TheForgetfulBrain Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Perhaps the only thing I know for certain about writing, is that every writer has a different process. There is no 'correct way to write' that works for everyone (though some teachers or writers might claim there is). That's not to say that books on 'how to write' are useless - those can have plenty of useful information, methods, exercises and so on. Point is, though, pretty much every writer has a different way of doing things. What are your quirks and preferences? I don't think I even have my own process pinned down yet, really. It's kind of like I'm stumbling blindly through a room, touching different objects, and trying (very poorly) to explain what they are and why they're important. After I've got something written, I kind of look at it like sculpting - you've got this giant block, now you've got to whittle it down into something interesting. A little off here, that entire chunk gone there, now to attach a nose - however that's done. The main thing I'm focusing on right now is reading the sort of thing I'm interested in writing, and writing more - which is really the hard part. Life is busy, and it's easier just to play some video games or fritter away time on the internet *cough* TAY *cough*. This, from someone taking a break from working on a new story, to come and post on TAY about writing. Because goddammit. That's what I do - sidetrack myself. So! You folks! Ramble about writing and your process here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 (edited) My process can vary. If I'm feeling creative and in the mood, I will just write and fly by the seat of my pants. That's on a good day, though. Lately, I've been having a lot of problems which makes me question myself even more. So this time, even though I do not have a set plot I am working with, I have actually made a plot diagram which I've filled out major plot points with. I've written those plot points on post-it notes and placed them in order of how I want them to go and then I forced myself to start writing because...well, you gotta fill in the details sometime. Note: Before I put anything on the computer, I have to write it out longhand. That's just how it's always been--even for fanfiction. I've got tons and tons of notebooks around here with old stories and stories I'm working on. I should probably toss those... Anyhoo, even with the structure of this story I'm writing now I feel there's still a lot of chaos. That or I'm just unsure of myself. Then again, it's just me doing everything. I don't have a beta or an editor for anything so I am constantly criticizing myself after I've posted (without much editing). That's...typically how it goes. Edited February 9, 2011 by Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I write really crappy poetry. I just wait till a sentence pops into my head, i write it down, then i try to come up with things to build off that. i also never rhyme. I dislike rhymes heavily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Every time I try to use an actual "writing process" I end up doing nothing, so I just listen to some music, and whatever comes to mind becomes a story, sometimes good, sometimes bad, I should probably add some of them to my blog, but I'm too lazy to do so. I tend to hit brick walls this way though, which is why a lot of the stories I begin are never finished, but at least I actually write stuff this way. Also, every time I have a cool idea, I begin a story about it, that's why I always try to carry a notebook or something with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kau_Kau Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Sometimes things just come to me. Other times I freewrite. Basically I have writing process ADD. But for me writing comes from experiencing life, strange ideas that emerge from common everyday mundane activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheForgetfulBrain Posted February 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I write really crappy poetry. I just wait till a sentence pops into my head, i write it down, then i try to come up with things to build off that. i also never rhyme. I dislike rhymes heavily. Hahaha. That's how I write poetry too - I haven't rhymed with poetry since like early high school. Don't do too much poetry anymore either, but when I did it was for the sound of the language, not so much for meaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Jack Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I make characters that I find interesting first, then figure out how to work a story around them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 If it's a script, I come up with a basic idea of what I want to do and try and create characters to suit that. Then I try and get an idea of what the plot will be and start writing from there. Then I'll get stuck. If it's a song, I usually have a riff that gets stuck in my head or just comes to me. From there I try and think of a line that works really well and build off of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBeeferton Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I like to write as I'm still thinking of what the story is. Just get a basic opening and a couple of characters in my head and work with it. It has it's pros and cons. Like I can be pretty flexible and new ideas can be put in easily. On the other hand, I tend to lose focus on what I was doing originally and previous events don't connect so well with what's going on more recently. It's not like I'm a professional and I rarely share anything so I don't think it matters. I just kind of like writing as my mind wanders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Can Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Depends on what yoiu write. If you're going for fiction, the process the OP described works pretty well. When I write non-fiction, I list out a bunch of events or memories and I sequence them in a way movie storyboards are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slithy toves Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 i generally write on paper, tho if i'm at work i might hop off of my PPT for a minute and type something down if i've got a quick idea. then when i type them out fully it gives me a nice opportunity to smooth out any rough edges or elaborate on something i may have gotten down hastily in order to not lose it. i usually have a vague idea of things that i want to happen that are usually based upon something about the characters that pop into my head and then i just go w/ it. if i'm having a good day tons of things pop into my skull and i can write them on a separate bit of paper and then go back to the actual writing part. if i'm having a bad day i say "well that doesn't make any fucking sense slithy you moron" and then i throw the paper out and then i usually regret it in a few weeks or months, or sometimes even years, when i figure out how i could have worked it into the story anyway or used it somewhere else and i can't remember it anymore. somehow, despite throwing away more things than i ever wanted to, i still do it. all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diedan Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Alcohol + Notebook 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slithy toves Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Alcohol + Notebook 100% success rate i'm sure 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Well, something certainly gets on the page. