There’s no single right way to write.
If you hang around writing circles long enough—Discord servers, subreddits, podcasts, YouTube channels—you’ll find that every writer has a “system.”
Some swear by detailed outlines and spreadsheets. Others sit down and follow the story wherever it leads. Some use colour-coded index cards and plot arcs that could double as engineering diagrams while others just open a new document and start typing.
They’re all right. (for them)
And they’re all wrong. (for you)
Because their process is their process. Yours will be different.
Learn from Others, Then Experiment
By all means, take in as much information as you can. Read books on craft. Watch author interviews. Listen to writing podcasts. Absorb the details of how other people do it.
Then—try it out.
Try outlining. Try discovery writing. Try planning scene by scene, or chapter by chapter. Try dictation, timed sprints, morning sessions, night sessions, writing by hand.
See what sticks.
But don’t think any less of yourself if someone’s “perfect method” doesn’t work for you—or only part of it does. That’s not failure; it’s data. It’s part of how you find what works.
A Discord Conversation
Someone asked recently:
“Is it better to craft long, drawn-out outlines that you never follow, or just go with the flow and see where it takes you?”
My answer was simple: Try both. Try something in the middle. Try something completely different.
Every writer is different in their process. Every project is different from the ones before and after it. Nobody gets it “right,” even by their own definition. There are always shortfalls, excesses, messy bits that don’t match the plan.
Every method you test could be the one that fits—until it doesn’t. That’s fine.
The Shape of What You Know
For me, process is a side-branch of write what you know.
If I know the general shape of a story, I’ll write out what I know as outline of that shape, then I’ll try and spot the gaps in the story.
Other times, I just know the people, their situation, their environment, and what they want. So I note those down. They’re not an outline—they’re static pieces—no story there yet. Then I hit “play” in my head and see where they go about achieving their goals, how the environment gets in their way.
Sometimes I build from the map outward. Sometimes I start with the compass and find the map along the way.
Different people, different brains, different processes.
The Takeaway
Your process is YOUR process. It’s supposed to evolve and grow as YOU grow and evolve as a writer.
Take what’s useful from others. Discard what isn’t. Build something that works for you—for your brain, your schedule, your life, and for this particular story.
The only “wrong” process is the one that stops you writing.
Everything else is fair game.