How do you write it?

How do you write your fanfic?
Do you write it on paper and then put it on your computer, or do you write it straight on your PC?

And tell me why you picked it this way?

I just use Word or some other processor to write my stories. I HATE writing things on paper, then having to go back and forth from the computer screen and that sheet just to type it. I find it very annoying. Plus, my hand cramps up faster while using pen-and-paper, so I can write more in less time :).

This hatred comes from countless school reports... >(!

I usually type my work up on my computer, but I have been known to write it out if I don't have access to said computer. Such as when I am in bed and supposed to be sleeping. Unfortunately, pen-scratching is not covert, so I usually have to keep this to a minimum.

I write my long fan fics on paper (believe it or not, I actually finished Operation Main Frame in February) and I write my one-shots on Microsoft Word, which I sadly cannot do currently because the Microsoft Word on my laptop refuses to work, and I had an absolutely beautiful one-shot in mind too; Encounters of the Blurred Kind.

I write on paper first. But that's only because I'm very paranoid that someone I don't want reading my stuff will get on Word and say 'oh, what's this? ...OMG!!' and they'll send me to counseling. (I write about...topics that would make you worry about your children...>>)

But anyway, like I said, paper first. Then I sit here and type it on Word. I type and I type and...there it is. I fix any errors that Word didn't pick up, and then I copy it and make a thread/go to the thread and post. :3

Simple as that, hun!

Cool, I wanna write a fic but Im not sure if I should first write it on paper or on the computer...
I dont have a laptop though so if I write stuff I have to be at my desktop in the living room all the time...

I write on my computer for two reasons. One, because my computer is in my room and I can write in solitude (most of the time). Two, because writing ten pages on paper won't transfer to ten pages on Word (especially with my small font). In truth, all my chapters would each be 20+ pages if written on paper.

How do u think of new ideas then, like new plot-twists etc?

Matt11 said:

How do u think of new ideas then, like new plot-twists etc?

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With...my mind. That's really where your personal imagination comes in. If you take your ideas solely from other places, it ceases to be your work pretty much.

Oni Raichu said:

I write my long fan fics on paper (believe it or not, I actually finished Operation Main Frame in February) and I write my one-shots on Microsoft Word, which I sadly cannot do currently because the Microsoft Word on my laptop refuses to work, and I had an absolutely beautiful one-shot in mind too; Encounters of the Blurred Kind.

Click to expand...

Ah, so you actually finished Operation Main Frame? That's awesome. :D However, really sucks that your Microsoft Word isn't working at the moment.

Anyways, I before used to write my stories on paper, but that time I didn't have a computer. After I got my own laptop, however, I began writing my stuff on computer because I think it'll be too much of a hassel transfering the story from paper to computer. That, and I can fix the mistakes faster without using a red pen and make markings everywhere. XD

And as for plot twists, most of the time it would be my mind thinking "What would happen if Character A suddenly does this" and then I would think up of a few ideas. Later I chose which one would be most fun to write about. XD

txteclipse said:

With...my mind. That's really where your personal imagination comes in. If you take your ideas solely from other places, it ceases to be your work pretty much.

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No i meant, do write straight from ur head or do u make little notes on a piece of paper or have a big plan on ur computer? Stuff like that?

No i meant, do write straight from ur head or do u make little notes on a piece of paper or have a big plan on ur computer? Stuff like that?

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Some of us use a thing called memory, dear! :D

But for those who don't have a good one, we tend to jot it down on paper and keep it with our story(if we're writing it on paper, of course).

I always use my PC.

First off, writing my 120+ page stories by hand would take a long time, plus then having to type it out after that would require considerably more time.

Second, gotta love having an effective spellchecker on hand through Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer, especially if you're not quite sure how to spell a given word. It's a lot easier to fix errors on a PC than a notebook, at least for me.

Finally, being able to type 50+ words per minute with an average accuracy of about 95% is certainly more efficient, at least in my case compared to trying to write out an epic by hand.

Both whenever possible. While I don't recommend writing in a notebook and then typing straight onto the forums, I do recommend (highly, actually) writing in a notebook, typing your story into a word processor (like Microsoft Word), and then copying and pasting your fic when you're done with the proofreading process onto the forums. If you do this, you're actually going through two proofreading cycles: one as you're reading what you wrote while typing it into a word processor and the second after you let your fic cool for a day and then go back and reread it and spell check it. That way, you're more likely to catch your mistakes.

But people have brought up the point that it's a bit of a hassle to do all the time, but it's a good idea if you can do it. I do it with a number of my stories myself.

