,) novel.

Of course, after I just complained I was terrible at this. Fantasy - The red lines of forbidden magic faded from her fingertips.

Architect : Name the three most important things for you to plan

Characters (loosely), magic system, setting

Song bird : If you could pick three songs to capture the feel of your WIP, what would they be and why?

I’ll do songs for the Smoke and Shadow series:

• Army - Neoni

• Fallout - UNSECRET & Neoni

• Assassin’s Creed 2 Soundtrack

Honestly, this series just gives me murdery vibes (they are assassins after all). My husband mentioned that the Neoni songs reminded him of the series which is good because I couldn’t come up with anything other than the soundtrack.

Sprint : What is the longest writing session/ most amount of words, you’ve ever written in one day?

I’ve definitely gotten around 15K in a day before. I think the last time I did this was for one of the books in the Blue Star series during NaNoWriMo.

Marathon : What are three things you have to have during a writing session?

Water (or iced tea), planner and pen, headphones. I’m always sipping on something and if it’s caffeinated or unhealthy, I’m in trouble. The planner and pen are usually for keeping track of time spent writing and elsewhere or to keep an eye on my outline and to-do list. And finally, whether I’m listening to music or forget to turn it on, headphones give others (and myself) the illusion that I’m working and should not be disturbed or distracted.

Overwriter : What is the easiest thing for you to write/ what are your strengths?

I think this depends on the day. Writing dialogue always comes a bit more naturally to me so I usually focus on that with my first draft. Action / fight scenes also are usually pretty easy to get going.

Underwriter : What is one area you feel you should focus more on with your writing?

Description. Not just setting, but action between dialogue. Usually, I write a chapter with the dialogue and do some basic movements, and then when it’s done, I’ll go back and write more between lines. And the setting description is something I’m getting better at.

Chronological : Have you ever gotten stuck with a scene? If you have, how do you power through and finish?

All the time. Often, it’s just about getting a few words at a time. I’ll write one sentence here and there. Or, I’ll try to start somewhere that I have already planned (an event or dialogue line) and then fill in the before and after. Sometimes I also walk away from that scene. Occasionally I’ll move on to the next one and come back, but more often I’ll just take a day or two to think through the scene and write notes on some of my ideas before I sit down and start again.

Whatever suits your fancy : Beginning, middle or end? Which is your favourite part to write and why?

End! Not only is it an accomplishment to finish a draft and write the ending, it’s a culmination of so much excitement that you’ve finished something important (though it can be emotional). I almost always know how something is ending so getting to that point shows how much hard work I’ve put into the process. I have cried several times when finishing books and series, though (Soul Collapsed, the Warrior Series, TCOBS).

Typing : What software do you write with?

Scrivener!

Handwriting : How many notebooks do you own and which is your favourite?

I have over 15 notebooks and no I will not be taking any more questions about this obsession.

Location, location : What are your top three (or,) least three favourite places to write and why?

I’m basic. I like to be at my desk and that’s about it. I absolutely cannot write in public to save my life. It’s even a miracle if I bring a notebook outside my office and sit on the couch to write or plot things.