My wife recently described my writing process like this:
You approach writing like you approach life:
As a problem solver.
You create complex and elaborate problems for your characters, and then, after you’ve gotten them into trouble, you find ways to solve their problems. I think this is why you enjoy writing so much. You like to solve problems.
In real life and your fiction.
I’ve never thought of writing this way, but she’s right. This is why outlining a novel seems so bizarre to me. The process must be organic. If I already knew the solutions to the problems that my characters would face, where would the fun be?
