ALLISON MARTIN

So much advice centres on how many words are written, or scene cards are created, or outline completed. Sit down and write.

But what if you don’t work like that? What if you hate outlining or you can’t write everyday? Then what?

Are you still a writer? Are you still writing?

Yes. Absolutely.

A few years ago, whenever I would take my daughter to the pool she would cling to me. There was no way this kid was letting go, let alone swim on her own. We were sure that she would refuse to learn forever, but then the most interesting thing happened. We were at a pool and she said Mom watch me! She then jumped into the pool and swam to me.

I learned something very important about my kid that day. She does most of her learning inside her head. She watches, thinks, daydreams, and imagines herself doing things before she will actually do them.

She may have been refusing to swim, but she was paying attention. She was watching and listening and when she felt comfortable she would jump in and do it.

When I started thinking more about this way of learning so that I could best support her, I realized that she gets it from me. This is exactly what I do, but I’d never let myself lean into my own learning style.

A comment I get a lot is how fast I write. Most of the books I write are done within a few weeks, but what people don’t see is how long it takes me to feel comfortable enough with the story to jump in and start typing.

It took me over seven years to start writing the Stryker Brothers series. I’ve been working on my fantasy for over ten years, just now starting to write it. I spend a lot of time pondering different storylines, imagining my characters in multiple different scenarios, and daydreaming about scenes while listening to music that reminds me of the tone of the book.

But don’t let that discourage you, if you are an internal plotter you don’t have to take years like me. All I want for you is to understand that staring at a wall, daydreaming, drawing, imagining, listening to music, and thinking about your story are all things that will help you feel ready to tackle the actual word part of writing.

If you can’t write everyday but you spent some time pondering out a plot hole or thinking about how to make your character more three dimensional then you are writing.

A short word of warning: thinking about writing can be a procrastination tool. Shaming yourself for not writing also isn’t helpful. So be sure to keep your thoughts centred on your plot, your setting, your characters, or something that will help you find the right words for your book.