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