How I Write
By Mark Leggatt
Many thanks to
Victoria for asking me to contribute to her blog. I chose a topic that endlessly
fascinates me; how I actually get from the ‘idea’ to the ‘book on the
shelf’. I say fascinates me, as in my
day job as a Project Manager, I’m always looking for ways to make processes
more efficient. Not stripping things down to the bare bone, but finding the
best method, and one which is tailored to my personal foibles, to achieve the
final objective; a book.
I’ve written on this
topic before for my own blog, but that was over a year ago, and things have
moved on. At first, in the years spent leading up to my first publishing deal, I
filled endless notebooks with illegible handwriting; a general repository for
anything that came into my head. I write every day, and as it started way
before laptops were something you didn’t need a wheel barrow to lug around, and
didn’t threaten to break your legs if you did sat them on your lap. Paper and
pen was always seemed the natural way to write, and for one good reason; I
can’t type and think of stories at the same time. My brain can type, or it can
write. But not at the same time. Which is why I’m writing this blog by hand,
with a fountain pen made in 1925, on Rhodia paper, and which I’ll dictate into
my laptop. But more of that later…
At first, I used a
desk diary, and wrote anything and everything during my working day. Day job
note as well as ideas. I think I now have around fifty A4 and twenty A5
notebooks crammed with rubbish; sorry, I meant scintillating wisdom. So, when
it came to actually writing a story, the keyboard on my computer was not my
natural environment. Basically, I’m a terrible typist.
The day I got out of
bed, on a sunny day in the south of France, where I was ‘resting’ between jobs,
and told myself to ‘stop talking about writing a book and bloody well get on
with it’, I drove up to the next village and bought a ton of paper and pens.
Did I need them? No, I had shedloads at home, but this was a special day. Any
bloody excuse to buy stationery, frankly. I came home, cleared the dining room
table, and set to work. I had no idea where I was going, but that was fine, I’d
find my way if I didn’t give up.
At first, I used A3 (and
still do) to brain dump anything that came into my head, but as I went back to
the day job, and lots of travel, that was impractical, so I change to A5
notebooks, that I can open on an airline seat table, and then transfer everything
to A3 at the weekend. This became a really good habit, because in the rewriting,
so many more things came and ideas blossomed. These days I don’t travel so
much, but if I do, and where ever I go, I carry an A5 notebook, and a Field
Notes notebook in my back pocket. I swear to you, the fabulous idea you just
had will disappear out your head in seconds if you don’t write it down
immediately.
At home, where most of
my writing is done, I start in old notebooks, and still do the same brain dump.
I let my mind wander, and just keep scribbling, the idea will come out, and the
best way to make it happen is to write, and keep writing. It’s cathartic,
productive and bloody good fun.
And this is an
important thing to me; I love the act of writing with a pen or pencil. It’s a
physical manifestation of my thoughts, and it endlessly entertains, me, in an
unabashed childish way. I’m not that fussy about my pen and paper, really, but
given a choice, I’d go for a good fountain pen and some good paper. The paper
is important because it need to be able to take the ink without bleeding
through on to the next page. I won’t bore you with my research on the topic, but
Rhoda make damn fine paper.
Now, once all the
ideas are out of my head, and I’ve organised them into some sort of synopsis,
I’ll dictate it in the laptop, using Apple voice recognition or Dragon.
Anything to save typing. And when the onscreen editing is done, and I have a
finished synopsis, it’s time to get out the pencils.
Why pencils? Well,
it’s down to speed. I write faster with pencils. I chose either A4 Cartridge
paper, or a Rhodia a5 notepad, and just go for it. I sharpen 12 pencils, line
them up, and I’m ready to go.
Endless reams of paper
later, I dictate the whole lot on the laptop, and we have a draft book. That’s
the easy bit over. Then the editing starts. And that’s a topic for another day…
Mark
Leggatt is the author of Names Of The Dead, The London Cage, and The Silk Road,
a series of international thrillers which weave fact and fiction across
the globe.was born in Lochee, Dundee and currently lives in Edinburgh.
He is a member of the Crime Writers Association in the UK, The Society of Authors, Scottish PEN, and the International Thriller Writers in the USA. He is the Debut Author Programme Membership vice-chair for the International Thriller Writers.
He is a member of the Crime Writers Association in the UK, The Society of Authors, Scottish PEN, and the International Thriller Writers in the USA. He is the Debut Author Programme Membership vice-chair for the International Thriller Writers.
Find Mark on his website and on Twitter - @Mark_Leggatt
About The London Cage
The London Cage
By Mark Leggett
Published by Fledgling Press (29 June 2016)
ISBN: 978-1905916122
Publisher's description
Buy The London Cage on Amazon UK here
About The London Cage
The London Cage
By Mark Leggett
Published by Fledgling Press (29 June 2016)
ISBN: 978-1905916122
Publisher's description
A man who
doesn't exist discovers a weapon that doesn't exist. The CIA had hoped it would
be buried for centuries, but the retreat of the glaciers has revealed a Cold
War secret that could bring down the communications and defence systems of
every country on the planet. Connor Montrose must find a way to take control of
the destructive power and stop the global race towards Armegeddon. Every major
country in the world is desperate for the secret. Including his own. He is
faced with the choice of betrayal or survival, but either way, he'll lose.Cold
War enemies from Washington and Moscow pursue him across London, and only one
young hacker, Kirsty, will stand by his side. Then an old man tells him,
"If I had the choice between betraying my friends and betraying my
country, I should hope I have the guts to betray my country." His country
needs him, but if he gives up the secret, his friends and those he loves will
die. And the killing will never stop.
Buy The London Cage on Amazon UK here
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