So, here we are at the end of a series where we took a look at my writing process. You’ve read the completed short story, you’ve gone with me on my journey, and now it’s time to recap everything we went through! As I said in my very first post, there are really valuable lessons to be learned in anyone’s writing process because everyone is different! I hope that something in these posts has helped you with your own unique writing journey.

This is just a simple recap to refresh; I invite you to take a look back at the older posts if you haven’t read them yet!

Part 1: Fleshing Out Ideas

• Find the brainstorming method that works best for you. For me, it’s writing lines with pen and paper, but for you, it may be typing, a mind map, an outline, or anything!
• fantasynamegenerators.com is a fantastic resource for any speculative fiction writers, or really any writers at all.
• Try to at least have a setting and main character in mind before you write, if you can. Even if you’re a pantser, you should have something to center your story around as you begin, though it may change as you write.

Part 2: The Rough Draft

• Don’t think too hard about the rough draft. Just write and see what happens! Don’t get hung up on sentence structure or making it sound pretty; just get your ideas down.
• It’s not going to be perfect. Just accept that now. That’s why there are later drafts so you can make it as perfect as it can be!
• It’s okay if things change from your original plan as you’re writing. Just go with it and trust your creativity! You can come back and change anything that doesn’t work out later.
• Make some notes after you’re finished with your rough draft while it’s still fresh in your mind; not anything detailed, but just quick snippets. No doubt you already have places you know need more work.
• After you finish your rough draft and make your notes, rest. Take a break from the story for a day or two before coming back to edit it.

Part 3: The Final Product

• Find the editing process that works for you. Maybe your brain focuses better editing dialogue first, then descriptions, then overall theming, etc. Maybe it works best for you to do it all in one go like I did. Try different things to discover the best way for you to edit!
• Once you’ve finished your edits, do one last readthrough.
• Always run your story through a grammar checker like Grammarly if it’s a short story, or get a trusty editor if it’s a longer novel. I’m pretty good at self-editing, but I almost always miss something!
• Post your work with confidence! You’ve come so far from the beginning and now it’s time to be proud of your work.

Conclusion

There you have it! This concludes the writing process series.

Keep in mind that this is only a broad overview of the process, and I specifically focused on short stories this time. In the future, we’ll delve more into the details of things like where to get story ideas, how exactly to edit your work, and how to find the best place to publish your short story.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey! If you have any questions or if there’s a specific writing topic you’d like to see me talk about, please drop a comment!

Until next time,
E.J.