Write All About It

I am cooking with oil, burning through the first draft. I'm on fire with the story and I can't wait to bang it out. There will be lots of revising to do, but I have learned through various ups and downs of writing that my process is my process. I can't fight it. I have to write the story to know the characters. Already they are revealing little nuances and thoughts that have surprised me. I am so excited. I feel like they are getting to know each other and that is how I am getting to know them. This draft isn't perfection. It's got a lot that will be edited out, but I have to write all about it because that's how I will know all about it.

For instance, my reserved engineer? She has a toe ring. Ha. It's a small fact. But I didn't find that out until I wrote 20,000 words!! And my Argentine hero? He's born of the sea and finds refuge in the waters he sails. He's master of his world most when he is there. I love him. He's wounded, lost, angry, bitter and yet through all this I'm already learning that my heroine will be the only woman who has the strength to guide him back to earth, to healing, to being a man capable of not just passion, but great love.

I am happily discovering my story by writing 4,000 words a day. That's my target except on travel days when I pump out 1000. Today is a 4K day. As is tomorrow. I will finish this first draft by the end of next week. Then I will set it aside for a short break, read through it quickly and begin the long process of revising the story. Shaping and molding the words to make them stronger. Carving the words that won't work for the story's flow. Shoring up the motivations and characterizations. This will take time. But it'll be worth it when I'm done. 

How do you write? What's your process?