Write What You Know, Plan When You Can, and Don’t Fear the Pigeons: A
Writer’s Guide to Embracing the Messy Magic of Character Development
By R.J. Britten
It all started with a tweet (or TwiX as I like to dub them). One of those posts that
makes your brain sit up and say: Yes, that’s it. I could help... (possibly).
We’ve all got a story to tell, and If anything I say here helps someone take the next
step with their work-in-progress or novel idea, then I’m only too glad to have shared
it.
Sometimes, a few words of encouragement or chaos (usually chaos, in my
case) can be just what a writer needs to keep going.
Let’s be honest, planning out a story can feel a bit like trying to catch smoke with a
fishing net. You get one brilliant idea at three a.m., splutter it into a voice note whilst
trying to brushing your teeth, and by the time you sit down with a proper pen and
actual paper, or (in my case) found the elusive charger to your laptop... It’s gone. Or
worse, morphed into something completely ridiculous, involving time-travelling
librarians or ominous teapots. (Yes, that happened).
My process as a writer is, by and large, enthusiastically ad hoc. Sometimes I sit
down and bullet point an overarching structure, loose chapter outlines or big
narrative turns, but more often than not, I’m simply gathering the bare bones first.
Just enough to know who my main character is, what the general problem might be,
and how it might resolve.
I call this my “skeleton draft”, and from there I give it a bit of muscle, a few
awkward jokes, and maybe a dramatic eyebrow or two.
Once the bones are in place, I step back. Let it breathe. I take long walks or stand in
queues and let my subconscious work it out. That’s when foreshadowing ideas
appear, or a character suddenly reveals they’ve got a tragic past involving
marmalade. That’s when I tweak the narrative, go back, shuffle scenes, and start
layering in the real depth, the emotional undercurrent, the odd backstory detail, and
the plot threads that quietly whisper “yes, this was all deliberate.”
If something doesn’t work, I throw it out and try again. I keep the bookends of the
idea, the spark that got me going and the characters but everything in between?
That’s fair game.
I’m a big believer in writing what you know. For me, that meant drawing from my
love of British and Celtic history, a touch of folklore, and a deep enthusiasm for the
wonderfully weird. My current work-in-progress, The Bickering Dead, grew out of
that. It started with a simple desire to write a creepy-but-funny urban fantasy with a
dash of sarcasm and evolved into something tied to everything I’m fascinated by -
history, identity, even a bit of pseudo-DNA geekery.
But writing what you know doesn’t mean you need a degree in linguistics or a ten
year plan. Yes, I’ve taught English in schools, and that’s helped me get comfy with
sentence rhythm. But honestly? That comes with time.
Don’t worry if your sentences aren’t perfect poetry. Don’t tie yourself in knots
chasing the grammar gods. Write now, polish later.
The more you write, the better your flow will get. And even then, you’ll still trip
over your own commas occasionally. That’s part of it.
Another trick I swear by is observing people. When I was writing poetry, I’d spend
hours watching life unfold on trains, in coffee shops or even during the supermarket
self-checkout meltdowns.
What do people say when they’re annoyed? What don’t they say when they’re
sad? That kind of detail can shape characters faster than any template or workbook.
Also, study the shows and books you love. Ask yourself why they stuck with you.
Was it the way a character gave an epic monologue about cheese? The way a plot
twist punched you in the gut? Go on, dissect it. Then see what you can borrow and
bend to your own voice.
If I could wrap all this into one lesson, it’s this: Enjoy the process. Let the weird
ideas through. Let your characters surprise you.
Planning is good, but sometimes the best stuff shows up when you’re not looking.
That’s how I ended up with not just a main novel, but a prelude to my prologue, and
a whole new urban fantasy series built from a late-night brainwave. Oops...
There are now four novellas planned. (I blame the caffeine. And possibly the
pigeons.)
So whether you’re plotting like a military strategist or chasing ideas down napkins
and voice notes, just remember:
You’re allowed to write in your own way. You’re allowed to get it wrong. And
most of all, you’re allowed to have fun.
A quick, real talk aside: I’m now at that stage where I’m finding the confidence to
let my work be read by beta readers. There’s a real vulnerability in this - like
stepping onto a stage, curtains parting, bright lights shining down. If you’ve never
done it before, or if you’re about to, I want to be real with you: it’s okay to feel
nervous. I really do.
I’m learning not to fear those lights because, honestly, if someone likes your work -
brilliant. If they don’t, that’s also fine too.
They still read it, and you’ve done your part as a writer. You’ve poured your passion
into words, and now those words are out there, however small the audience.
When I self-published my poetry book... I sold about a hundred copies, which
felt amazing. I learned that every win counts, no matter how small.
So, once you finally finish, don’t just close the book. Enjoy that moment of sharing
your story with the world. You’ve earned it!
I’m R.J. Britten, author, planner (sometimes), observer of strange humans, and full
time wrangler of imaginary chaos. I’m pretty much all set up on KDP, just waiting on
the final manuscript step before my book officially launches. In the meantime, if you
want to follow along with my writerly adventures, you can find me sharing updates,
thoughts, and weekly blog posts over on my X account and blog.
So, that’s it. Bob’s your uncle.
And if he isn’t... well, welcome to the world of storytelling anyway.
We don’t always know how the story ends, but we do know it involves at least
one questionable haircut and a cockeyed pigeon named Clive.
Let's follow RJ, on his journey from writing to publishing:
planet me. – A writer’s Journey.
https://x.com/RjBritten
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