Behind the scenes of this author’s process…
Want to know what goes on behind the scenes of this author’s process? Readers often ask me what my writing process is. Where do I get my ideas from? How do I mesh them all togther and create a book? So, with this in mind, I’ve decided to give you a little inside scoop on how it’s done!
First of all, it’s important to note, that every writer has a different process. Sure we are all either plotters, pantsers or something in between, but in the end, it’s about settling on an idea and running with it. I like to think of myself as a plotster, a little of this and a little of that 😉
Ideas! Where do they come from?
For me, inspiration is EVERYWHERE! A song that I love, or hate, or that makes me think of a particular moment in time. The coffee shop where I picked up a frappuccino last week. The guy pumping gas at my local station. A vacation I once went on or even a stunning picture I saw on Instagram. Truly anything and everything provides inspiration. Sometimes, it starts with a character, other times a location, then it just evolves from there!
I’m currently writing In Bloom (Maple Cove Book 3). Prior to ever starting Falling In (Maple Cove Book 1) which is the first book in the series, I plotted out the story in its entirety. I knew I wanted to write a small town romance and have it set in a quaint Canadian town. Then I thought about a theme. Now, this was all decided on at the end of August 2020. At that time, my kids were getting ready to go back to school and fall was on the horizon. Fall is my favourite season, and it always seems to inspire me! So given my excitement for scarfs, pretty leaves and warm coffee in crisp weather, I made the decision that each book in this series would be centered on a season. And of course, book 1 would start with my favourite season!
Once I knew that my four books were seasonal themed, I chose tropes and created characters to fit within them. I wrote a general outline that spanned the entire series and then settled in to focus on book 1. After creating a detailed chapter by chapter outline, I got down to work.
Now this is where the behind the scenes peek gets a little more technical.
When I write, I prefer either silence or very soft classical music. I follow my outline, but I also allow myself to veer off course. Sometimes the muse just goes where she wants go! However, if I write myself into a corner, then I always have my outline to refer to. I aim for 5k word counts per day and if I write five days out of seven, I can produce a book in about three weeks. Which was exactly what happened with Snowed In! I wrote that book over the month of December and it was the fastest book I’ve produced to date! It was also my 10th published book! Now to keep that streak going 😉
So that’s a quick overview of my behind the scenes process! Is it what you expected? Anything you’d like to see more of, in my books? I love to hear from my readers, so don’t be shy! Send me an email, find me on social media, whatever works!
Author and freelance writer Cassidy London, has been in love with scandalous steamy romances ever since she can remember. When she’s not writing or reading dirty books, Cassidy can also be found masquerading as a wine drinking, suburban mom in Montreal, Canada.
