No, I'm not talking about my actual life, I'm talking about the words written down on the page and what it's like to create them.

Sure, when we read a story, we can say, 'Oh, the characters came alive' or 'the world the author created was so real'. But I am not talking about that either. I am talking about creating a work from an empty page/document file (I know most of us writers do everything on computer these days)

So how do I create my work?

I outline my work first, usually just enough detail to keep everything on track for my liking. After all, writing must have a foundation, and a solid as possible foundation at that. When I outline I place down important plot points (to avoid the dreaded plot bunnies burrowing up into your MS). I write down the arc of the story and why the main events happen.

I also outline the main players of the novel, giving them as much detail as I can. That way, when I come to write about them, hopefully they will be a three-dimensional as possible. Notice I said 'as possible' because creating realistic believable characters is one of the hardest things to do. As a part of my character jottings, I try and write down any quirks the characters may have, with either speech or mannerisms.

In my latest work, my hero is a man who jumps to conclusions, is quick to make decisions and has a tendency to exaggerate or slur his swear words. He, however, is of high moral standing, and in the end it's that good quality of his character that gets him into the most trouble. Because of his morals he is a man that cannot say no. And if you think about it, in real life, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to say no to someone, especially those who you love.

So, as you can see, characters can most certainly make the writing breath and the plot is the foundation. But what makes the story an enjoyable experience? Well, for me, as I write it, it's having my story take unexpected twists and turns. No not in main plot, but in the nuances of the novel that make it such an enjoyable thing to write. How the characters react to one another, that sort of thing. Again, in a previous novel I had a married couple, who, in the end had no spark between them. Not until the third character come onto the scene did things begin to heat up. That was unexpected for me, and a great joy to write. It saved my characters marriage :-)

Once I have created my characters and I have written down the main plot points that's when its 'anything goes' and most of the time I am surprised myself how things develop. Sure, I have the story written down, even plotted in my head or in my dreams, but when the actual physical get-down-and-write the story begins, for me that's when the adventure starts.

I have created the story, birthed the characters, but in the end, they damn well tell me how the show will be run. I love it!