How do you approach writing?

[Elemental Charizam]

The title kinda speaks for itself, but as this post needs more fleshing out, I'll elaborate

When you get the urge to write, what do you do? Do you think up an idea and plan the story out, or do you only write when you've already got an idea on your mind, and just write whatever you think feels right at the time? A mixture of both? Neither? Whatever your style may be, tell us about it here

 

[PDL]

to paraphrase something I've heard somewhere:

"writing is easy, all you gotta do is stare at the piece of paper (or in this day and age, the word document) until blood stares to seep from your forehead"

anyway, my process is to think of certain ideas for the chapter, and try to make sense of it according to previous chapters

then I actually start writting the ideas down, it's at this point where these ideas start to flesh out and other ideas start to crop up and it snowballs from there.

 

[DANdotW]

I tend to be a spur-of-the-moment kind of writer. If I get a new idea, I'll stop what I'm working on and start straight away. This is why I have so many unfinished (and in some cases, non-started) stories. I also seem to go back to somethign when I get inspired by something I've see and want to incorporate it.

Hunter

 

[Sachiko]

I write fanfictions. I watch the show, and read other fanfictions, and think sometimes, 'What if this happened?...' Then I want to write out the idea. Then I add stuff to it and well, it's a story!!!

And to Hunter: I'm kind of like that, too. What we both have to realize is that not every single idea is important enough to write out. Also, take great time and care to your story and maybe it'll get so cool that you really want to focus on it and not any other ideas.

 

[Negrek]

I write as I go. When I have time to write, I sit down at a computer, open up my document, and start typing. What happens, happens. I already know more or less where I want to go when I start, so I usually don't have a problem with direction. I always plow my way through in a straight line; I've tried writing out of order before, and it doesn't work well for me. If I'm inspired for some future chapter, that's all the more reason to burn through the current chapter in order to reach it.

And then I proofread and can't understand what I was typing.

 

[Ryano Ra]

The Confessions of a Fantasy Prince...

MEOWNAGE. X3

Well, as months passed by, I've tried many different criterias to see what works for me. I, at first, used Negrek's same routine, but it was floppy and rusty to me. Basically, since I wrote as I went along, I didn't actually plan out the events, step by step, chapter and chapter, and said, "Whatever happens, just happens". I did that to most of my stories, and that's why I wrote them either too slow, or never finished them. So, I realized that I couldn't write as I go along, because ideas would be going around too much, and when I go back to proofread, I'd want to have so many more important ideas in the chapter when all I wrote was three pages of nothing. --;

So, I developed my own plan in writing; before Rhapsody had even been start written upon, I thoroughly jotted down its plot, its characters, the places, and the events that needed to happen. Then, I took a rough estimate of how many chapters it'd take for me to complete the entire plot (story), which was thirty-two. Then, I wrote the first two chapters, just to get a head's start. From there, I read over them so I could align the events in a chronological matter for the fanfiction, so my ideas wouldn't just float all over the place and 'go along as I write'. Surroundings helped better, for if I had deranged Breloom and wild Igglybuff swinging on vines, I'd place both events in the same surroundings (for example, Tayl Rainforest, which was a two-three chapter adventure).

Then, I jotted down more ideas, plot-hints, and things, placing the ideas and cliffhangers and plot-hints according to the chapter's events. For example, the main character having a mud fight with a wild Breloom in the forest fits perfectly while in the forest with the deranged pack. I made sure that each chapter had AT LEAST 1 main event, so the ideas could run accordingly. ^^

Then, I began typing, and at the moment, Rhapsody is on its twentieth chapter. I found that doing this really helps me, because since I know what's happening, I don't need to be lazy or write as ideas come to me or just procrastinate because I know what's going to happen, it's just a matter of typing it to meet my requirements. And sometimes, I do change ideas around to fit the chapter better when I'm writing that chapter, but most ideas are concrete and well enough to fit.

 

[IceKing]

I plan out whats going to happen in my fics in my mind all the time. I pretty much know everything that is going to happen, but many a times, I end up putting something completely new requiring me to add a whole new subplot and several new chapters while actually writing. So basically, when i get the urge to write, I open up a word document, put on some music, AIM other fanfiction writers to keep me focused, and then start writing about what I already know will happen. But still, I will manage to write in a whole bunch of unplanned new stuff which tends to be the best.

 

[Quackerdrill]

When I first started writing here, I did the write-as-ya-go dealie, and it left some glaring plotholes at first. >_< So with Pressure, I've done some minor planning for the major events, and it seems to be doing some good. Although I do miss the random inspiration that would hit in those old sessions of improvisation...

