A Behind-the-Scenes Peek at my Writing Process

I’ve always been fascinated by how writers work, but since I started my own writing journey, I’ve found myself more and more confused. I thought I’d be a planner. Not sure why—I’m not a planner in any other part of my life. I’m a doer. If I want to do something, I do it. I don’t overthink it.

But most authors I’ve read about seem to have detailed roadmaps: character arcs, story arcs, subplot arcs, arcs everywhere. Meanwhile, I often feel like I’m just winging it.

I usually know who’s going to die, and I often have a good idea of why, sometimes even how and who’s behind it. But that can change while I’m writing. For example, in Purls and Peril, I didn’t have the murderer or accomplices fully mapped out at the start. They more or less appeared as the chapters went on, and then I had to weave them back into the earlier sections seamlessly (I hope I managed it!).

With book two, currently titled Skeins and Secrets (though that may change), I had the victim, guilty party, and motive pretty solid in my head. The method, however, evolved naturally as the story unfolded.

But here’s the funny thing: it’s not usually the main crime elements that surprise me the most. It’s the subplots, the side conversations, the little day-to-day details that sneak in. Sometimes I finish a scene and think, wow, that wasn’t what I expected at all. Take Karl from book one—he was supposed to be a throwaway joke, just an annoying side character. Instead, he turned into a proper presence in the story. Quite by accident! Characters do have a habit of writing themselves when they want to… though I occasionally need to give them a nudge.

So for me, planning isn’t everything. I don’t think I could write a book off a strict flowchart, even though it would probably be easier. It just isn’t how I’m built.

How about you? In your own life, or creative projects, are you a planner, or more of a “seat of the pants” type? I’d love to know.