I’ve been writing since the early 2000s and have tried several different approaches to productive writing for myself. I thought I’d share, in hopes it will help you in your writing endeavors, as well as help me process my journey. In no way are these “the standard”, rather a fun exercise.   

I’ve done three types of approaches. Motivational, Structural Paper, and Structural Digital. Motivational is writing when I’m motivated. Structural Paper came around when the story grew to colossal proportions and I needed to make outlines, maps, character sheets, political systems, cultures, etc. Structural Digital is like Structural Paper except I type the draft rather than write it on paper.   

Writing by Motivation is one of the best ways for me to write. When you embody the story and it becomes reality in your mind, it’s the best feeling. The words flow with the ease of water down a cliff. Back when I first started writing, it was my motivation, or whenever I ‘felt’ like writing. At the time, that was easy and productive. I was in school and had a part-time job. I was able to write my first novel that way.   

I thought it was complete at the time. It was not. There was a lot of work to do. My vocabulary, story structure, and sentence structure (still needs work) were an incoherent mess. I had to organize, brainstorm, and outline. I had to give the process Structure.   

I can’t confirm whether putting the time into brainstorming and outlining has improved my writing. It has improved character consistency and plot intricacies. The process usually goes as follows (In my head) – an idea inspired by another novel I’ve just finished reading, a film, or a video game. A blip in history that catches my attention, begging me to put it in a fantasy setting. A conversation or inter-political back-stabbing tabletop game among friends. All of these can formulate an idea. I ask what if? Then begin the brainstorming. Who is the protagonist and antagonist? What are their motives? What is the conflict? Do I create the perfect answers – no. The first answers are chopped, revised, rewritten, discarded, and expanded till I’m satisfied. I’ll come back to that process.   

After brainstorming, I begin the outline. There is no perfect way to formulate an outline. I’ve seen clear and articulate outlines. I’ve seen outlines that look like a drunken orc found a quill and parchment (mine). The purpose is to have a step-by-step guide for the story. I keep it basic and usually looks like this:  

• scene – title or place  
• What the character is doing, how they feel about it,   
• the conflict that drives them to the next scene,   
• and any specific terms or systems I’ve created (can’t remember them all when I sit to write).   

On paper, the page can be hardly used or completely covered in scribbles. Use all the space to make it work for you. So, when you sit down to write you won’t have to stop for a long time for directions or finding a name, place, or event.   

All of which fall under Structural Paper and Digital. Outline complete, and write the story.  

This is where Structural Paper differs from Digital for me. There’s one more process: transcribing. I chose this process to have an extra look at my writing when bringing the words from paper to a digital document. I wouldn’t recommend this as it is arduous and time-consuming. Did it help my writing? Yes, but I wonder if I could have written a second novel at that time.   

Digital is by far the most useful. It’s what I use now and what most writers I know use. It’s easy, accessible, and simple to share. The only reason I’d go back to Structural Paper is if I didn’t have access to a laptop or phone (at a day job). I find it convenient to have a small notebook and scribble ideas throughout the day. Whereas, if I’m typing the story, I don’t like to write unless it’s on the document.   

I enjoyed Motivational writing when I had the time, love having the physical copies from Paper, but the ease of Digital is winning the day. I am excited to continue this journey. I have many stories I’m pumped to finish and share.