How do you write?

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve only been writing seriously for a few years… So I don’t have nearly the experience of some of the major name authors out there, but I still get asked some of the same questions.

How do you find time to write?  Well, I make it. It’s a priority for me. If I didn’t make the time to do it I wouldn’t be able to manage it. I set aside time to write, re-write and edit. I also steal minutes here and there. by doing both I’m able to get things done.

How do you write? When I joined a local writing group I started hearing this more. They weren’t meaning style or how I find time, they were asking about basics. Do I write long hand or type? When I told them I use a computer for 95% of my writing the question that immediately followed was this:

What software do you use? Well, in the beginning I used Word for all my writing, and it worked, though it was a bit generic for what I was doing, and difficult to manage for the way I write. But last year I found where the developers of Scrivener  were working on developing a version for Windows. I joined in on the Beta testing and I’ve never looked back. I love the way I can outline, move things around, and write in a non-linear manner and it’s easy to keep track of where every thing goes and what’s still missing.  I know there are other programs out there for this, but this is the one I’ve found and fallen in love with. Plus, it’s very affordable. I do all my drafting and story writing in Scrivener, then I compile it into a Word document and do my final edits. It works for me.

Another question I’ve often been asked is Why do you write?  This is a question that the answer is going to vary by the author… Personally I write because the people in my head won’t leave me alone unless I do. They’ll haunt my dreams, talk to me in quiet, and not so quiet, moments. They generally drive me crazy to get their story told.

Do you have any questions you’d like answered?