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Part Three:
How I Write
How do you approach new projects?
The way I approach a project changes each time as I learn better ways to work, what works for me and what doesn’t. Generally it starts with an idea, which I jot down in my notebook then sit on for a while seeing if my mind develops it naturally rather than me forcing the idea into a direction.
I handwrite everything at first, I’m a quicker writer than typer; so for the initial draft where the words are just pouring out, I find sitting in front of a computer more frustrating than beneficial, and you can’t search the internet with a notebook so that aids in remaining focused on the task at hand.
Is there any difference in your approach when working on shorter pieces?
For a novel length project, I usually have a few notebooks on the go. One containing the handwritten draft; another with plot outlines, character studies and story ideas; and then one where I can write various scenes from different angles and approaches before committing it to the draft, these are normally emotionally intense scenes where I want to find the best way to capture them at in the most powerful way I can.
For shorter works, I’ll write them all in the same book, which forces me to finish one before starting the next, thus reducing the number of unfinished work lurking around gathering dust.
How often do you sit down and write?
I set aside time each day for new writing, where no matter what I have going on, I have to sit and write new material; this can be continuing work on a current piece of work, of if I have no open projects I do a piece of prompted writing that has to have a beginning, middle and end. These end up being pieces of flash fiction, but push me to always be creating and pushing my limits by extending into themes and genres I’d never usually explore in my main body of work.
Do you have any aims or goals that remain constant from piece to piece?
With each major project I begin I always try to achieve something different, rather than staying within my comfort zone. This allows me to grow as a writer and it also keeps my work fresh, preventing it from becoming stale and stagnant, and as a result keep it interesting to the readers of it.
As with any artistic, in fact any career, an author should always be pushing themselves to improve, develop, and evolve; to walk the never-ending path and explore the surroundings, taking their readers and fans with them on their journey. It’s important to remember that we do not exist alone in a bubble; our fans are always with us, enjoying and being inspired by the words we write. So even when we feel disconnected and alone, the words we create in these moments are the very things that keep us from being so.
Video
On Writing first appeared as a video-series on Dominic Lyne’s official YouTube channel. The content of the interviews reproduced on this website may be different to that included in the videos. The copyright of the content of both belongs to Degraded Discord/Dominic Lyne.