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Beanie Blog #14
April
27, 2023 My Writing Process (or lack thereof)
Many people ask me about my writing process at events or book signings. I wish I had an academic answer for them, but the truth is, I’m a “pantser.” In writing groups, that means I fly by the seat of my pants and don’t follow any method. That is not to say that I don’t formulate my books, I do, but I don’t follow a rigid outline. I put a lot of effort into the characters I create, and I usually have a general idea for the storyline, but once the characters are created, they tend to write the story for me. The best example is my 6th novel about to be released, The Salty Dog. It started as a story about a writer who agrees to go missing to generate interest in her books. But once I created the characters, the story took a different direction, and the missing writer was only a small part of the plotline. The main character, Rose, evolves on her journey to St. Croix and becomes the person she always wanted to be. Once an introverted widow, she nearly dies and has a personal reckoning. The strong, confident woman she always was deep inside emerged and opened her life up to endless adventures. Watching her become a new woman was a pleasure for me, and knowing that I created that gives me a deep sense of satisfaction. Rose became a new woman because I let her lead the way and wrote what she wanted me to write. Benny, the popular politician who was being blackmailed into killing her, ends up falling in love with her instead. Again, once I created the character of Benny, I went inside his head and let him guide me in how I wrote him. He was disillusioned with politics and gave us his career because he had fallen in love for the first time in his life and chose happiness over power. But the most fun I had with this book was with the character of Patch—a grumpy old sea dog who owned a run-down tavern called The Salty Dog. His heart was hardened to the world, and he never let anyone get close. However, quite unexpectedly, he forms a relationship with Rose, which becomes the relationship they both never knew they needed. After doing everything he could do to push Rose away, he realizes that she had already gotten into his heart, and how Patch realized his feelings for her is the climax of this story. Their father-daughter-like relationship moved me to tears, and as the writer, I hope it does the same for the readers. I am so proud of this book. Like all the others when I released them, it was like delivering a baby after many months of loving labor and then sending it out to the world—hoping and praying it is received the way the creator intended. In fiction, where the writer creates the world, being a “pantser” can work, but with non-fiction, it won’t. My one and only non-fiction book, The Gift of Gisela, which is also my most popular book, I could not wing it and let the characters steer the bus. It included documented history, and my research was meticulous and never-ending. I followed an outline and stuck with it. I had all the events I wanted to show but had to find a way to weave them all together without taking away the historical part of the story. That is why it took me over 20 years to write that book, plus Mom’s life story was still unfolding, and I couldn’t write the ending because it hadn’t happened yet. Another question I am asked often is: where do you get your ideas for your books? That is easy to answer—from life. We all have a story in us, and many of them need to be told. I grew up watching my mother live this extraordinary life and knew I had to write it all down. I encounter people who face all kinds of challenges in life (one example is Jillian Boone where the couple has special needs kids). The inspiration for Clown of Hearts came from a very vivid dream I had one night. The sequel came about because I loved the characters and didn’t want the story to end. My only Victorian romance novel, Amalie and the Web of Deceit, was written as a love letter to my favorite author of all time, Miss Victoria Holt. I write in different genres because life has different genres. A million stories are out there just waiting to be told in a unique and different way as the million stories that preceded them. For example, there are millions of romance novels out there, but no two are alike—just as no two romances are exactly alike. Each has its unique story to tell, which is what I love to do. My next project takes place during the civil war and the years immediately following and is also a love story with a different twist to keep it interesting. Also dancing around in my head are several more storylines for books down the road—one being a prequel to The Salty Dog and would be about how Patch became Patch. What happened to him to harden him so bitterly to the world, and how he ended up owning The Salty Dog. That book will end with Rose walking through the tavern's front door, where The Salty Dog begins. So many ideas, so little time! I hope you continue to follow me on this journey. My books never end with sadness—the world is too harsh already—because I like to leave the reader uplifted and happy. The world needs more of that.
Love Always, Sabina (Beanie) Boston
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