Points 1 to 5 are optional, but points 6 to 10 are essential.
Since my own efforts began, I have often read quotes from famous writers and discovered that the more basic the direction, the more useful the information.
For instance, Mary Heaton Vorse’s sage advice, ‘The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair,’ has motivated me during many a lazy day. But it also raised the question of whether I should be writing during these tough times. I wondered if it made the work sound as though it had been through the mill (much like me when forcing the process). But Vorse's advice is legit—the more you write, the better it flows. Your writing becomes more like the water from the mill than the grit it churns out.
Will Self’s counsel to ‘Always carry a notebook. And I mean always’ is also cemented in my grey matter. Although a tad past being a millennial, I can still use one finger and a notes app on my smartphone. I’ve even managed to link it to Google Notes, so I can copy and paste into my Word document. How it linked? I've no idea, but if you finagle around, it may work for you.
So, in summary, collect notes, sit down and transform them into text on a page. A word of warning, though. Talking about your scenes to another writer before you have them written down may well destroy them (the scenes, not the writer). It may bring forth all manner of paranoia as to whether your rival will steal your ideas. But remember the notebook. A sly entry and your adversary could become a character. Observe everything. There is material everywhere. Remember points 6 to 10? Sit down in that comfy chair and write. You have to start somewhere.
