I’m fascinated with Diana Gabaldon’s wrting process.  As she has said before, she doesn’t write in a straight line or with an outline.  She writes scenes as they occur to her. At some point she has written enough scenes to be able to see a direction for the plot or as she puts it a pattern. In a recent twitter conversation with another aspiring writer, I was discussing this writing process when guess who commented on the conversation! She sees everything! She’s omnipotent! Actually, I’m not sure she sleeps. Her point was to do whatever it takes to get words on the page. Do what works for you, be it use of an outline or free-writing sessions.

I am so appreciative of her generous interaction with her fans and especially with those who aspire to write. Her insight is invaluable.  Her explanations are always clear and make total sense. She…