In the third installment of our exclusive interview with Sookie Stackhouse novelist Charlaine Harris, ScriptSuperhero.com asks the New York Times bestselling writer about her approach to the craft and the actual process of writing, from draft to print.

ScriptSuperhero.com: Getting back to the craft of writing, could you describe your typical routine while working on a novel, from concept to final draft?

Charlaine Harris: It varies. I’m still searching for the best way to do this job. Sometimes, I just turn on the computer, flex my fingers, and dive in. Lately, the background on the Sookie books has gotten so complex that I’ve started putting sticky notes on the wall by the computer to remind me of threads I need to resolve or include somehow in the book. Usually, I have a key scene I’ve imagined, and I build the book around that. I’m trying to do more planning now that I’m taking a little more time. I get into trouble if I write too swiftly.

SS: On average, you are able to publish about two novels per year, it seems. Do you work on one novel at a time, or do you juggle projects in various stages of completion?

CH: One at a time.

SS: How many drafts do you go through, on average, before you consider a novel ready to send to your editor, agent, or whoever?

CH: It’s hard to say. I start each working day by reviewing the previous day’s work, and editing them. Also, I have new ideas while I’m working in and I have to go back and plant the seed of that idea in earlier pages. Then I try to write at least six to eight new pages a day. Sometimes I don’t get to do that for weeks, because of interviews and family commitments. I start getting very nervous then.

SS: It is often stated these days that editors at publishing houses don’t edit much anymore, in terms of being gatekeepers of quality control. To what extent has this been true in your experience?

CH: You know, Ginjer might read this! Actually, I think it’s becoming more and more valuable to have trusted readers who check the manuscript before you even send it to your editor. I’m lucky enough to have two, Toni L.P. Kelner and Dana Cameron, also writers of course. Then I have a continuity person, Debi Murray, and I’ve added another one, Victoria Koski. The mythology gets so complex, it’s hard to remember what happened when and to whom. I’m trying so hard to keep mistakes to a minimum. I hate to get letters from readers telling me what “factual” errors I’ve made.