Author Birthday – 15 November – Diana Urban

Happy Birthday, Diana Urban, born on 15 November

Diana Urban Quotes

I usually have a high stakes plot idea and a general sense of the story’s direction, then write an incredibly messy draft that’s just to get to know the characters I throw into that situation—their motivations, backstories, internal conflicts, and relationships with each other. I call this a ‘zero draft’ because it’s so messy. I don’t even count it as the first draft.
I rewrite the whole thing for a ‘real’ first draft and revise over 4, 5, or 6 drafts before sending it to my agent or editor. With each revision, I layer in motivations, complexity, backstories, red herrings, descriptions, and make the protagonist’s voice more voicey
The time it takes me to write a complete manuscript depends on the story; it’s ranged anywhere from 3 months to 2 years!
Over time I’ve gleaned what I’d consider best practices in terms of pacing, tension, character development, and so on. I also honed my writing skills at my past day jobs in content marketing. It was all very gradual and extremely unscientific, which might be why my writing process is so chaotic. But it works for me.
There’s no one correct way to write a book!
One day on a business trip in Paris in 2012, something terrifying happened in front of me on the metro, and a whole story dropped into my brain, fully formed. The desire to tell that story overpowered my fear of failure, and it poured out of me in a month—years of repressed creativity unleashed!
Note that I love my em-dashes and will defend them TO THE DEATH.

Source for quotes: Diana Urban

Diana Urban is a bestselling, award-winning American author of dark, twisty thrillers featuring high-stakes situations, unexpected revelations, and complex relationships. Her stories often explore how far people will go to protect themselves and the people they love. Her novels include All Your Twisted Secrets, Lying In The Deep, and Under the Surface. When she’s not torturing her fictional characters, she enjoys reading, playing video games, fawning over cute animals, and looking at the beach from a safe distance. Connect with Diana on social media!