Your Writing Process

We've all been there, right? Or at least I think you have.

You think of something amazing to put in your writing, only to be stumped on the actual writing. But that's not what I'm actually talking about. For every chapter, you have to write something. So what's your process for writing your stories? What habits do you pull yourself in? What do you think is the best methods to get good writing done fast?

It used to be that I could have a vague idea in my head of what I wanted the chapter look like, and then I could get on writin'. But alas, those days are over. :P

Now I've stuck to outlining. I have 3 stories in the works, and the process is all different. One is a rewrite, so the old version essentially is my outline, with some bold added into the old version in places I want to either consider deleting or adding to. For entirely new concepts, I have a separate document dedicated to those.

For another story I use Excel. This is brand new... Not sure how it'll work yet... But the template I have seems very useful. Before I start I estimate word count, make a list of important characters/themes/settings, write down dialogue I might want to use at some point, and I write a general summary of the chapter. Then I get writing.

For the last fic, my outline essentially is the chapter itself. It kind of looks like a script. And then I flesh it out at the end.

Why each fic works differently, I couldn't tell you!

In another fandom that I'm in, there were a few writers so prolific that they update daily with each chapter amount to 4-6k words on average, the story is posted while the author is still writing and I can never understood that level of productivity.

(It's insane, no? Agree with me!)

Writing has always been fun, but very hard for me. I'm only following one story at the moment. In the past, I am always flooded with plot bunnies it was ridiculous. It is easy to feel tempted to jump to new ideas and abandon the old ones, leading to finishing absolutely nothing in the long run. Right now though, I just had a huge note file where I keep the ideas for the story I'm writing, and laid them down before making an outline. Whenever I came up with something cool (that back then would have turned into another story completely), I tried to cooperate it into my current story if I could. It also helps when you know what you are writing before hand.

It also helps a lot to have a sounding board, someone who listened to your ideas and give feedback before you write your story. Other than that, it's just pure crushing through until it's done for me.

I have to have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing before I actually sit down and write. And even when I do sit down, it's always a gamble. I have a hard time focusing sometimes, so I could either write a couple thousand words in an hour, or nothing in three. It can be frustrating at times, but I just keep trying anyway.

Notes. Lots and lots of notes, or at least some idea of how the thing's going to end. Otherwise I'll be writing off the top of my head and my plot gets worse and more convoluted. I always get in the trap of pointless dialogue filler though (that's why I don't write Homestuck things – I get sidetracked writing chatlogs and they go on and on forever and it's totally ridiculous)

I normally make note of the most important plot points of my story on paper that I'll have next to me while I write. Then that way I can see it when I go and do it and not forget anything. I'll expand on those points while I write. How much I actually write when I sit down to do it is up in the air, but usually I can get out a chapter if I sit down and focus on it. n_n

The most in-depth (and successful, so far) process I've used was to start with my brief summary, and keep expanding on it. I get an idea for a story, decide how I want to write around it (will it be part of the exposition, the climax, the ending?), and start branching on it. Once I have enough substance to work with, then I start outlining it into sections, or I guess what would be Act I, Act II, Act III, etc. then I keep beefing it up, until I have a good gist for each chapter - with a summary per chapter at least a paragraph long. From there, I start working on the prose and the atmospheric setting.

I've been writing semi-seriously, off and on, for about 10-11 years, and this is what I've found to work best with my thought process.

Felly said:

I normally make note of the most important plot points of my story on paper that I'll have next to me while I write. Then that way I can see it when I go and do it and not forget anything. I'll expand on those points while I write. How much I actually write when I sit down to do it is up in the air, but usually I can get out a chapter if I sit down and focus on it. n_n

Click to expand...

More or less me. I tend to stew over some ideas and plot points before starting, but then I'll develop them as I go. Sometimes if I get stuck I'll ask some friends for brainstorming.

There'll be a couple of outdoor brainstorming sessions--I have an easier time thinking when I'm in motion. When it's time to do the actual writing, normally I'll grab a couple of albums (usually instrumental shit) and commit to working on the chapter for their duration.

I try to write first and edit later--easier said than done, sometimes, but when I pull it off I end up actually writing forward rather than in circles. Things that are bugging me about the chapter-in-progress will usually get shoved into a document to come back to later; it's easier for me not to obsess over the things I want to change when I don't have to keep a conscious effort going to remember them. Once I have the entire thing drafted, then I'll take the flea comb to it a few times.

What are the best methods for writing fast? Can't say. I know what works for me, sure, but the fact of the matter is, neurologically speaking, we don't all have the same operating system. I had to explore all sorts of approaches before I arrived at something that worked for me, and who knows? Someday I might have to switch to another method.

I guess what I'm saying is, try different things until you find what works for you. One size doesn't fit all.

My fanfiction just had a 900,000 word story. Not as insane as me

Zeleia said:

In another fandom that I'm in, there were a few writers so prolific that they update daily with each chapter amount to 4-6k words on average, the story is posted while the author is still writing and I can never understood that level of productivity.

(It's insane, no? Agree with me!)

Writing has always been fun, but very hard for me. I'm only following one story at the moment. In the past, I am always flooded with plot bunnies it was ridiculous. It is easy to feel tempted to jump to new ideas and abandon the old ones, leading to finishing absolutely nothing in the long run. Right now though, I just had a huge note file where I keep the ideas for the story I'm writing, and laid them down before making an outline. Whenever I came up with something cool (that back then would have turned into another story completely), I tried to cooperate it into my current story if I could. It also helps when you know what you are writing before hand.

It also helps a lot to have a sounding board, someone who listened to your ideas and give feedback before you write your story. Other than that, it's just pure crushing through until it's done for me.

Click to expand...

I don't do much physical planning when I start to get an idea. I jot down characters, bios, possible locations, a brief plot, but once that's done I just write. A lot of my fanfics are made up as I go along, and I work with a playlist full of songs that inspire me. This gets added to over time as well. Any ideas I get while out and about listening to my music get stored mentally (or rarely written down) and threaded into my story as I write it. I also try to steer the plot in the direction of any major events I've had ideas for.
I find it really difficult to sit and write while referring to an open file. It's much easier to just write and let things flow.

I often rush right into stories after getting the summary in order. Most of the time I can think of a story from what is in my head. I do it this way because it's always harder to get those ideas down in my iPad. I just go by what I come up with in my mind for each chapter. However, the hard part is that I run short of ideas and end up having to work on another story.

I have a lot of bad writing habits that I can't seem to fix. ;w; I also listen to music when I write because it helps the thought process. It also helps me focus better because I get distracted easily by background things and what not. It can cause me to lose track of what I was about to write all too much.

I tend to just write when I get in the mood, and then I just go until I get satisfied. I like to listen to music, and drink Pepsi while writing for some reason.

Whenever I write a story, there's always the big plot that comes into my head. It's like I already know what the major parts will be. But the problem is what happens in between. I always have a climax and an ending, but no introduction. And when I begin writing, it usually takes a long time for me to think of a good way to start a story.

Also, I read faster than I write, and the events that happen in between the major events are often influenced by what I am currently reading. Like, if I am reading a novel with themes about death, I tend to kill off every character I create, unintentionally making an ASOIAF copy a mess. Or when the novel talks about revolution, my plot suddenly changes to a revolution. And then, there are times when I read too much that I suddenly forgot what the plot was supposed to be, and I leave a work unfinished. Yep, my writing process is a chaotic one.