7 Comments

I’m already looking forward to 10! Curiously enough, getting this look into your process and some of the prose isn’t proving to be a spoiler exercise. It has whetted my appetite. ✍️on!!

Expand full comment

So looking forward to The Marionette, Terry! Sending good vibes!!

Expand full comment

I am very surprised at the extent of your didactic outlining process for fiction. Do you ever let the story grow organically at any stage? Do you do this extensive background writing for character backstory as well?

Expand full comment

I am fascinated by your structured aproach to writing. I love the idea of keeping track of your word count, those infuriating but vital little worker ants of the writing process. Sometimes they cascade over the page in like a gramatic army, sometimes they take a vacation just when you need them and always the perfect word plays hide and seek inside the thesaurus. Keeping an ongoing word count will give me the illusion of control.

Yet again I am in debt to your wisdom and experience.

Your instant turning to your 11th when the 10th was still wearing a postage stamp, reminds me of Thomas Hardy who completed a novel with an hour still remaining in that day's allotted writing time. He simply drew a fresh sheet of paper toward him and wrote the first chapter of his next book.

Expand full comment

Thanks for sharing your process. Interesting. I’m an outliner too, having worked in TV, and am intrigued by writers who just sit down at their desk and go at it.

Expand full comment

Congrats, Terry!

Does it get any easier by the 10th?

Expand full comment

All the best on The Marionete !!

Expand full comment