From Idea to Publication: My Writing Process Unveiled

From the outside, publishing a book can look like magic.

A cover appears. A preorder goes live. A finished novel lands in readers’ hands.

But behind every published book is a long, messy, deeply unglamorous process that involves half-formed ideas, chaos drafts, color-coded outlines, self-doubt, spreadsheets, and approximately one thousand edits.

So today, I want to pull back the curtain and walk you through my actual writing process—from the very first spark of an idea to the moment a book goes out to ARC readers and finally releases into the world.

This isn’t a “perfect system.” It’s just the one that works for me. And it’s evolved over time, shaped by trial, error, burnout, breakthroughs, and working with my individual brain and the way it functions.

If you’re a writer, I hope this gives you permission to trust your own rhythm.If you’re a reader, welcome behind the scenes.

Step One: The Spark (a.k.a. My Brain at 3 a.m.)

Almost all of my book ideas start the same way: with a dream.

I’ve learned over the years that my subconscious is far more creative than I am when I’m awake. Some of my strongest story seeds have come from vivid dreams I woke up from and immediately scribbled down before they evaporated.

Not full plots. Not outlines. Just vibes. An image, a line of dialogue, a feeling, or a single moment charged with emotion.

Most of these live in a notes app graveyard for months (or years) before one of them finally refuses to let go.

That’s how I know it’s time to start.

Step Two: Full Brainstorm Chaos

Once an idea grabs me, I go into what I lovingly call Full Brainstorm Mode™.

This is the phase where I ask every possible question. Nothing is off-limits and organization does not yet exist.

I start fleshing out the world, the magic system, the characters, the emotional arcs, the central conflict, and the ending (sometimes… eventually… maybe).

This stage is messy and nonlinear. I bounce between ideas constantly. I chase tangents. I let myself explore without worrying if something “works” yet.

This is also the stage where I fall in love with the story.

Step Three: Turning Chaos into an Outline

Eventually, the chaos reaches a tipping point.

I know enough about the story that it’s time to organize the madness—or I’ll never finish the book.

This is where outlining comes in.

I’m a plotter, so I like to have a framework of where my story is going before I start writing.

I use Scrivener to break the story down into scene cards, with each card representing a single scene or beat. Nothing fancy—just what happens, whose POV it’s in, and the emotional purpose of the scene.

Seeing the entire book laid out visually is crucial for me. It helps me spot pacing issues, missing beats, and emotional gaps before I start drafting.

At the same time, I track all of my worldbuilding details in an old desktop version of Campfire (yes, the pre-browser one—I’m stubborn and attached). That’s where I keep lore, magic rules, timelines, visual inspiration, and character notes.

This dual system lets me keep my story structured without killing the creative spark.

Often, the story will go off the rails once I actually start writing, but having this framework in place helps me figure out how and if I need to get back on track.

Step Four: Draft One (a.k.a. Chaos but with Momentum)

Once I have an outline, I draft fast.

Draft One is not about beauty. It’s about getting the story down.

I give myself permission to write badly, skip sections and come back later, leave notes for my future self like “FIX THIS”, and trust that future me will clean it up.

This stage is all about momentum. I don’t stop to polish sentences. I don’t reread endlessly. I keep moving forward.

Because for me, the hardest part of writing a book is not fixing it—it’s finishing it.

Step Five: My First Readthrough & Self-Edit

Once the draft is complete, I let it sit for a bit. Sometimes that means day, sometimes months while I work on other projects.

Then I do my first full readthrough as both author and reader.

This is where I tighten pacing, fix obvious plot holes, strengthen character motivation, and clean up continuity issues.

It’s still not perfect, but it’s not supposed to be. I just want it solid enough that outside eyes can give meaningful feedback.

Step Six: Beta Readers (Bless Them)

Next comes my beta readers.

This is where the story leaves the safety of my brain and enters the real world.

Beta readers help me see what’s confusing, what’s slow, what’s emotionally working (or not), and what I assumed was clear but absolutely wasn’t.

This stage always involves feedback I don’t expect and at least one moment of, “oh no, they’re right”.

Then I revise. A lot.

Step Seven: Developmental Editing (and More Revisions)

Once the beta edits are done, I send it to a developmental editor.

This is where the book gets pushed to the next level.

Developmental edits focus on structure, character arcs, stakes, theme, and overall cohesion. It’s a professional bird’s eye view of my story, what’s working and what’s not.

And yes… after that, I edit again.

Because every round of feedback makes the book stronger, even when it’s exhausting.

Step Eight: Covers, Formatting, and Final Prep

Once the manuscript is solid, it’s time for the fun (and terrifying) part.

I hire a cover designer, because covers matter. A lot. They’re the first promise you make to a reader.

I do my own formatting using Atticus, which lets me control exactly how the book looks inside without wanting to throw my laptop out a window.

Then, a few weeks before release, I send the book to ARC readers—early readers who help spread the word and build excitement before launch.

At this point, the book no longer feels entirely like mine.

And that’s a good thing.

What’s Changing: A New Way of Working

Up until now, this has been my process for every book.

But with my next series, I’m trying something different.

Instead of drafting, editing, and releasing one book at a time, I’m going to rapid-write the first two books in the first duology and a companion novella that goes along with them. (My new series is going to be three duologies set in the same world.)

I’m treating this as one large story, rather than three separate ones.

That means drafting all three before major editing, focusing on cohesion and long arcs, and THEN moving into revisions and production.

The plan is to rapid-release them three months in a row near the end of the year.

I’m equal parts excited and terrified.

But also… really energized.

The Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s this:

There is no one “right” way to write a book.

Some of the biggest game-changers for me have been:

• setting a designated writing schedule

• using Google Tasks to track deadlines and keep my brain from holding everything

• and using visual tools (like a writing binder) to track word counts and progress

  
  

Being able to see my progress keeps me motivated like nothing else does.

And perhaps most importantly:

I’ve learned to stop comparing my pace to other writers.

Every writer’s journey looks different. Faster doesn’t mean better. Slower doesn’t mean you’re failing. Consistency matters far more than speed.

Looking Ahead

Right now, I feel genuine excitement. I’m excited to experiment, to try a new process, and to build something big and trust myself to see it through.

I know there will be hard days. Doubt. Edits I don’t want to make. Schedules that fall apart.

But I also know this process works for me—because it’s built around how I actually think, create, and live.

And that makes all the difference.

Final Thoughts

From the outside, publishing can look like a straight line.

In reality, it’s a winding path filled with false starts, revisions, breakthroughs, and a whole lot of persistence.

But every time a book goes from a half-remembered dream to something real in a reader’s hands, it feels worth it.

That’s the magic I keep coming back for.

And honestly? I can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes me.