There is no one method that works for everyone.  You need to write in whatever way will get the book finished.  Some of us write by the seat of our pants, others need to plot everything out ahead of time, and others fall somewhere in between.  Today, I want to talk about writing by the seat of your pants because I am that type of writer.

Now for the post…

1. It all begins with knowing your genre.

And when I say “an idea”, I mean that is pretty much it.  There is not much more to it than that.  I write romances, so I know a couple of things going into any book.  I know there is a hero and heroine, there will be some obstacle they will have to face, and there will be a happy ending.  I’m sure other genres have their general rules of thumbs as well–some basic elements that must be in the story.  So that’s where you start.  What are the core components in your genre?

2.  Pick a plot.

This is the funnest part of it.  You get to select whatever plot you want to have, and this plot can be boiled to one sentence.  For example, I want to write a story about a hero who rescues a heroine from a stagecoach robbery.

3.  Pick your setting.

This is where your story takes place.  What country does this story happen in?  What year is it?  What month is it?  Etc.

4.  Pick your characters.

This is another fun part.  You get to select what your characters.  Since this is a “seat of your pants” style, characters can change their personalities within the first couple pages of the book, so I would be very broad.  I’d name them, describe their physical attributes, and give them free rein to develop as they will.  You can have an idea of how acts before you go in, but it’s not until they’re being written do you truly get to know them.

5.  Pick your opening scene.

This is where it all begins, and besides this scene, you won’t have much else in mind when you begin writing.  You might have snippets of other scenes that you “hope” get included but they can change or never see the light of day.  What you might also know is the end.  In romance, this is pretty easy.  The hero and heroine are happy.   But as a general rule, I don’t know how the hero and heroine end up happy or what the final scene is like.  I just know they’re happy.  So if all you really have is a vague idea of what the first scene is like, you’re right on track for this method of writing.

6.  Start writing.

Steps 1-5 take all of a couple minutes, but they are usually thought out well in advance, usually while you’re away from the computer and let your mind wander.

This step is where the real work begins.  Most of the time, it all boils down to writing down the first sentence.  I know that sounds like it won’t go anywhere, but I find as soon as I get that first sentence down, the next one flows along and then the next and so on.

7.  The first three chapters.

I consider these to be the most important ones because these are the ones that let me know who my characters are and I start to figure out how the story is going to go.  The characters are pretty much fleshed out (their motives, their personalities, their fears, etc) by the end of chapter three.  The rest of the story is not fleshed out, but there is usually an idea of where it’s headed and what twists and turns might pop up along the way.  However, it’s not uncommon for those plot ideas to change as you keep writing.

8.  The most important thing to do is to keep writing.

There is no sense in looking back to edit.  Light edits (such as changing someone’s hair color or favorite song) are okay to change, but extensive edits or proofing don’t work well until after the book is finished.  Why?  Because there might be a scene coming up in the book that will change something you already wrote.  Character A might decide they aren’t the villain after all, which means you will have to go back and change a couple of things they said or did to make them more sympathetic.  But the problem is, you won’t know what changes will pop up until you’re writing them.

So my advice, make a note on things that change but keep on moving forward with the story.

I will make an exception to this, though.  If the twist that a character throws at you is so big that it changes everything else that comes later in the story, go ahead and do some light revisions, rewriting, or move scenes around.  If you feel that your characters are falling in love way too soon (that there needs to be more build up to that moment), then by all means, go back and write some extra scenes in.  If you figure scene A would be better after scene B, then switch them around.  But I would not do any cleaning up (polishing the content) until after the first draft is done.

9.  Add more than you think you’ll need.

And as a rule of thumb, it’s easier to delete things than to add them later.  So if you find you are repeating yourself or adding things in that might not make the final cut, go ahead and put them all in.  You can always cut them out later.  I’m the kind of write who hates writing additional scenes after I finish the first draft, so I will throw in more stuff than I’ll need later.  I typically throw out about 3,000 or more words during the second draft process.  I rarely ever add word count to my book once the first draft is done.

