If you know me at all, you’re already aware that I’m not a plotter. I don’t do 20-page outlines or 30,000-word ‘zero drafts.’ I don’t even do a goddamn synopsis. All I need to start my first draft is a) my query/pitch letter, b) a random scene playing on loop in my head, and c) ~vibes and excitement.
The first scene I ever wrote for my desi EMMA-inspired romcom was the ‘confession of love’ scene from the second-to-last chapter. I didn’t yet know the journey my characters would take to get to that happily-ever-after ending, or how their story would begin. I didn’t even know if I’d keep that scene in the final draft (spoiler alert: I did).
What I did know, though, was that my gut—aka my intuition—was begging me to write that particular scene, as were the characters. So who was I to say no to them?
I advocate so much for writing your first draft out of order, or non-chronologically, because writing start to finish from an outline doesn’t work for everyone. Especially not people who are naturally intuitive, thrive on the ~vibes of a story more than the plot, and don’t like being limited when they’re drafting. People like me.
Traditional publishing definitely favors outlines and writing start to finish, especially when your book sells on proposal. But whether you like outlining and writing chronologically or not, I do think you might benefit from “writing from your gut,” so keep reading.
What does it mean to write from your gut?
It means honoring your intuition and trusting that the best scene for you to work on right now is not necessarily the next scene—it’s the scene that lights you up at the thought of writing it. Maybe you’ve written two chapters so far. Writing from your gut means the next scene you write could be the second scene from chapter 5. Or the epilogue. Or the scene right before the midpoint. Or it’s the scene following the one you just wrote.
With my current WIP, I wrote the first four chapters chronologically before writing a scene from the middle of the book. Then I came back and wrote chapter 5. There’s no hard and fast rule to writing from your gut. That’s the beauty of it. You write what feels right.
How can pantsers, plantsers, and plotters write from the gut?
I think pantsers often naturally write from the gut. If you do have a bunch of ideas or vibes for how you want your book to play out, write them all down. And if you’re a plotter and you have your full outline, that’s fine, too. No matter which category you fall under, do the following exercise before you start drafting.
The Intuitive Writer Exercise
Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and imagine writing with so much joy and giddiness and delight that the words just fly off the page. Time whooshes past without you noticing because all you can focus on is the clicking and clacking of the keyboard, the pounding of your heart, and the experiences your wonderful characters are having.
Now, open your eyes, go through the list, and ask yourself, “Which scene would make me feel that good?” Then write it as you see fit.
This not only helps you avoid writer’s block—because you’re literally writing what your soul wants you to write—but it also leads to writing with more emotion and impact than ever before. I honestly can’t wait for you to connect with your intuition and try this technique.
Be sure to hit ‘reply’ and check in with me whenever you try out this exercise. And don’t forget to tell your writing buddies about my newsletter.
I’ll see you next Friday. Until then, have a wonderful week and write on! :)
Love hard & dream big,
Swati