Behind the Quill: Method

In my "Behind the Quill" series, I share the journey of creating my Jane Austen fanfiction. I don't really have a typical process—my neurodivergent brain means I'm constantly cycling through different tasks and research areas. Over the past three years, I've worked on timelines, family trees, and character portraits, while also diving into Austen's life and rereading her works multiple times. I keep track of characters by location, their ages, dowries, estate incomes, and even servants' names.

So far, it sounds like a normal process, right? However, my research is never linear. I bounce from one topic to another, doing just a little bit of research in each area before moving on to the next. Eventually, I circle back and pick up where I left off—or wherever the current thread leads me. It’s basically like starting a movie, then hitting pause about 10 to 15 minutes in and starting another movie. I keep doing this, sometimes juggling six to ten movies at once, but still watching them one by one. Once I feel satisfied—or one movie leads naturally back to another—I’ll return to the first, or whichever one feels connected to the mindset the last one left me in. I also sometimes circle back suddenly, as I make new connections between each individual movie (i.e., the task or research material).

I also analyse characters deeply, considering their psychological traits and family dynamics, and I look for patterns in Austen's storytelling. It's a unique process, but it keeps things interesting!

So, my actual writing process is pretty similar. It took me three years of research and preparation in a sort of circular manner before I could even start writing. Then, once I did begin writing my Austen-verse merger, I realized that some things weren't adding up. Characters couldn't logically be in certain places at certain times, and I needed to outline. Unlike many authors who outline first, I needed something to work with initially. Maybe because my original stories often start from dreams, which gives me a foundation to bullet point from. So, that's essentially how I write: I go back and forth between drafting and outlining, refining details along the way.

So, my writing process took me about three years of research and preparation before I even started writing. I jumped into the Austen-verse merger story first, but realized that I needed to outline along the way because things weren't adding up. I went back and forth between writing and outlining, discovering new details and making adjustments. Eventually, I decided to start with "The Watsons" because it takes place first in the timeline. I realized I needed to finish that story before continuing the larger Austen-verse. And that's how my quirky process unfolded!

Next: What to Consider and Look Out For if You're Planning on Self-Publishing