16 January, 2019

#GuestPost :: My Writing Process by Ruchi Singh

About the Book:



The Man
Security expert Nikhil Mahajan is in mortal danger. Gravely injured and unable to see, he is in the midst of hostile strangers in an unknown place. Any hope of survival is fast fading away. 

The Angel
Should an innocent man be left to die just because he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Someone has to intervene.







Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon

My Writing Process

As a strong proponent of ‘change is the only constant’ I begin with a disclaimer that following may change at any date and at any time. :-) Having said that, one has to begin somewhere to bring the positive changes and thereby optimizing the process.

My writing process can be broadly classified into five phases, inception, planning, execution or writing, editing, publishing. Some start with execution immediately after inception, but in the past couple of years, I’ve realized I am a planner. I can’t work on a project until I am clear about the ending. Let’s look at each of them separately… 

Inception:
The mayhem begins with a small, tiny idea. A thought which refuses to let go of your nerve cells. It remains with you night and day poking and prodding to adopt it and make it your own. This is the crux of all amazing happenings in the world.

A germ of an idea is like a small seed which has to be sowed, watered, aired and nurtured to give us a full-fledged result or fruit. The inspiration or that seed can be a one-line read somewhere or a complete climactic scene flashing in the mind. 

I let the concept simmer in my mind for a few days, or sometimes weeks before picking it up. 

Planning:
After inception, the next in the planning phase is thinking about the main characters, their background, history, physical attributes, quirks, habits; good and bad. I plan for major events, climactic scene and pacing of the story too.

Execution or Writing the first draft:
Once the broad level outline and roadmap are clear I start writing. This phase is the longest of all and this is where most of the writers do not persevere. This phase needs patience, effort, and determination. It tests your love for words and dedication. Do not fear if you aren’t able to write. The words may come to you in spurts or like smooth flowing water. Take a break from writing if nothing comes to your mind. Eventually, it will because creative juices have a mind of their own.

Editing:
Though editing happens even during the main writing which takes care of the only scene to scene continuation. I do one round of editing for language and sentence correction. Then the manuscript is handed over to beta readers. The second round of editing happens after the feedback from the beta readers. The third round of editing is done using automated tools. And the fourth round of editing is reading out loud on a printed copy.

Publishing:
Mode of publishing is an individual choice, one may go for trad-publishing and self-publishing. But do remember if you are self-publishing, get the manuscript edited professionally and have a mind-blowing book cover.

Things may change during the writing process, don’t get worried about it. In the interest of enhancing the readers’ pleasure, I keep my mind open vis-a-vis the plot and characterization. That’s it, folks.


Keep writing and enjoy the journey!


About the Author:
Winner of TOI WriteIndia Season 1, Ruchi Singh is a novelist, and writes in two genres; romance and romantic thriller. A voracious reader, she loves everything—from classics to memoirs to editorials to chick-lit, but her favourite genre is ‘romantic thriller’. Besides writing and reading, her other interests include dabbling with Indian classical dance forms.



Giveaway:

~ 1 winner for 500/- Amazon Gift Card + kindle copy of Guardian Angel
~ 1 winner for 250/- Amazon Gift Card + kindle copy of Guardian Angel



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