Topical Debate: Some thoughts on the creative process
Some thoughts on the creative process: A good book, in whatever genre, is a totality, in that it hangs together, it makes sense, all components fit. By all components I mean style, the characters, the plot, the setting, the word count, etc. we usually focus on individual elements, working hard on these, however, the work has to hold together, like a complete outfit in fashion, or a painting, if you like art. I now think that the best way to achieve that cohesion is to imagine the whole book before you type even one word. Not in detail of course, we change things all the time, but an impression, a taste, an image; the mood, the feel of the book. If we spent more time thinking about the book before we even started with the outline or the chapter plan, would it all flow more easily? Would we naturally produce the best style for the task, draw the characters in the appropriate way, describe the setting so that it becomes an integral part of the story without overwhelming t...
