Writing nonfiction has its challenges
I have had the opportunity and privilege to write fiction as well as non-fiction (i.e., academic) books. These require very different writing styles and very different processes to successfully generate content and materials.
The academic textbooks involved a tremendous amount of library research with clinical journals and research studies that needed to be reviewed and summarized. I had a very tight production schedule with chapters being submitted to university reviewers in other universities around the country. The comments and suggestions that I received from other professors resulted in rewrites and updates to chapter manuscripts.
I read a great deal and spent a tremendous amount of time in the university library with a laptop and/or computer. I must admit, there was very little that was creative, but the topics on children with disabilities were extremely interesting, and I enjoyed the process. I wrote five textbooks with several colleagues, and the process resulted in strong relationships and friendships that remain to this day.
A new direction is fiction
I decided about ten years ago that I would like to try my hand at writing a novel, but I did not know where to begin. So, I did some research on the writing process and finally came up with a method that worked for me personally.
My first concern was coming up with a viable topic, and I decided to venture into the area of murder mysteries with my characters all based at a mid-western university. My main character and heroine was Professor Caitlyn Morrys, who is based on myself and included events as well as experiences that I personally had when I was teaching at a local university.
So, this would be my first recommendation to new writers: think about yourself, your personal relationships and important events that have taken place in your life. Can you use any of these experiences as content for your own novel?
The writing process for fiction is very different than for nonfiction. The creativity in writing a novel can lead you almost anywhere and unless you are disciplined, the experience can lead to writer’s block or, as I refer to it, a rabbit hole. So, let me share my personal method with you and how I actually wrote my first novel.
Set up a routine to organize your creativity
During COVID, I was working from home. So, I set up a routine that on a daily basis, I would get up in the morning at 4 a.m., go to the gym for an hour, and then sit down to write for another hour.
I never pressured myself about writing a certain number of pages or a certain number of words. I was, however, very strict about the time that I sat in front of the computer.
I could write five pages or five words; it really did not matter to me. Also, I worked from an outline that detailed each chapter which I changed as I wrote. The time I spent outlining the book proved to be invaluable because I had a sense of direction and a framework for content.
I found that writing my first book of fiction, Past Lives Denied, was a creative endeavor that allowed me to go in any number of directions. And there were times that I changed my mind once I started writing, which was fine. Once I was involved in a chapter, my focus was that specific chapter, but I allowed myself to think forward and plan ahead to see where my characters were going as the novel progressed.
Invariably, there are going to be times when the words do not come easily and you feel as though you are creatively “stuck” in a quagmire. These are frustrating moments that are part of the process that you will have to overcome. They are not easy and at times emotionally draining.
At these moments, I try to do some other things which would ease my anxiety. I always kept a number of other authors that I would scan through at these moments to give me generative ideas.
As I indicated earlier, my routine, which would involve sitting for an hour at the computer, helped a great deal because whether I wrote five words or five pages, it didn’t matter to me. I often tried starting another chapter or going back to my earlier notes to give me some new ideas.
I think the bottom line issue is that when you are feeling “stuck,” you need to engage yourself in other writing activities to generate some new ideas. It does not happen often but it does happen, and I think that the most helpful support mechanism was the daily routine and the fact that if I felt I could not write at that moment I could stop and go on with my day.
You cannot force yourself to be creative. That’s the point. It is clearly a process that comes from the inside out. You need a support system and a “library of ideas” when you feel as though you are running out of creative steam.
Feedback is helpful to your process
Once I had most of the content and most of the chapters completed, I asked several people to read the manuscript and give me feedback. I appreciated comments, suggestions and criticisms because ultimately, you will be faced by readers with very strong opinions on your writing style and the viability of your content.
You must develop a thick skin as you progress because people will tell you exactly what they think about your writing. And sometimes an off-hand comment can be upsetting, but it is always worth listening to. You can always change what you have written, and that is important to keep in mind.
What you are putting on paper is not permanent, so you can change your mind, change your ideas and change your content, events, as well as characters. The whole process is very exciting.
This is a journey into yourself. It can be very frustrating, but it is worth the journey because it is such a creative process. You will learn a great deal about yourself and your writing style.
There will always be challenges along the road, so do not give up the project anywhere along the way. The best advice that I can give you is that the path is not smooth so expect to stop and start your creative writing project. You will get better over time, and you will learn a great deal about yourself.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at dremt1@aol.com.
About God Denied
What if denying God meant denying yourself?
Professor Ashford Connor has everything: power, prestige, and the woman he loves. But when a celebrated journalist is murdered on campus, the fragile balance of his world collapses. As political tensions ignite and old hatreds resurface, Ash finds himself ensnared in a deadly web of vengeance and deceit.
What begins as an academic scandal spirals into something far darker as memories that are his own begin to invade his dreams. Each vision pulls him closer to a truth buried across lifetimes-and to a killer whose motive defies reason.
When reason fails and the unseen takes hold, Ash must decide: Is he truly the skeptic he’s always claimed to be?
Or is he a believer reborn through the power of what he cannot deny?
Faith, reason, and redemption collide in this propulsive fusion of psychological suspense and spiritual discovery.
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