 

[JoshYEAH]

I give myself a simple plan to go along, as a type of rail. This extremely simple, usually with minor bullet points telling of events and ideas I should incorporate. I follow that train but write as I go, meaning while getting between points, it is left up to what I think. I write down ideas etc and look to see if I ca add them into my rail, but otherwise it's all about spontaneous combustion 8P

I like to plan out my characters and make them act in a way that I think will interest a reader though. And I liek to kep myself entertained as I write, there is no fun in writing if it is a chore now is there?

-Josh

 

[Lady Myuu]

I took the short chapters but many of them approach, it was annoying and caused me to lose intrest very quickly.

So I have switched to long chapters but few of them. Such as my chapters are 13-15 pages apart while there will only be five of them (not counting prologue and eproluge or whatever its called..)

I find it alot easier, as while it takes me days to write one chapter once it is finished I know I only have so many to go.

I also like to RP my stories out with a friend, they take some characters and I GM the roleplay gettng my ideas into hte story and seeing how someone else reacts, I am pretty good at adapting other people's persoanility for my characters into my stories.

 

[indigestible_wad]

I write as I go. When I have time to write, I sit down at a computer, open up my document, and start typing. What happens, happens. I already know more or less where I want to go when I start, so I usually don't have a problem with direction. I always plow my way through in a straight line; I've tried writing out of order before, and it doesn't work well for me. If I'm inspired for some future chapter, that's all the more reason to burn through the current chapter in order to reach it.

And then I proofread and can't understand what I was typing.

That's pretty much me too. Except for the last part. And the part where I usuall yget through the first few chapters before I get bored with the story and do something new. That's probably why I've never posted anything here.

 

[Swinub]

How do you approach writing?

I sneak up behind it with a hockey stick and beat the crap out of it.

That's how I write.

 

[Dragonfree]

I just start writing it. Fleshing things out immediately isn't my thing; in fact I kinda feed on plot holes and unexplained mysteries, making them up as I go without having any idea of the solution, and then making that later. That can be a bad thing, I know, but it seems to be the only thing that works for me.

 

[Olyon]

do you only write when you've already got an idea on your mind, and just write whatever you think feels right at the time?

Thats exactly what I do. I do, of course, form a basic plot before beginning, but I don't plan much out at all, and sometimes that proves to be quite the obstruction.

However, I do write down side plots and stuff as they come to mind, trying to make note of every idea I come up with. I'm not sure if it works as of yet, as I haven't progressed much in terms of fics, so we'll see.

 

[Saffire Persian]

Let's see... I'd say I run at it head on. When I decide to right, I right, and I try not to stop writing once I do. Granted, the first draft is usually horrible - beyond that I'd dare say, and when I look back over it, I thoroughly feel like I need to bang my head against a brick wall, while wondering 'why the heck am I writing.'

After that gets over, I revise, and it's better.

Then I proofread, which I manage to catch most of the errors, but there always seems to be many - many - that I don't catch. Have a bad proofreading eye.

As for outlines.. usually I just keep it in my head, though I always have the beginning/ending thoroughly planned out. I've rarely done outlines, though, I'm sure, they'd help me in the long run.. it's just, I'm rather lazy.

 

[Power Shot]

Well, I happily share how I go about writing a story. It's actually quite simple really.

Fisrt, I get an idea. Just a lame idea. Then I turn it into something that would make J.K. Rowling seethe in anger for not thinking of it first. Provided it is the genre she would write in.

Then I scratch myself, and watch TV to get the CGs flowing as well. Because a fic without CG isn't a fic. It's a diaster if you don't have any creative juice, because you should never write without it. I then scratch myself further, and well the ideas deep within me.

I then go take a bath, and think of the idea further. I turn on steaming hot water that makes boiling water look cold, and enjoy that. I then tuck myself in, and watch TV until midnight. Until then, it's all in my head. I then sleep until noon, and think it over while I sleep. I multitask.

Then I wake up, and go to work. I sit on the computer and work. That's all there is to it.

 

[Ash_Junior]

The Confessions of a Fantasy Prince...

