From Megan: My Writing Process

It may surprise some of you to know that I, too, am a writer. In fact, I went to school for writing. It might not surprise some of you to know that I, too, am a writer because I am the one that wrote everything on the website. But I digress.

My writing process is perhaps a bit unique from that of my fellow screenwriters. This is because I don’t really consider myself a screenwriter. At least not yet.

This could be imposter syndrome manifesting itself because I do have a feature length script registered with the WGA and the copyright office. That means I’m a screenwriter, right? I don’t really know.

I write material that is primarily longform. Think novels. Outside of that, I write copy (everything you see on this website) but that’s boring, so I won’t go into it in this post. I’ve tried my hand at writing short scripts and feature scripts, but in the end, I really prefer the format and function of novel writing.

Once when I was about 10 years old, I wrote down all the things I wanted to be when I grew up on little pieces of paper. Even at age ten, I was planning my future. I didn’t know what I wanted to be so as best I can remember, I was going to let the universe decide. I stood on my tiptoes, dropped them all on the floor and closed my eyes. Whichever one I picked up was what I was going to be when I grew up.

Dear reader, I don’t know if you’re going to believe me when I say this, but I swear on all things good and holy that the slip of paper I picked up said “Author.”

And so it began.

My writing process as an adult is very similar to what it was when I was a child, just with more technology and more music that has swear words. Instead of writing in a notebook (though I do that on occasion), I write on my laptop or an app on my iPad. And instead of listening to A-Teens, I listen to the soundtrack of the first 3 Kelvin Universe Star Trek movies or one of two rap playlists I have on my phone.

I’m not sure if I’m doing this right or if I’m doing it backwards, but I usually start with main characters and then I find a story to fit around them. I’ve never been good at starting with a story and then inserting characters in it. I need to know who my characters are before I know what they’re going to do or who they’re going to become.

And so, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

My next step is usually to get as familiar with the location that my story is going to be set as possible. This means a lot of research, looking at things on Google Maps, looking at Buzzfeed lists and looking at real estate listings. Admittedly, doing this much research slows down my writing, but what it takes away in quantity, I think it adds in quality. It also adds an ungodly number of places to visit to my “Travel to Someday” list, which in turn makes me want to spend all of my money on plane tickets, but I digress (again).

One of the things I value most in my writing is authenticity, which is why I need the research. As a reader, one thing that will turn me off from a book immediately are factual inaccuracies and inauthenticity. Don’t get me wrong, I can suspend my disbelief. But I try very hard to mind the balance between fantasy and reality.

And so, after all that, I’m ready to actually write. I do my best writing in the evening or at night. If the sun’s shining, I’m basically useless. I’ve tried getting up early and sitting down at my laptop and I just can’t do it. I can write anywhere, though, which works in my favor. With the right pair of headphones and a hot cup of coffee, I can block out the world and focus on nothing but my words.

I used to worry a lot that I wasn’t doing writing right. I used to worry that I wasn’t spending enough time doing outlines or spending enough time thinking of exactly the right words or amount of description for my writing. I used to worry that because I wasn’t drinking whiskey behind a desk in my shoddy apartment or scribbling out prose at a coffee shop that I was doing writing wrong.

Maybe my character to story process is backward. Maybe listening to classical music would be better than Travis Scott’s Sicko Mode. Maybe I shouldn’t spend so much time researching details about the place I’m setting my story.

Or maybe I should.

If I’ve learned anything in the 20 years I’ve been writing, it’s that there’s no right way to write.

-Megan