Writing a New Book/My Process

I'm not the writer who plans out a book chapter by chapter. I've tried, but it doesn't work for me.

I'm what the call a "pantser" which stands for writing by the seat of your pants.

Though I do always have a vague idea of many things for a new book: 

1. If I'm writing a mystery for a series, which I'm doing now, I know who the main characters are.

2. Next, the setting. I need to know where the mystery is going to take place. For this new one, all will happen in Bear Creek. I also have to decide upon the time of year. For this book it's autumn. 

3. The main plot (the mystery) I have, at least the beginning. And I'm going to have to create the characters to go along with it, what they look or looked like, and their names.

4. I like to have a couple of side plots, and I've already decided on two for this new book.

5. Because it's a mystery, I need to figure out who the villian is--at this point, I do not know.

When I'm writing, I see the book like a movie, and because it's a Tempe Crabtree mystery, I'm seeing it through her eyes. It is all happening right before both of us--and that's how the story is developing.

As I work on the computer, I jot things down in a notebook right beside me, things I don't want to forget-- like clues and what look like clues but might not be, character names and their descriptions, 

This is fun for me--and work too.

Marilyn