Guest Post: Mary Burton on "My Writing Process"

I'm thrilled to welcome Ms. Mary Burton, author extraordinaire to A Novel Source! It always fascinates me to learn the habits of a writer ~ I hope you enjoy!

I spoke several times last year about my writing process and I received quite a few follow-up questions.  I thought I’d take a little time today and share a few of the questions and answers.  And if you think of more, just ask.  I’ll do my best to answer!

How long does it take you to write a book?

About six months.  And that’s working 5 days a week working 6-8 hour days.  However, when I started writing my children were just babies and I could only write when they napped.  In those days, the writing just didn’t go as fast because I had so little time.  I think it took me 18 months to write that first book that never sold.  I always tell new writers though it may be slow going in the beginning, stick with it.

How many drafts does it take you to write a book?

Before She Dies took seven drafts, which is about average for me.  The 1st draft is my sloppy copy.  I’m just trying to get the story on the page and I don’t stop for anything.  The 2nd draft is about putting all that stuff I wrote in the first draft into a logical order. The 3^rd draft is more plot fine-tuning and generally this is when I really dig deep into the characters.  This is also the stage where you are most likely to find me in the kitchen baking and just thinking about the book.  The 4th draft is the Big Read.  I print the whole book out, put it in a binder and read it.  It always amazes me what I’ll discover about the book when I read it in hard copy versus on the computer screen.  Drafts 5 and 6 are all about smoothing the story more and concentrating on word choices.  And Draft 7 is the proofing stage where I try to catch as many mistakes as I can before I send it off.

Where do you do your research?

I’ve taken the local police citizens’ academy as well as the FBI academy.  I also attend the Writers Police Academy every year in Greensboro, NC.  For Before She Dies I drove to Alexandria, Virginia quite a bit so I could walk the streets and just get a feel for the place.  And if the local is too far to visit, I scour the internet and read all the travel logs I can find.

What are you reading?

Though I write darker, romantic suspense, my reading is really varied.    Here’s what I’ve read in the last month.

The Black Hawk by Joanne Bourne.  Joanne is a Virginia author and writes regency historicals with very rich detail.  There was also a strong mystery/suspense thread that I really enjoyed.

Dangerous Instincts: How Gut Feelings Betray Us by Mary Ellen O’Toole.   Written by a retired FBI agent, this is a fascinating look at how the bad guys can fool us.

Joy's Life Diet by Joy Bauer.  I love diet books, which I suppose balances out my love of cookbooks.

And next, but yet to be read…Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

Thanks for letting me visit!

And thank you Ms. Burton for taking the time to share your writing process with us!

A big congrats to Debbie for winning Before She Dies!