These are the things that I think about when I write. Some of them are not unique. Some of them are strange. But I thought that I'd share, in case you like a peek into how I go about writing.

The structure of all of my recent books follows the structure of the movie Wall-E:

· Act I: Wall-E in his environment.

· Act II: EVE comes and Wall-E goes on his adventure.

· Act III: Wall-E saves the world.

This structure may be clear only to me, but I could tell you the parts in each book where each of these plot points takes place. I also adore the explanation in Pilar Alessandra's book, the "Ten Minute Screenwriter," on how to structure a story.

I outline. Everything in my books has a function. I know where it's going before I start. But I take detours at times, and listen to what the characters are telling me, and change things. Sometimes my outlines don't look like an outline, but rather like a chart keeping track of what things happen when. It depends on the story.

I consciously try to vary how sentences begin, and how long they are; I try to avoid having one sentence paragraphs, although sometimes I can't help myself.

Hemingway was right: avoid adverbs. Adjectives, too.

Often, I need to add the word "that." ("I think that ___"). I often need to add a word after "this." ("This ____ seemed right to me.")

I now add fucking commas, just for @maxinedonner. I also swear all the time when I write, but rarely in real life.

Religiously, I abide by this rule: I write the fun part first. By "fun" it doesn't have to be funny: it could be sexy, or sad, or whatever. But I write the part I really want to write first, and then back into it so it makes sense. My writing coach told me that if I was struggling to write something, it could be because it was boring and I didn't need it. She's been right the entire time.

My coach also told me to avoid the word "was." She's right. It makes you avoid the passive tense and livens up the writing.

Another thing to avoid: clichés, although it's hard to do. I try to be sincere and record what I mean, even if it comes out a little bit quirky. I don't worry about telling something new, I just aim for honesty. I want to tell something true to my life and I hope that it connects with others.

Thesaurus.com, baby.

Normally, I try to start scenes in the middle and end them early. I also try to end them with a question – something you have to know more about.

I try to have the characters have a signature phrase or movement, but then I try not to do it too much. I'm not sure how successful that is.

There is a "Fifty Shades of Grey" reference in all of my books. Some of the references may be complete Easter eggs, while some are obvious. This is because I am extremely grateful to that series of books for a variety of reasons. Is it Shakespeare? No. But helped me learn to live in real life and started me on the path to getting out of the writer's closet that I was in for fifteen years.

Often I see, hear, or feel things in real life, and they find their way into the books. Often, I see, hear, or feel things immediately before I need to write the next chapter, and it fits in perfectly. I don't question why this happens, but I know that it does. Check out Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way" on this phenomenon.

I have a twenty minute commute to work, which I intentionally use to plot out the next chapter in my head. I have often written at a stop sign on Tenth Street, while waiting to turn onto the freeway. I also tend to listen to the same song over and over again, so that I can calm my brain and let it go on creative duty. My husband thinks that this is crazy, but he thinks that I'm crazy and he's right. I. Must. Write. (I also try to avoid writing one word sentences like that, or writing like a text message, but sometimes it happens.)

And I am so grateful for all of you Wattpad readers for reading what I write, commenting, supporting me, and helping me to make my writing better. So I figured that I'd give back a little to the writers out there and let them know what I am thinking when I write in case it helps.

Love,

Leslie