On the Writing Process

The surprise of uncovering the real story you want to tell.

I made a post about the things I like about writing. The one that resonated with the most people was “the surprise of uncovering the real story you want to tell”, so I wanted to expand on this idea. This is one reason I do not think AI can ever replace human writing.

Writing is a process. A process that starts with an idea, a seed, and when tended to, watered, and given light and time, that seed grows and flourishes.

One of the beautiful things about writing is how many ways there are to go about it. For some, they outline meticulously and know every detail before they write the first chapter. Others fly by the seat of their pants, discovering the story as they go. And still others, like me, fall somewhere in between. With AI, I often hear people talk about how much time it saves them, but some of the best things take time. Sure, you could throw a bunch of ideas, characters, settings, and themes into chat and tell it to write a book, but I think you’ll find the end result to be lacking something essential.

I’m going to use lasagne as an analogy, stay with me here. Anyone who has had a frozen lasagna and a homemade one can attest that the homemade one is better. Is the frozen one easier, more convenient, and less time consuming? Sure, chopping fresh herbs, boiling the noodles, cooking the sauce, all that takes time, but the end result? Delicious. All this to say, I think there is beauty in the slow carving of a story from someone’s heart and mind. Taking the best ingredients, preparing them, melding them together just so, allowing everything to simmer, layering them together, and finally letting it all bake. That makes a story worth devouring.

The writing process takes time, dedication, and perseverance. As part of the writing process, we are forced to think and discover. And through that process of discovery, we learn more about our characters, our world, than we ever imagined when we first had the idea. If you’re like me, often you’ll finish each draft with more questions than answers. Questions that lead to a deeper level, chipping away at the facade to uncover the inner workings of our world, our souls. Because more often than not, life does not have easy answers. Things like love, grief, and survival are not simple. They cannot be boiled down to an algorithm. Stories and all they hold change, evolve, and flow through our hearts and minds, interweaving with the past, present, and future. They require thought and time to grow. They require human care.

So yes, as writers, we often start the process with an idea, a spark, and by writing, drafting, revising, and editing, we hone and shape that idea into something more, into a story that belongs in this world, a story that matters. Some people will complete this process in a few months. Others it may take years, but the important thing is the work, the process, the piece of yourself that goes into the story to craft it. That, my friends, is what makes a story beautiful.