I've had several people recently ask me about my writing process. Mine evolves with every new project I start. Normally I don't reveal much about a project until I'm near the end, but this time I've decided to share the writing process with you. My current work in progress is a paranormal horror which I hope will be the first of several in the series.
I started off as a Discovery writer, but the process has evolved to the point where I now plot most books before I start the first draft. I find that this helps a lot with a pacing and structure of the novel, it helps me spots potential plot holes before they cause a massive rewrite, and I find it speeds up the writing process.
Whenever I'm out I carry an A5 notebook with me. This together with the Word app on my phone allows me to write whenever I get a few free minutes. However, the story I'm working on at the moment is something that I first thought of about three years ago, before I completed the first draft of The Tor. That's why in the photos you'll see the book is larger than A5. Smaller notebooks are great for carrying around with you, but the margins in the larger books mean I can make more notes on my notes as I'm writing. Longhope is going to be the result of two unfinished manuscripts that lacked a home until I realised the common ground between them, much like The Tor was the result of a whole raft of ideas floating around a central theme, only coming together once I mixed them up.
For the first time, I'm also using Google Docs to write my work via the voice input function. Or at least I will be. I'm using that right now to write this blog post and it's already increased my word count considerably. It’ll also be good for my RSI.
The plot of my current work in progress revolves around a woman in her 20s searching for her long-lost sister with the help of an older medium. It flips back and forth between the 1990s and the present day. The book will be titled Longhope, and I hope Vol 1 will be out next year.
I tend to write very quickly. I usually have several projects on the go at once, between my editing projects, my short stories, my blog, my newsletter, and whatever novel I'm currently working on. I'll be keeping you all updated with the progress of this new novel through my blog, and I hope you'll all be happy to join me as I discuss my progress and the problems that I encounter whilst writing this novel.
If you have any questions about my writing process or about any of my work, please feel free to message me via the website I will get back to you as soon as I can. I do try to respond quickly, but like most authors I also have a day job which often gets in the way of my real job (writing!) so please don't be disappointed if I take a little while to get back to you. I'm really excited about this novel and can't wait for the release, even though it's a long way off yet.
Once I've finished the plan I'll start work in the character bios. Stay tuned for those!
Feel free to share your writing hacks in the comments.

​My bookshop can be found at http://books.pronoun.com/AnthonyMorganClark.

One of the most common questions to get asked as an author is, “Where do you get your ideas?”.
The fact is, for me at least, it’s difficult not to get ideas. Snippets of conversations, something about the way a person acts or walks, asking ‘what if’, juxtaposing two or more facts or phrases or concepts, a line from a song or movie or book, a photo, a painting, a dream.... inspiration can come from anywhere. Because I’m always thinking about writing.
Put it this way. I’m currently working on a final re-edit of Swarm, which is set for an Autumn release. I have a WIP I’ve just started, a horror mystery jointly set in modern-day Gloucestershire and a children’s home in the early 2000s. I’m plotting a character-driven slasher horror with a twist, and a body-swap horror, both of which are likely to be novellas rather than novels. I keep each novel/novella idea in separate notebooks; then there are the two notebooks dedicated to short stories. Notebooks, notebooks, notebooks. My writing area is a swamp of them, each filled with ideas and observations and potential scenes and characters.
Being a writer is a matter of focus. I’m not talking about the craft of writing, but the practice. I frame everything in terms of story. I don’t believe this is because of any special gift; it’s because writing is my passion. When I’m not writing a draft I’m scribbling ideas. When I’m not making notes I’m editing something I’ve written.  When I’m not doing either of those things I’m thinking about scenes and plot holes.
Think about this. Imagine you rise each morning soon after the sun. It’s summer. Your bedroom has French doors opening on to a balcony. You open them, step into the warmth. The balcony overlooks rolling farmland leading to distant hills. Two farmers are already up, working in fields under the sunrise and birdsong. Several fields away a third person loiters near a gate, out of sight of the first two. A musician might listen to that birdsong, spin an entire melody from a few of those notes. A photographer might look at the scene and think in terms of framing, composition and colour. One painter might focus on a few key details, whilst another may be happy to leave you with the impression of a serene country morning. How best to relate a vivid image full of life?
Me? I’d do my best to capture the moment through describing the sound of the morning, the sensation of the sun on my face and the cool balcony rough under my feet. The still crisp air with an undercurrent of the heat to come. I’d also wonder who the two farmers were. Are they brothers? Do they co-own the farm, or is there a rivalry over who will inherit it? Is one happy to work as he always has, whilst the other wants to introduce new ways of doing things? And what about that third guy? Is he an employee? Relative? Is there something in that first field he doesn’t want the brothers to find?
Being a writer means to look at things in a certain way, to live in a certain frame of mind. Once you’ve decided to do so, it’s difficult to stop.
Being a good writer, however... that means applying a particular skillset to that frame of mind. And that’s a different thing altogether.
​You can check out my bookstore here, and follow me on Twitter here.

 The last few months have seen me rethink my approach to being an author. My books may not be paying all my bills yet, but I feel that the standard of my writing alone qualifies me for that title, not to mention the amount of time I spend working on my craft. My new series’ of short stories (‘Sci-Fi Bytes’ and ‘Horror Bites’) will require me to write a publishable short story each month; I aim to alternate between the two. Swarm is getting a further rewrite, and I’m also drawing together my ideas for my next novel. That’s a heavy workload by itself, never mind the full-time job, the NVQ5 I’m doing and spending time with my family. My new found solution to meeting my (self-imposed) deadlines?
 
Write less.
 
That’s right. Every waking moment that’s not dedicated to my family or to the day job I tend to spend writing or editing. But I’m an author, not a writer. This isn’t a hobby. Which means I want to make money from my efforts.
 
Which means learning to market effectively.
 
Which means learning new skills.
 
I see lots of people, particularly on Facebook, asking advice on how to sell more books. More often than not they want a cheap, quick solution that delivers instant results. Wish in one hand…
 
Marketing is a skill. As is copywriting for adverts, as is copyriting the blurb on the back of the book. As is writing a compelling email subject line, a compelling email itself… I could go on. Not only do these skills take time to learn, they take time to implement.
 
I’ve subscribed to a few marketing blogs, a few video tutorials and made time to read some books I’ve bought on the subjects. I don’t think of it as a loss of writing time, even though I would much rather be at the keyboard. How many businesses do you know to have flourished with a bit of investment? How many have failed due to a lack of it? If you want to be an author, carry on writing for yourself and maybe a small circle of friends and family. There's nothing wrong with that. If you want to be a successful author, learn the skills of selling your book. There's no point in writing the next 1984 or American Psycho or Grapes of Wrath if nobody knows about it.
 
From now on I’m dedicating every Monday to training and marketing. It’s when I watch and make notes on my videos and books, when I write my blurbs and my blog posts and draft my emails.
 
Authors, what are your plans for making a living from your work? Please share any tips or resources you have.
 
 
My ebooks can be found at my Pronoun store, including my upcoming release Nurse Krahe. I’m on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to download your free copy of The Cauldron.