Also, with repetition, maybe something is stronger to write in at scene D but weak in scene F.  Well, all you have to do is delete that repetitive thing from scene F and your problem is resolved.  So in first draft mode, repeat your little heart out.  You just don’t know how things will work out until the story is all done.

10.  Don’t sweat the word usage.

Too many adverbs, adjectives, using the same words over and over again, etc?  During the first draft, the goal is to write the story.  So if you say the same word five times in one paragraph, that’s okay.  If everything is “magical” in a chapter, that’s okay, too.  If the hero is always grinning on a page, let him.  Trying to figure out the right word to use or a way to reword a sentence at this stage of the game isn’t necessary.  You can always do this when you’re working on the second draft.  The last thing you want to do in “seat of the pants” writing is to stop writing to figure out the right word for the way the heroine is walking.  In the first draft, she just walks.  In the second draft, she can stroll.

11.  Don’t question the characters.

This is hard but I’ve learned if the characters are changing the plot on me (and most of the time they do), then I need to trust they know what they’re doing and let them lead me along.  Whenever I have fought them on it, I end up getting stuck in the story or the story ends up with serious rewrites.  So when your characters do something unexpected, go with it.  Part of the fun of writing by the seat of your pants is that you get to be surprised.

12.  Highlight and go back to things you question.

While I do my first draft, I don’t search for things I’m not sure about unless I can do it in a minute or so.  If it’s something quick, like “what was South Dakota called before it became a state?”, I’ll take the time to search.  But if it’s taking a couple minutes, I highlight the word I have a question about and go back to it during my second draft where I’ll do the research I need to make sure I’m right.  Once you stop to research something, it hinders the “flow” of your writing.

13.  If you get stuck, jump ahead to a scene you are sure will fit in the story.

Usually, the tricky period in a first draft is somewhere in the middle.  I find the beginning and ending to be the easiest parts of a book to write, but I do get stuck at some point between 20,000 to 35,000 words.  I think it’s because I need to connect the beginning to the ending but want to make sure there’s a point to each scene I put in there.  Every scene must have a purpose.  So when I find myself in the “what the heck comes after this scene?” mode, I jump ahead and work on a scene I know is coming up.  (And by 20,000 words, I do have a couple of scenes I know will be coming.)  So if you know a scene is coming up, and you’re stuck on the place you’re at, go ahead and write that future scene.

14.  If you can, write more than one book at a time.  (Works best for multi-taskers.)

Sometimes when I am stuck and truly don’t know what to write, I work on another book.  I have an easier time when I work on 3-4 books at a time because I can switch to another story if one isn’t progressing as nicely as I’d like.  This method doesn’t work for everyone, but it works great for me.  It’s very common for me to take ten minutes to write in one book then switch to another one for five or ten minutes until I know what I want to write in the first one.  Why this method works for me, I don’t know.  But I am the type of person who can’t sit and do just one thing at a time.  It just drives me crazy.  Usually, I listen to music while I write or do housework because I’m doing two things at once.  So I think writing more than one book at a time works best for people who are multi-taskers.

15.  End the daily writing in the middle of a scene.

Some writers hate this idea, but I love it.  If I stop in the middle of a scene and I already know how it ends, I am in a much better position to pick up writing the next day than I am if I finish the scene.  The reason for this is because when I get back to my story the next day, I already know what I’m going to start off writing.  This helps me move forward so I can get an idea for the next scene because I usually figure out what the next scene will be by the time I end the one I’m currently on.

This doesn’t work for everyone.  It depends on what your style is.  I have a friend who would go crazy leaving a scene hanging.

***

Final thought

Those are my tips for writing by the seat of your pants.  If you write by the seat of your pants and have a way of writing that I didn’t mention or is different from how I do it, please comment.  We all have our own way of writing, and the best way you should write is the way that works for you.  Don’t let anyone tell you there is only one way to do it or that you need to do it their way.  Whatever gets you to finish the book is how you should do it.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

After my last post’s mention of some of the obstacles I run into working at home, I had someone (who does not wish for me to name them) ask me how I get any work done at home as a writer. This is a four-part series and I thought I would start with one of the biggest obstacle that writers run into: children, family, pets, and friends who demand or disturb you while you are working.

