Monday Musings: Finding My Writing Style

This month has been both restful and dreadful.

But you don’t need to hear about all of that.

I found myself writing more and more which is great and I take advantage of those moments as they come. Kyle has helped me work out some knots in my story as I throw myself into a nook in the living room to read and write all the things.

While I laid down the other night, terribly overwhelmed by some other stressors in my life, I couldn’t help but daydream (nightdream? I’m awake and dreaming but it’s night time) about my characters.

They’ve come alive in my mind. Suddenly, the scenes between my characters play out in my head and I think about getting back up and writing it all down. Have I gone crazy? Here I am scared to go to bed for fear of the very monster I created on the page should come and drain the life out of me.

Apparently, I’m a discovery writer. That is my style. Thanks to some lessons by the intelligent Brandon Sanderson (shoutout to Youtube & Spotify), I understand more about my writing style. I outline the world and setting, but the characters? They come alive as I write. I essentially discover them as I write.

Charles Dickens was a discovery writer. He was known for writing about things inspired by his real life and transforming them into meaningful stories.

Learning about my writing style has helped me tremendously. If you are an inspiring author, I highly recommend figuring out your style and leaning into it. It was about as freeing as finally being diagnosed after years of wondering what the heck is wrong with you.

So here’s to writing and reading and scribbling down all the things that pop in your head. I’m going to try to participate in the real world this week and not be too distracted by the world I’m currently building for my novel.

Happy Monday.

-Liz