I'm just making it up as I go.

I saw a post on SM where a reviewer gave a book 3 stars because "it read like she was just making it up as she went." Naturally the overwhelming response was "Well, duh. That's what writers do." It is true, you know. Most of us do just that. Whether you plot out your story, or just fly by the seat of your pants, like me, you just let things unfold before you and write them down. A good writer is a vessel for a good story. Just like I don't understand rocket science, many people don't understand how we do it. The truth is, we don't either. It just happens. Good stories write themselves.

Of course, after that the real work begins, but that's another story entirely. The simple truth is that there is no one way to be or become a writer. I've had the pleasure of speaking with some young writers lately, and I get more out of it than they do. I discussed the way I became a writer, but cautioned them that may not be the way for them. Being a writer is a reflection of you, of your life. That's why there are so many different styles. I told the kids not to try to be the next "So-N-So", but be the first them. Now, I don't suffer under the delusion that I'm some big time writer to be emulated, but I have learned a few tricks along the way and I am happy to pass those along to anyone who wants them.

A lot of people ask me how I come up with the idea for my books. The truth is that they usually start with a simple notion or idea. As rudimentary as that sounds, it's the truth. Then I let the idea kick around in my head for a while. Sometimes a few weeks, sometimes a few years. When it's ready, I start writing and things just flow while I walk along behind them like a man taking his pet for a walk. Sometimes elements I had intended for one story end up in another. Sometimes several elements combine to make up the whole story.

Like I said, there's no one magic way. The only thing all writers have in common is that they write. They have to go through the physical activity of creating the story and sometimes that is the biggest detriment. It's not always easy to make time to write, but good writers always do.

The difference between an idea and a bestseller is simply the act of committing it to paper. There's an old adage in writing that goes, "You can edit a bad page, but not a blank page." So if you're out there and you're considering writing, get to work. Put something down on paper and see where it goes. You might surprise yourself.

-john