There is nothing more annoying than talking to a client or taking a business call and have a child or spouse interrupt you, or have the cat jump on the keyboard and send an email before your done, or be in the moment, typing out that story for all your worth and have a child demand you help them with something. Or the biggest one at my house, my hubby wanting me to see something on the Tele or help him with something, not because he needs the help, just because he wants to company.

There is nothing as potentially harmful to your productivity then having your sweet child crawl into your lap for love, having to deal with a sick animal, or friends calling wanting your to hang out and go to lunch. So how do I work around this obstacle?

I’m honest with my family and friends. Explain to them that this is your job. Talk to your family and friends about what you do. Don’t get discouraged if they don’t understand, most people who aren’t writers don’t. Tell them that this is how you make, or will be making, your money for your future. Even if it’s just a supplemental income right now, this is your business and should be treated as such.

Schedule my time. I’m not one for schedules but I’m learning to schedule time to get my ranch chores done, meals prepared, and house clean. I schedule in time to be with my darling kids and lovely spouse. I schedule my writing hours. I schedule my book design hours. I schedule time to read emails (early morning before the eldest heads to school) and time to answer them (before I end work for the day). I schedule time to hang out with friends. Read the rest….

LC Cooper has sent a guest post that will hopefully bring a chuckle or two your way.

*****

Did you see Larry Crowne, the Julia Roberts & Tom Hanks movie? I loathe that film because whenever I write a blog post, I feel like I’m that slob of a husband of Julia’s. Yeah, I have nothing but time on my hands, so I spend it writing, which everyone knows isn’t “real” work. The cool thing about obscurity, in this case, is that I can write whatever I want and NO ONE WILL CARE. I’m not a brand, and by the time I become one, evolution will have put Morlocks in charge of the planet.

*****

LC Cooper’s Bio:

LC Cooper was born “Linguini Casserole Minicooper, Jr” on July 3, 1976 in the back of her parents’ RV during a stop to use the bathroom in Yeehaw Junction, Florida.

Her mother, Carla, and father, Carl, both granola-munching tree-hugging disco-hippies were stuck in the transitional musical wasteland of the mid-70s, With lousy role models polluting the political and cultural landscapes, Carl and Carla followed the craze of giving offspring ridiculous names. Since “Dweezil” and “Moon Unit” were taken, Carla decided on the name “Linguini Casserole” for the meal she had right before her baby girl was born.

Bursting with tales of her adventures, LC bought a quaint “fix ‘er upper” in Tuscany, Italy and became a writer. Now in her 80s, LC has published over 63.7 novels, children’s books, and movie scripts. Her instructional video series, “How to Become an American CEO and Avoid Jail time While Screwing Over Your Employees and Customers,” is legendary. Some analysts credit her lessons as the business model that practically ruined the US economy in the first decades of the 21st century.

Today, LC Cooper writes from aboard her yacht, the aluminum pontoon boat “Lucky.” She still maintains a presence on way too many blogs; provides motivational-speaking services for senior executives who don’t really give a crap; and remains the longest-running seat filler for trite award shows.

For more information about her and her books, please visit:

Smashwords author page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LCCooper

Blog: http://www.lccooper.blogspot.com/

If you’re familiar with styles, this may be easier for you than the last one was. (To see the images bigger, click on them)

Open your document and scroll to the place where you want your table of contents to go. Depending on what style you choose (we’ll get there in a moment) You may want to type in your “Table of Contents” heading, or not.

Choose the References tab:

Click on the Table of Contents to get a drop down box. There are some pre-styled ones to choose from (this is what I meant about depending on what you chose, as you’ll notice they all have a “contents” heading) I just chose “insert table of contents”

If you choose that, too, you’ll get a pop up where you can set some things. you want to make sure that show page numbers is UNCHECKED. If you use the drop down box you can choose some different styles, but for the ebook I’d just go with from template and forget it

You’ll get a pop up. Just click ok.

If you haven’t used any Headings when you formatted you’ll get this error:

Don’t worry, we’re going to fix that. (If you have headings already, you should see your chapters neatly listed. you’re done. Yay you!)