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diedan Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Hey! It works for me! I almost never toss out work that I've written while a bit drunk. I mean, sometimes I'm a little like, hey I don't remember writing those two pages very well, but it usually surprises me how well they turn out anyway. There have been pleeeenty of drunk writers in the past. Plus, it's more fun that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheForgetfulBrain Posted February 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Drunk is like the staple of the greatest writers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slithy toves Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 i don't think all the alcoholic writers necessarily wrote while drunk tho, then again i'm sure some of them were better when they were. takes all kinds. i can't focus on anything at all when i'm really drunk besides shiny things and yelling "whoo!" so i'm prolly not the best judge of such things. also, i can never avoid taking a dig at dan. it's physically impossible for me to pass it up. i've tried, and the fingers they just typa-typa-type. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diedan Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 also, i can never avoid taking a dig at dan. it's physically impossible for me to pass it up. i've tried, and the fingers they just typa-typa-type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Drunk is like the staple of the greatest writers! Now you tell me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kau_Kau Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Drunk is like the staple of the greatest writers! Don't forget opium and other recreational drugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheForgetfulBrain Posted February 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I never used to be able to write well when drinking, but lately drinking helps me write quite a bit - to a point. Once I get really drunk, I'll keep writing and black out, wake up the next morning with some reaaaally weird stuff written that I delete. But for a while, it helps out - because I'm not obsessing over the words, and I'm actually getting somewhere in the story - and then later I can go back and polish/revise when I'm sober. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slithy toves Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 yeah, i never have a flow problem cos half of my fun writing is knowing i'm going to go back and polish it. i actually totally lose focus once i imbibe and become focused on p much just imbibing more. other recreational drugs, however, are just fine by me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomTervo Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 I wrote a massive explanation of how I write and shit. And my flatmate's laptop's wireless conked out. All gone. Fuck. To the best of my memory it went like this: I find drinking helps writing in the moment, but as a story/actual writing tool it's pretty useless. For words it's good, for story and characters and themes etc it ain't. I usually write into a text draft on my phone whenever something comes to me at a party. My actual writing process is: 1. Come up with an idea for the piece overall. It could be a character idea, an overall story/plot idea, an idea for a universe to set a story/character(s) in, or even just a theme to write something around. 2. Define the character skeletons, and the plot skeletons. So I have an idea of what the chars will be like when I finish them, and how they will fit into the story start-to-finish. As usual try to make the story interesting or unique somehow. 3.50-60% of my writing time is coming up with themes and how they fit into the story and characters. I find making themes and developing them over the course of the narrative will help come up with turns of phrase like metaphors, images, as well influencing the actual story itself- developing a character to fit a theme may change them drastically for the better, and the plot may change to reflect the theme also. Themes are what make a piece of fiction more readable, rereadable and awesome. 4. Make sure it all fits together, then write the actual narrative. Usually I write the text bit by bit, rewriting and drafting as I go, and in no chronological order, to keep it as interesting as possible. So sometimes i'll write the very end, or just a turning point, or some dialogue for a character that's interesting whilst it's in my head, etc etc. 5. Do all the fluffy stuff that you do when you finish a piece of fiction- usually deciding that your work is complete and utter shit and you never want to show it to anyone. But showing it to people is important! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slatz_grobnik Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 i don't think all the alcoholic writers necessarily wrote while drunk tho, then again i'm sure some of them were better when they were. I recently read someone - I think it was Christopher Hitchens - who did something of a survey in review on this topic, and his conclusion was that the best writers would drink in the idea phase; refrain in the execution. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackpot Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 This is my writing process: Seriously. I wish I could have some sort of structure to it, but it simply doesn't work out that way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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