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A talk on 'The Writing Process' by a writer of 13 novels on BlogChatter

I've written about Andaleeb Wajid before.  Yesterday, I had a chance to interact with her on Blogchatter again. Her talk was about The Writing Process. I tuned in and she spoke about how she wasn't a very methodical writer during her first couple of novels, but now after 13 novels, it has all changed. Initially she had an idea about how her book would end and then worked backward. She used to let her characters 'control' the manuscript. She said she couldn't let all her characters 'surprise' her all the time. She said she couldn't 'wing it' all the time. 

Now she makes a lot of notes about her characters and their motivations. She plans her books. She gives herself the freedom to change the story from her synopsis although the synopsis becomes the blueprint.

She says she doesn't believe in writer's block and that she'd rather say she is stuck. If you are unable to write a particular chapter, you should just let it be and come to it after a while, says Andaleeb.

She writes at least a chapter a day, which is at least 1500 words a day and describes herself as 'anal' when it comes to writing. It is like a job to her, a job that she enjoys. This, according to her, is the secret to her speed - treating it like a job and not a hobby.

Someone asked her how she networks, she says she is quite anti-social, so the best place to network with others, is probably at literature festivals.

She tries not to take long breaks from writing. Once she hits 10,000 words, the book hits the 'zone' and usually takes off.

She usually writes at a desk - her home office. She says she can't sit at a coffee shop.

She said she was currently reading Stephen King in answer to a question I asked her about what she liked reading. Unfortunately, technology decided to act up and posted my question just as she was trying to promote her own book, so that it came across as really thoughtless and rude:( 


To listen to the rest of the video broadcast, like the Blogchatter page on Facebook.


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