First we want to prepare our headings by adjusting our style. This is easier than it sounds. On the Home tab choose the Heading 1 style and RIGHT click on it. A menu pops down. Choose Modify.

(yours will look different than this because I have some custom styles saved)

This gives you another pop up. here you can adjust the font style, size, etc. You can center your headings (I usually don’t for ebooks). Once you’re done, you may want to click the format button for further tweaking

I’m going to go ahead and make some adjustments to the paragraph aspect

When you’re done hit OK until all the boxes go away.

Now we need to make those chapter titles into headings! Find your chapter heading, highlight it and choose “heading 1″ from the style box on the home tab:

If your navigation pane is open you’ll see your chapter suddenly appear in it. if it isn’t open or you have no idea what I’m talking about don’t worry about it.

Repeat the last step for the rest of your chapters  including introductions, prologues, conclusions, etc. (I’m only doing six for the purpose of the demonstration)

When you’re done go back to the references tab and click “Update Table”

And – magically – they appear

The difference between this and the other method? As you can see they don’t LOOK hyperlinked; no blue font or underline, but if you hover over them you have the option to click them:

I admit, I don’t know if this method will work for Smashwords formatting, too, as I have never tried it with them (I use the previous method for them). If anyone else has, I’d be interested to know.

*EDIT* be sure to set your Table of Contents and any headings with AUTOMATIC for the text color or you’ll get a nasty notice from Amazon that your color is not readable. Sorry, forgot to mention that earlier

If this method still does not work for you, or if you have another method, please let us know!

Your book doesn’t have a Table of Contents. A table of contents provides readers with both easy navigation and improved visibility into the contents of the book.  Please see https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=A2BQILI6OJWLTC for help with creating and formatting a Table of Contents.

So, I thought this might be a good time to discuss HOW to make a table of contents using Word. (I assume other word processing programs are similar but I haven’t used them, so I don’t know.)

There are probably multiple ways to go about this, (for how to use headers, check out THIS POST)  but here is what I did:

1. Since my chapters don’t have names, I just typed them up after all of the copyright info

 2. Then I went through the book and made bookmarks at each chapter. To make a bookmark, place your cursor next to your chapter title/heading:

Then go to Insert> Bookmark

(this is what it looks like in Word 2010)

You’ll get a pop up box. Type in some identifying name that you can remember. Chapter1 or chapterone would be the easiest. Then click the Add button.

The box disappears. Repeat for all the chapters, including any prologues, afterwords, introductions, about the author sections, acknowledgements, etc.

When I was done, I went back to that Table of Contents I had added at the beginning and hyper-linked it.

To do that, highlight “Chapter One” then go to Insert>Hyperlink 

OR Right Click and choose Hyperlink from the menu:

This will give you a pop up box. Choose the Bookmark button:

A second box will pop up. Choose the matching bookmark (aka Chapter One – chapter1) and click OK.

The second box will disappear and you’ll notice that in the address bar it now says #- whatever your bookmark is named. Technically, I suppose you could manually type your bookmark titles in there, but I always worry about a typo, so I go ahead and choose it from the list. Hit OK

Your text will now be hyperlinked:

Repeat for the remaining chapters.

But what if you’ve done all of this, uploaded it and got this response form Amazon?

The Table of Contents isn’t accessible from the “Go To” menu in your book.

Huh? What does this mean? It means that on the kindle, when a reader clicks the menu while in your book the Table of Contents is not showing up under the menu that says “Go to…” There is an easy way to fix this in word. Remember those bookmarks we just made? Go to your table of contents and put the cursor next to the heading, or next to the top entry if you don’t have a heading, and then make a bookmark named TOC:

click add and reupload to KDP .

Before you upload, be sure to click through your table of contents to make sure that each link goes where you want it to. It might take a couple of extra minutes, but it could save you a lot of frustration and embarrassment later on.

If this doesn’t work for you, try the other method, using headers.

If you have books on Kindle, do you have a table of contents in them or are you “living on the edge” and waiting for Amazon to make you add one in?