Search This Blog

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

The Intuitive Process Of Writing


Post by Kristy McCaffrey

I didn’t begin my writing career until I was 33 years old, when I decided to write a book (called a manuscript until it’s published—I knew so little). I’d been writing all my life, but at that moment I made a conscious decision to refine the process. The difference between a published and an unpublished writer is really the desire to trim, tighten, and tuck that mash of creativity into something coherent. Working with a story, I believe, involves a great deal of intuition. As a writer, I’ve had to learn how to trust the process, and it’s not always easy. This element of faith is not unlike a religious leaning—you simply don’t have all the answers. If you’re lucky, they come at the end of the work, but sometimes they don’t. Writing is nothing if not a learning process.

My first book (yay, it was published so went from ‘manuscript’ to ‘book’) took four years to write. The Wren, a historical western romance, features a Texas Ranger reunited with a woman he thought was murdered by Comanche as a child. The seeds of this story came to me when I was 15 years old. There wasn’t much—just a girl who knew two brothers, and a ranch (which I assumed was in Arizona since that’s where I’ve lived most of my life). The characters became Molly and Matt, and his brother Logan, but when I decided to refine the story I had to become more specific. I soon realized the setting wasn’t Arizona, and after reading an entire tome on the history of Texas (Lone Star: A History of Texas by T.R. Fehrenbach), I knew I’d found the locale. It continued to be a back-and-forth process, however, between research and following the inherent thread of the story, a thread I wasn’t always aware of. (Often this becomes the underlying theme of a work. In The Wren it was the idea of home, and the many ways we define that.) But I trusted, and this book is still the most well-received of any of my stories.

My second book, The Dove, was a bear to write, which is probably why it’s the shortest novel I’ve published. In this story, Logan, the brother, decides to track down Claire Waters, who, it turns out, lives in a brothel but hopes to become a doctor one day. Looking back, I didn’t trust my intuition enough, which I think is why I ran out of story. I tried to manhandle my characters too much, of which I had too many to begin with. I struggled to keep them all straight, along with motivations and what each of them might know from moment to moment. My editor had her work cut out for her, but helped tremendously in fixing the many problems.

My third book, The Sparrow, follows Emma Hart (sister to Molly) and her desire to enter Grand Canyon, an audacious endeavor considering the year is 1877. A Texas Ranger joins her and off they go. I wrote the first half of this story entirely on intuition. After the struggle with my last book, I knew I needed to trust the inner workings of my imagination. Unfortunately, it led me to a dead-end at the halfway point—ugh, the
vagaries and whims of creativity. It took me several years to figure my way out of this one. (I did raise my children at the same time, so wasn’t writing full-time.) The problem was that the journey Emma undertook wasn’t just physical, and I didn’t understand it until I found a book on shamanism. The light bulb went off, and I spent over two years delving into the subject. It turned out my intuition had been spot on (isn’t it always?), and I was finally able to complete Emma’s pilgrimage. As a side note, this book has received a mixed reception. Following one’s inspiration doesn’t always result in far-reaching connections with readers. However, I believe that an adherence to intuition draws an authentic voice from the author, a commitment that is important to the writer herself.

With my fourth book, Into The Land Of Shadows, recently published here at Prairie Rose, I think I finally found a balance between trusting the creative hits alongside the nuts-and-bolts research. I certainly had the most fun writing this one. Perhaps that’s what experience bestows—knowing that those dark spots during the writing of a project won’t always remain. While it’s difficult to trust those whispers nudging you in a certain direction, there’s always a bigger picture, in life as well as in stories, and a writer needs to learn to have faith and become the channel for that narrative to be born.

Be sure to stop by my website www.kristymccaffrey.com and enter my February contest!
  Happy Valentine’s Day!

14 comments:

  1. Howdy, Kristy, what a wonderful retrospective of your books and how they came about! I want to read them! Hugs and tons of success to you...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for sharing your process. When I write short scripts, the intuition is working big time. I haven't had as much luck with fiction, but it is a journey worth taking I believe. Wishing you the best of a great writing future. Doris

    ReplyDelete
  3. Every time I figure out how to write a book, the next one is different. The only constant is exactly what you said, to trust your intuition. It's easy for me to question myself, though, so it's something I fight. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jacquie, I agree. It's like raising children. You get one all figured out, then the next one blows all your theories to smithereens.

      Delete
  4. We live and learn -- at least if we're lucky, we learn. I still struggle with the intuition part, which often makes writing feel like slogging through thick mud.

    You've learned well, Kristy, judging by the finished products. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Kathleen! Sometimes it's easier not to trust your gut, a lot less work at times. :-) But it will always hound you until you listen.

      Delete
  5. Kristy, I admire anyone who can sell their first book! Mine is still in a box literally under my bed, but I have high hopes of reviving it, now that I know what I'm doing. LOL I think it's important to read about other people's processes and struggles in their writing. So many people think that you just write a book and send it off, and the publisher loves it and says, "Hey, can we work out a movie deal?" -- that is a one in a million shot. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes and as you say, trust your intuition! That's sometimes the only thing that gets you through it.
    Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Cheryl! I did rework The Wren many, many times. At one point I tossed the whole manuscript and wrote it again. I guess my intuition just wouldn't let it go. But sometimes stories just aren't ready. When that one under your bed needs to breathe, you'll know.

      Delete
  6. I enjoyed reading about your writing process and your struggles along the way. Like Cheryl, my first book (written on a manual typewriter) is lying in a box in the back of a drawer. I started my career with short stories. It took an act of courage and commitment for me to settle into a novel. I'm a plotter, but I invariably have these epiphanies along the way . I guess that's the intuitive writer you referred to in your post.
    I think your titles are so fetching. The Wings trilogy sounds almost spiritual from your description and the covers are just amazing. I remember you said The Wren was your favorite and I can see you poured heart and soul into it. Loving the characters in your story is essential. If you feel it, your readers will, too.
    Moonbeams and joy to your corner of the Earth...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so hard to balance inspiration with the fact that much work must be done in the writing process. It's so easy to lose sight of the intuitive aspect. And I think you're right, Sarah, my Wings series has been a spiritual journey for me. I do love me a moonbeam...thanks!

      Delete
  7. Kristi, I do think we learn and grow with each book we write. Rarely does a writer get it "all" in the beginning. Writing is such a complicated process and often it overwhelms a new writer. There is a fine balance between the characters, their story, and the research. And then like you said, you have to have trust yourself to follow your gut instincts no matter where they lead.

    Your new book looks great! Love that cover. I'm wishing you much success.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Linda. I was really overwhelmed with my first book. So many things to keep track of, like you said. Experience does help with perspective, and where to put one's focus. It also helps you see your own weaknesses. But that's where intuition can help!

      Delete