My Writing Process
By: Brooke Landberg
Tags: Blogger, Creativity, Blogging, Writing, Writer

When people ask me about my writing process, they tend to fall into one of three groups:

Sometimes they want to have their own process validated — to get permission to continue doing what they’re doing. I used to fall quite frequently into this group. More often than not, they want to find a new process to copy —to find that magic recipe of behaviors that will somehow finally make them a writer. I still slip into this group when I’m in a particularly low spot. Very rarely, and most preciously, they’re just curious. They’re open to trying new things on for size. They’ve been led to ask for some unknowable sensory gut sort of reason. I like hanging out in this group myself.

If you’re currently in Group 1, you can stop reading now. I hereby give you validation. I give you wholesale permission to keep doing whatever it is you’re doing, and then to change it when the inspiration strikes you. I can assure you that someone has successfully produced, published, and gotten paid for writing by engaging with a process that is similar enough to yours to give you the external validation you’re looking for.

And also, all of that external validation stuff is entirely irrelevant and illusory, but I’m sure you already know that, so if that’s what you need right now, then carry on. May you have an insight that moves you beyond that mess very soon. May you find a way to take the precious energy you’re currently using to seek validation and refocus it on getting to work.

If you’re currently in Group 2, boy oh boy do I feel you. It’s the worst feeling, isn’t it? You know deep down that there’s no alchemical recipe to becoming a prolific writer. You know there’s no amount of sleep, word processor, studio location, way to begin, or daily habit that’s ever in a million years going to magically fix everything. And yet, here you are. Still searching.

I would like to tell you cut it out, but I know from experience that that probably won’t work.

But here’s hope, my friend: All it takes is one insight to realize this is a dead-end path you no longer want to walk down. All it takes is one thought to help you see that you’re spinning your wheels because you’re taking a bunch of insecure thinking seriously. With one fresh idea, you could be on your way to slicing through all that bullshit like buttah and finally beginning to write.

In the meantime, take a breath. Close this window. Open a blank document. And put some words on it. You can do it.

Lastly, if you’re in Group 3, you’ve come to the right place. I love reading about how other writers do what they do. I love learning about what’s going on in the minds of others. I always get fresh ideas when I approach others’ processes with an open mind. Anyhow, here’s mine:

The Tools:

It varies.

Sometimes I write by hand — with a ball-point or Sharpie pen in a journal, or on whatever scraps are lying around, or on a large un-ruled pad when I want to explore my ideas more spatially.

Usually, and especially when I’m working on longer pieces, I write on my laptop right here in Medium, or on Google docs, or in OneNote — depending on the project.

One of my favorite things to do is write directly on the Medium app on my phone. It helps me keep reader UX in mind. My ideas tend to be more concise, my words more economical.

The Time and Place:

Also varies.

I used to think I could only write in the morning. I was wrong. I can literally write any time now, and sometimes I find myself more drawn to particular times. I have different moods and thoughts and color values to my ideas at different times of the day. Why not capitalize on all of them?

In terms of space, sometimes I like silence. Sometimes I like ambient music in the room. Sometimes I like to blast pop in my ear buds. I go back and forth between wanting to be alone and wanting to be near other people working.

I try not to get too swept up in all this recent “research” about avoiding distraction. I find a lot of post hoc fallacies in those studies, and some strange contradictions between ideas like, “take a break from what you’re doing and take a shower!” and, “make sure you have a browser blocker on so you don’t get distracted!”. In my experience, drifting away into my web browser or being interrupted by my husband can be some of the most delicious distractions for returning to the work entirely afresh.

The Process:

You guessed it! It varies.

A few pieces begin with an image, a phrase, or a metaphor, but most begin with a central idea — an insight that hits me that I want to share. The development springs from there.

Some writing projects flow out of me in a steady stream from title to subtitle to stock photo to last word, with few tweaks made upon re-reading and further reflection.

Some projects are more recursive. I cycle through the following actions, never in any particular order:

I go back to the why — why am I trying to say what I’m trying to say

I go, “wait, what am I trying to say again?”

I read what others are saying about the thing I’m trying to say

I take breaks

I re-read what I wrote, trying to look with fresh eyes

I write whatever I can, and skip what I can’t

I do have three rules, though:

I try to remain open to new processes, new habits, new routines— generally trying new ways of writing. Something I want to do more of, actually, is push myself toward growth as a writer. Creating parameters and rules, at least temporarily, can sometimes be useful for that sort of stretching. That was part of my reasoning for the 30 Day Publishing Challenge I did. I publish here on Medium every day. Even if that means I have to schedule a post in advance. I do this because it has value for me, as mentioned above. Every time I write, I try not to try too hard. I know that my best writing comes from flow. I feel fortunate to be at a place where I wake up pretty readily from rumination. I tend to notice quite quickly when I’m feeling tension, which is usually all it takes to release it and relax back into the work again.

What is your writing process like?

Do you follow a regimen religiously? If so, why?