writing advice

i recently watched a fantastic four part series on writing from kristy woodson harvey. a couple years ago when her book the wedding veil, came out, i had the immense pleasure of attending her launch party. at the time, kristy was a new-to-me author and i only discovered her by chance because i follow the hashtag #biltmore on instagram and her new book happened to be set at the infamous north carolina estate. of course, i proceeded to read her peachtree bluff series and was hooked, so when i saw sales for her launch party, as a fellow carolina girl, i knew it was an event i couldn’t miss.

it was so much fun! i met some hilariously beautiful bookstagrammers and mingled with fellow book lovers while sipping champagne and admiring dresses worn by princess diana. yes, that princess diana. but the thing that impressed me the most was how genuine she was. you’d never know she had nearly a dozen novels published because she was so humble and relatable. she took time chatting with every single person as they got their books signed and trust me, it was a full house. and when i met her, she spoke to me like we were old friends. it was so sweet.

my first ever bathroom selfie, because how gorgeous is it? 😆

so, when i saw she published a series of writing tips on her blog, i had to check it out. and i’m so glad i did! her advice is exactly what i needed to hear. most writing advice you run across online is written for plotters—have a detailed and concise outline, don’t sit down and write until you know where you’re going, get up at 5 am because that’s when the magic happens, etc. and while, that advice certainly works for a lot of writers, it doesn’t for me. i’m somewhere between a pantser and a plantser—i do outline my story using beats and a three or five act structure, and i typically have an idea of what my beginning, middle, and end look like, but i am not an in-depth plotter. i often sit down to write and watch my characters tell me their story.

i’m also type a and like to follow the rules, which means most of the time that well intended advice just ends up making me procrastinate indefinitely because i feel like i’m doing it wrong and am constantly trying to fit my creative process into those particular habits and routines.

in kristy’s first video, she talks about her process. she’s not a morning writer and often finds her creative groove at night—so do i. this doesn’t mean i don’t write in the morning, i often do because that’s when my schedule allows it, but i definitely feel more creative after the day’s responsibilities are done and my best ideas usually show up then. she doesn’t have thirty page outlines—neither do i. her characters surprise her sometimes because they take on a life of their own once their on the page—mine do, too. it was so encouraging to hear such a successful author talk about how her process is different from everyone else’s. she also doesn’t write chronologically, which i do for the most part, but i do sometimes jot down random bits of dialogue or scenes in my notebook that i work into the story later on.

i won’t tell you everything, you should really go watch for yourself, but the series left me feeling incredibly motivated and it felt great hearing someone remind me that i don’t need to fit into a mold to be successful. it made me want to trust my instincts more and see what happens. the series came at the perfect time for me, since i finally figured out where i was stuck with the book i received an r&r on. it was like, as soon as i realized what the problem was (it was set in the wrong season/holiday), it felt like it clicked. now instead of feeling like i’m tearing it apart, it feels like i’m progressing in the right direction! her advice motivated me to keep revising and editing and i’m so excited!

go check out her blog to watch all four parts of this series!