How I Write: Dylan Young
I am a hybrid author, concentrating now on self-publishing a long series of police procedural crime novels that have, since launch in 2022, sold over a million copies. I aim for 2,000 words per day, which is roughly one chapter. I utilise a variety of techniques to get words onto a computer screen.
Most of my work is planned beforehand. I generally have a 4 act structure. Not rigidly, but there is a rough blueprint that gets modified as we go along. However, the anchor points of beginning, middle and end rarely change during the writing.
I like the speed of writing longhand. I now use an electronic pad for this. It has the capability of transcribing into text. However, I was once a doctor, so good luck with that. Instead, I will often read back and dictate what I’ve written into my phone so it is transcribed instantly, then send this to the computer. This is then proofed, and of course I’d be a fool not to admit that AI comes into it at that point, since all spell checkers and proofing software use AI. I think that anyone who writes anything on a phone or a computer these days would be hard pushed to say they are not subject to the tyranny—or help—of AI. You could try using a typewriter. But then you could also grind your own flour, or milk your own cow.
Technology is there for a reason.
Utilising the above technique is quicker for me, having spent a significant amount of time plotting beforehand. Once on the computer, text is transferred to word-processing software called Scrivener. Once there, it goes through all the iterations it takes to get it up to standard before it goes off to a very human editor and proofreaders.
I write every day, rain or shine, at home or away. Basically, there is no substitute for sitting down and getting it done. There are a plethora of books on technique, plotting, pantsing and all the rest. Pick whatever works for you and jump in.
A word of caution: read what you like to read, but try and avoid your competitors. Plagiarism can be a creeping error.
Three Tips for Aspiring Writers
• Just start writing and take the plunge
The best remedy for procrastination or self-doubt is to simply start writing. You won’t know the potential reaction until you put your work out there.
• Consider self-publishing
Many of the most successful authors today are those who have had the belief to self-publish using the exact criteria for quality control that ‘publishers’ use: editors, cover designers, etc. If you want to succeed, compete with the best.
• Develop a business head
Be aware that the writing is only a part of it and, like it or not, you will have to develop a business head (for advertising/editing/covers/publishing) and use it—published or self-published, especially the latter. Getting an agent and being published will meet some of your goals. But self-publishing properly and letting the readership decide if what you’re doing is any good or not can save you a lot of time (waiting for those pesky enquiry emails to come back) and psychological pain.
Crime Cymru 