MEOWNAGE. X3

Well, as months passed by, I've tried many different criterias to see what works for me. I, at first, used Negrek's same routine, but it was floppy and rusty to me. Basically, since I wrote as I went along, I didn't actually plan out the events, step by step, chapter and chapter, and said, "Whatever happens, just happens". I did that to most of my stories, and that's why I wrote them either too slow, or never finished them. So, I realized that I couldn't write as I go along, because ideas would be going around too much, and when I go back to proofread, I'd want to have so many more important ideas in the chapter when all I wrote was three pages of nothing. --;

So, I developed my own plan in writing; before Rhapsody had even been start written upon, I thoroughly jotted down its plot, its characters, the places, and the events that needed to happen. Then, I took a rough estimate of how many chapters it'd take for me to complete the entire plot (story), which was thirty-two. Then, I wrote the first two chapters, just to get a head's start. From there, I read over them so I could align the events in a chronological matter for the fanfiction, so my ideas wouldn't just float all over the place and 'go along as I write'. Surroundings helped better, for if I had deranged Breloom and wild Igglybuff swinging on vines, I'd place both events in the same surroundings (for example, Tayl Rainforest, which was a two-three chapter adventure).

Then, I jotted down more ideas, plot-hints, and things, placing the ideas and cliffhangers and plot-hints according to the chapter's events. For example, the main character having a mud fight with a wild Breloom in the forest fits perfectly while in the forest with the deranged pack. I made sure that each chapter had AT LEAST 1 main event, so the ideas could run accordingly. ^^

Then, I began typing, and at the moment, Rhapsody is on its twentieth chapter. I found that doing this really helps me, because since I know what's happening, I don't need to be lazy or write as ideas come to me or just procrastinate because I know what's going to happen, it's just a matter of typing it to meet my requirements. And sometimes, I do change ideas around to fit the chapter better when I'm writing that chapter, but most ideas are concrete and well enough to fit.

sounds boring.

that sounded bad, but here's what I meant:

I hate planning ahead in that much detail. If I had, Hell Hath no Fury: An Ice Quen's Saga would be a boring trainer fic instead of the action-packed prologue to the Engaran Wars Trilogy that it is today,

I used to just write what I wanted to write, whenever I was inspired. Then I built on that, and built on that...

until the first fic I ever started on is now the last of a trilogy (after some MAJOR overhauls)...

I can't just write something and leave it at that. I have to plan out a background (in detail, usually), and that naturally leads to all kinds of plots. so far it's led to four fics that I WILL complete if it's the last thing I do, although only one is complete as of now, two spin-off fics of the only completed one (a prologue to a trilogy), a nearly complete fic, a fic I've started on, and a fic that I've been planning for several years but haven't actually started on yet.

however, my writign is erratic.

if I get inspired, I'll write like no tomorrow, but I usually just slack off until I start forcing myself to write again or get inspired, lol

and THAT is how I write.

 

[Chibi Pika]

I FORCE myself to write!!! X3 J/k, well, not really...

Usually I get brilliant ideas in my head when I least want them, and then for weeks they sit in my head as I hake all these elaborate plot outlines, again in my head, I never write outlines. But then when the time comes to write the actual scene or whatever, my mind goes blank and I end up staring at the screen from half an hour before distracting myself with random files on my computer.

Then, after several weeks of stalling like that, I finally just sit myself down, listen to some music, and write. Unfortunately I still get distracted, end up going back and reading all my old stuff and finding zillions of plot holes and such that I stress about for even longer until a brilliant, fully developed solution walks into my head that fits perfectly into the hole like it was meant to be there all along.

Sort of like how I just managed to fix a humongous plot hole in my fic the other day by using a Pokemon I made up in sixth grade, and incidentally created an awesomeness plot twist with it Most of my fic was created that way. XP

~Chibi~;249;<?>;rukario;

 

[katiekitten]

I'm kind of like Chibi. I spend ages going over the story and plot in my mind, refining it, lying in my bed at night and staring at the ceiling. Night is when I get inspiration. I ponder over it, change this, change that, think up scenes for later...

I never write it down an outline. I just can't be bothered. Me lazy. When I finally think it has been to long since the last chapter, (nearing a month) I sit myself down and pull out my notepad and start writing it down. It normally come out terrible and I edit a lot whilst typing it up. I proof read it, although I am rubbish at it and end up missing quite a lot. But what can you do.

 

[SnoringFrog]

For the most part, I only write when I feel like writing; if I force myself to write something, it doesn't seem to have the feel that it would otherwise. I have tons and tons of ideas, but oftentimes I can't remember them by the time I get a chance to write about them, for this reason, I try to make myself some sort of note somewhere that I can find, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and be reminded of my past idea. I used to start writing something every time I got another idea, but, aside from brief notes, and unless I get a very good and clear idea about exactly what I want to write, I'll stick with one story until I can complete it. This helps me to cut back on my uncompleted stories, but also builds p an enormous stockpile of unstarted stories that I have.