Ever wonder what I do BEFORE I sit down and start putting words in at my computer?
A lot of plotting and planning!
Many authors call themselves "pantsers" because they write by the seat of their pants. They sit down and just let the story take them where it will.
That is definitely NOT my process. I like to plot things out pretty carefully before I actually start writing.
I liken it to the fact that I would not start driving across the United States without a map in hand--if I did, I might end up lost, or having to turn around.
Pantsers might say that I could miss out on a lot of great stuff because I'm being too rigid.
May be true...but I've got to have a good idea of where I'm going or it's just too stress for me. So, here's what my pre-writing process looks like, before the computer ever gets turned on: