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The Work Behind the Words: The Craft of Storytelling.
Writing a novel isn't just about putting words on a page. It's about bringing a story to life, maybe even starting over, and discovering what the characters have to say. I share the journey behind my writing, including the choices, challenges, discoveries, and occasional disasters that happen along the way.
I'll take you behind the scenes of The Unmaking Trilogy as I transform a stand-alone novel into a larger dystopian world.
You'll find:
- Behind-the-scenes looks at the writing and rewriting process
- Thoughts on storytelling, characters, and worldbuilding
- The decisions that shape a novel
- What I've learned from readers and the revision process
- Occasional glimpses into my life as a writer and the challenges that interrupt my writing process
I'd love to have you along for the journey.
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Sample Newsletter
What is Writing from a Character's Live Experience?
I’ve always struggled with falling into “telling the story” instead of filtering it through the characters’ lived experiences. In the early stages, I just want to get my words on paper.
What do I mean by lived experience? It’s not as simple as show, don’t tell. Lived experience shows the reader what the character feels through the characters’ body sensations, thoughts, senses, and immediate reactions.
Here’s a random before and after passage from Ruination, Book 1 of The Unmaking Trilogy. I evaluate every scene in the final editing stage. It’s time consuming and takes almost as much as writing my first draft.
Before
Two weeks after the assault on campus, the school principal, Mrs. Anaya, called a parent-student conference. I did not know what I wanted to say when I saw Rachel again. I stiffened at the thought of walking through that door.
The moment I hit the pavement kept replaying in my head, like a glitching video I could not shut off. I straightened my posture and took a deep breath.
The first sentence narrates the story and comes across like a procedure.
“I did not know what I wanted to say… I stiffened… I straightened my posture . . .” These statements read more like emotional summaries. They tell the reader the character is anxious.
After
For two weeks after the assault, I’d been bracing myself for the moment I’d see Rachel again. What would I say to her?
The moment my face hit the pavement kept replaying in my head like a glitching video stuck on repeat. My shoulders crunched as I rolled them back, forcing myself to breathe. My body grew jumpy and restless, the way Peaches acted before a thunderstorm rolled in.
The after version moves the reader through several layers of lived experience:
Anticipation: I’d been bracing myself
Immediate thought: What would I say to her?
Intrusive memory: The moment my face hit the pavement...
Physical tension and self-regulation: My shoulders crunched... forcing myself to breathe
Anxiety filtered through the character’s experience: The way Peaches acted before a thunderstorm
Instead of telling the reader: The character was extremely anxious about seeing Rachel again. The author lets the reader experience the anxiety through the character.
When I’m editing, I don’t simply ask, “Have I shown the emotion?” I ask, “What is the character actually experiencing in the body, mind, senses, associations, and immediate thoughts right now?”
This is my journey of discovering, learning, and sharing the work behind the words. If you like what you’re reading, share with your reader/writer friends if you’re so inclined. And if you find the story intriguing, follow along. No spoilers revealed here. Ruination: Book 1, The Unmaking Trilogy will be out in 2027.
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