As for ideas, I like to make notes here and there, usually on a separate Word document to get my thoughts in order. I don't necessarily organize my entire story before I write it, but it's good to have an idea of what you want to put in.

Straight from the PC...
Well.
Mac.
Anyway, my hand...hurts if I write too much at once, and if I'm just doing it on the computer, I can just do a whole lot in one swoop...
Er...Typing...Session....Thingy...Majig..er...

When it comes to ideas, I allow them to come naturally. I don't sit in my chair all day thinking how I can make my fic different from the rest. I just go about normal life and sooner or later, get some kind of inspiration.

Well, first I plan things out on a roll of paper. Either plot points, little notes I might need, or some random scribble for some shonen-ai fluff I want to write. Then I lay all the sheets of paper that I use (roll of paper looks like toilet paper) on my floor near my bed until needed.

Then I write a rough draft on a roll of paper of what I want to write. I write maybe four paragraphs and then stop. This falls onto the floor until the next time.

Next, I rewrite said four paragraphs into a better draft that isn't all scribbled. That also falls onto the floor.

What comes next is writing the four paragraphs into my notebook, which is on the floor near my bed.

And then what happens once I have a chapter written is I edit it on the paper, type it onto the computer, have it stew for a few days, proof-read it again, and then finally post it on my writing journal. There, it will stew again for a few days before I finally bring it over here. (And this last step has not happened for any of my chapters yet.)

Yes, it's a long process, but it works for me. I actually have some writing that I'm not afraid to show to the world. As for why everything is on the floor around my bed, it's because I have no where else to write at 6:30 in the morning, okay?

My one-shots, however, only get typed onto the computer, proof-read once, and then posted.

ph33r my long explanation of my writing process, mwahahahaha!

Well, most of my story planning goes on in my head at every stage I write, but before I start a story I make a file and type up some notes on the basic details of the setting, plot, and characters. After I've written up the initial story notes, I usually begin the thought process of planning the chapter itself which is frequently the same for all chapters. I'll spend a few weeks thinking over where I want to go with the chapter and, perhaps the hardest for me, how to start it. Sometimes I'll have some great revelation and plan out almost the entire chapter in my head in just one sitting (which has happened in the shower on more than one occasion), in which case I usually type up a small chapter notes file so that I don't forget any details; usually I just keep my thoughts on the chapter in my head, however. I also try not to do too much planning before I start writing, with a lot of the specific details only coming out while I write (and, in fact, some plot elements develop entirely while I write, as is the case with TRINITY chap 1 where two whole new character and a side plot that I had never planned on just popped up out of nowhere.)

After I'm done with planning the chapter I'll get into the writing. I always write directly in Word, on my computer, in my room. I plan to try writing on the top floor lounge of my dorm next semester to make use of the portability of my laptop, though; it has a nice view up there (the building's 25 stories high or so). Anyways, depending on my mood and such, how much I can get done in one sitting and how long it'll take me to finish the entire chapter varies. In one session I can write anywhere from just two pages to over ten, and to get the whole chapter done it can take me from two days to several months (if it takes me that long, though, it's usually because in the middle there I simply stopped writing. The upside is that after a long break without writing, my writing sessions immediately afterwards tend to be quite long).

After I've gotten the chapter finished, I'll let it sit anywhere from a day to a week before going back and proofreading it. Depending on the length of the chapter I may split up proofreading into two sessions, but generally I can proofread about 15 pages in one session with maybe a few hour long breaks without wearing myself out (the longer the time from when I finished the chapter, the more I can proofread). Proofreading for me involves not just standard typo and error correction, but I'll also try to add in details and flesh out parts of the story that weren't clear or which I skimmed over on the rough draft. Those additions I make are the most frequent source of typos I miss correcting, since I only look over them quickly right after I write them... Oh, and lately I've actually begun to read my chapters out loud while I proofread. A little weird and I hope no one ever overhears me, but I find it helps me to find typos better since I'm not as likely to gloss over sentences. It also helps me to make sure that the "speed" of the action and its tone match what I was aiming for.

So after I finish proofreading that's about it, just have to post it, and then repeat the cycle again for the next chapter which will no doubt take longer than the last. X_x

Wow....
I have ideas in daydreams...and when I'm shower...and walking...and in solitude.
And...uh..sometimes I say them quietly out to myself and imagine them in my head and I sound like a crazy person...X_X

Wow, some people really take long to make chapters.
I wanna try make a fanfic before the end of the summer holidays in september so I cant wait that long for each chapter...