I started brainstorming a new project! I’m so excited! Not just because it’s a shiny, new WIP, but because I get to apply ALL THE THINGS I’ve learned while writing my previous manuscript! Yay!
I’m always lurking on other writers’ social media, reading their blog posts, and watching their YouTube videos to learn from their writerly processes and experiences. Over the years, I’ve obsessively devoured their writing advice, and I’m forever grateful to them for sharing their knowledge with us newbies. If you’re interested, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite resources here.
I benefited so much from other writers’ resources that I want to make my own (very humble) contribution to the community by writing a series of posts that outline my brainstorming, outlining, and drafting processes as I dive into my new project.
I hope you’ll find my rantings helpful! Of course, writing remains a highly subjective thing: what works for me doesn’t necessarily have to work for you (and that’s perfectly okay).
About Project X
For now, I’m pitching my new project as Robin Hood meets Les Misérables, via Six of Crows.
It’s about a sleepy border city where the Austrian Empire’s steep taxes force people into the dangers of the coal mines. As the shadows of the French Revolution darken the horizon and a mysterious Black Captain in a silver mask undermines the powers of the schout, seventeen-year-old Aster Falkena will do anything to send her sick brother to the White Mountains – including robbing the Empire to take back what’s rightfully hers. But she can’t pull it off alone…
An archer determined to save her dying brother.
A crippled soldier looking for redemption.
A tribeless fortuneteller with a thirst for revenge.
A disgraced priest destined to kill.
A runaway witch with a privileged past.
An orphaned thief haunted by his heart’s desire.
Together, they set out to steal back the people’s gold – if they don’t destroy each other first.
Mixing & Matching Resources
Over the years, I’ve come up with my own blend of resources that help with my brainstorming, outlining, and drafting. I’ve cherry-picked those parts that work for me, while also telling myself that it’s okay to color outside the lines if that’s what the project requires.
In addition, I’m constantly growing as a writer and mastering my craft. This means that my approach to – for example – brainstorming will likely change over time. For the moment, however, I lean heavily on the following resources:
- Save the Cat Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody
- The Anatomy of Story, by John Truby
- The Writing Diaries, by Alexandra Bracken
- The Writing with the Soul Workshop, by Adrienne Young
Ready to get started? Me too! Click here to see the next post about how I brainstorm!