On writing… (Part 1)
I don’t care if you’re published or not, every writer gets asked one of two questions about a million times each…
How did you write a whole book? - by aspiring writers
or
“What did you use to write — what’s your process?” - by other writers
Those are two great questions and both of which deserve an entire post but today I am only going to focus on part of the the latter. What do I use… what’s my process… etc. (I promise there will be 3 other blog posts total to accompany this one)
First off let me make it 1000000% clear there is no one way to write.
Even for subsequent work coming from the same author. I don’t know one author who uses the same “process” every time. Yes, they may have a writing “ritual” or rhythm if you will, but that isn’t the actual process. The stories reveal themselves differently each time and require more or less of us. Not to mention the fact that one should never stick to their writing devices too long or every book would sound the same. Authors/writers need growth in our work or else what’s the point?
I can share a perfect example with my three projects and how each one varies in “process” for me. I can share with you the exact programs I use but that still is not my process.
An actual writing process is as follows… (according to Bing):
The writing process is a structured approach that writers use to produce a finished piece of work. It typically involves several key stages:
Planning: This includes brainstorming, outlining, and researching ideas
Drafting: Writing the initial version of the text
Revising: Making changes to improve the content and structure
Editing: Checking for grammar, punctuation, and clarity
Publishing: Finalizing the work for presentation or distribution
This process helps ensure that the writing is polished, organized, and effective.
See the applications used aren’t even mentioned and I will tell you why… let you in on a little secret… THERE IS NO PERFECT WRITING APPLICATION OR PROGRAM TO USE!
Yes, I was shouting at you… apologies.
But it’s true. There isn’t one application that works best or one writing tool that will help you write your first draft with ease… anyone and everyone who tries to sell you otherwise is lying to you.
The best program is the one you use, whatever that may be. They all have their pros and cons of course so it’s up to you to find out what works best for you and your actual process and allow those things to work in tandem. But you know what’s most important in all of this….
You can’t find out what works best in tandem with your actual writing process until you what…. START WRITING… who knew?
This means, good old paper or at the very most a google doc/word doc to get you started. Then once you’ve found your process, slowly add in applications and programs that aid you in that process.
Simple as that.
Now like I said, today I am going to focus on sharing with you the programs that I have found aid my process and in the next blog I will share my full actual process and how these programs integrate into that.
Here are the programs I have found that aid me:
Hemingway App (free version for strictly grammar aid because I do not have Grammarly or other auto correct installed- no need for AI as I am 100% against generative ai)
The occasional other programs I find helpful depending on the story and needs:
That’s it folks. Those are all of the “programs” I use for writing. As promised, in the next blog post I will explain in further detail how I integrate these programs into my process and what my actual process looks like depending on what I am working on. As well as dive further in on my thoughts of how each story demands a different process. It’s going to be loaded with helpful and insightful information!
Hopefully this helps a little with the whole “apps/programs you use” question and I can’t wait to take a deeper dive into it.
‘Til next time,
Happy writing!
<3 Rhea