After a two year break, I’m writing again. I had a number of other projects that kept me from the craft, but perhaps the break was needed.
My current project is to write the scariest book I could ever read. It may not be horror for some, but the story is nonetheless horrifying for me. I’m reading other horror books from various “top ten scariest books ever written lists” to see how far other writers have gone.
It’s interesting how a story takes shape. The world of this particular story formed 12 years ago. Other elements came from my childhood and teenage years. I’ll share more of the inspiration here as I draft the novel.
As for the tools, I’m using Google Docs for the actual writing, Miro to move my ideas around and outline, and Evernote to track ideas as they come to me when I’m not writing. I recently finished an updated outline in a paper notebook, which was much more effective for thinking the story through than any software tool.
This story required a detailed outline. There are now three different versions, the first I developed years ago and am finally revisiting now that I understand the core elements of a story. I’ve written myself into too many corners before when taking on large writing projects. Even my most effective short stories had outlines.
I’m super excited to be back at the desk and putting ideas to paper. Stay tuned for more on the process.