The Writing Process, with a Word or Two from Dean Koontz

My dream is to one day write a successful novel. If I could stop working altogether, and write full-time, and make a living at it, that would be professional nirvana for me.

So I like it when writers write about writing. (Did you make it through that sentence? Good.) I enjoy authors’ insights into their struggles during the writing process, and the keys to their successes. I like being able to relate to the author through their disclosures.

I also appreciate the common themes that emerge. For instance, even the most prolific celebrity authors talk about the long, grueling hours spent sitting on a chair and typing. No matter how awesome your ideas are or how fast you write, your butt will fall asleep at some point. Occupational hazard.

From Watchers (Which You Should Read, By the Way)

This excerpt is from the afterword to the suspense novel Watchers by Dean Koontz. It was originally published in 1987. A paperback edition came out in 2003, which is when Koontz wrote this afterword.

When I am writing a novel, I experience bleak spells of deep self-doubt about my work, moments of surging confidence, despair followed by joy—although there are usually more dark moments than bright. With Watchers, however, I knew only joy. The desire to write well can never be fulfilled without hard work, and Watchers involved as many hours at the keyboard and as much struggle as any book I've done; but in this case, all the time and effort was pure pleasure, because I was aware that I had a grip on a unique idea, special material, and a group of characters whose depth and warmth were greater than those in any book I'd written to that time. For days at a stretch, I found myself in what psychologists call a "flow state," a condition in which one performs far beyond what previously had seemed to be the peak of one's abilities, with greater fluency and speed and grace; it is similar to what athletes mean when they say they are "in the zone."

See what I mean? Koontz has written dozens of successful novels. Yet even he experiences self-doubt about his work. Stuff like that is so helpful to me as a writer. I ride that same roller coaster of doubt vs. confidence in my writing. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.

I also know what it is like to be “in the zone” like Koontz describes. Most writers have experienced this. It’s wonderful, isn’t it? The ideas just flow from your brain straight through your fingertips and onto the screen like you’re the world’s most efficient machine, and you feel somehow superhuman, or like you’re channeling some force that’s beyond yourself.

I’d never heard the phrase “flow state” before, but it sounds familiar. Sometimes I will get that way while writing, and my poor unsuspecting husband will come up and try to say something to me about something mundane, and I barely turn my head, much less register what he’s saying. I’m sure it seems very rude of me, so let me take this moment to say: Sorry, Hubs. But when you’re in the zone, you’re in the zone.

I think it’s a creativity thing. My husband composes music, and he has talked about being in the zone with that. So, as much as I might annoy him sometimes when I’m writing, he gets it. He usually gives up on me for the moment and tries again later, which is probably the best approach unless the house is on fire.

About the Author

As for Dean Koontz, the man can write a good story. Watchers is the only book of his that I’ve ever read, but the story was compelling enough, and the writing good enough, that I think I will be reading more of him. He seems like a pretty cool guy in addition to being a good writer. Later in the afterword mentioned above, he writes:

For the most part, as I have written essays for this series of editions, I have tried to keep them light and amusing, because although I take my work seriously, I never take myself seriously. The human species is a parade of fools, after all, and I am often at the front of the parade, twirling a baton.

Can you see why I like this guy? I think we need to have beers together.