Listening to others’ writing processes can be helpful for a writer trying to figure out the best way to craft his or her own process. M. Todd Gallowglas, writer, critic, and educator, explains his process and where his ideas come from. He doesn’t like the terms “plotters” and “pantsers” but prefers the terms “gardeners” and “architects.” Rather than following a strict set of rules for how to write as a gardener or an architect, Gallowglas believes an individual’s writing process falls on a spectrum between the two concepts. Some of his fantasy stories require more planning and some he likes to discover along the way. One of the reasons he has to heavily plan a story is that occasionally his main character's intelligence challenges him to know more. When he’s discovering a story, though, the ideas often come to him unprompted. Other times he’ll discover an idea because many different things in his life come together to inform the story. Learn more about this bestselling fantasy author's writing and ideation process in the clip below!
Like the ideal of using and mixing facts to make your story become more involved.