What's your writing process?

[Kargath]

I'm curious as to how the writers here approach creating stories - the process from start to finish.
I'll probably post mine later.

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

It differs pretty much every time I write. Sometimes I put down a detailed synopsis for myself to start with, sometimes I just write a general outline of each chapter. Sometimes I just start writing, because I know what I need to know in my head.

To anyone who's a serious writer, I cannot possible recommend this software more: yWriter4 - word processor for authors

It is easily the best writing software I've ever used. When you've got upwards of 50,000 words sitting in a word processor, you'll know why this is brilliant.

[ZeldaGirl]

It differs pretty much every time I write. Sometimes I put down a detailed synopsis for myself to start with, sometimes I just write a general outline of each chapter. Sometimes I just start writing, because I know what I need to know in my head.

I'm exactly the same. Depends on my mood.

[Bomby]

I get the itch to write and let it flow naturally. I never bother to create outlines, and mostly just make up stories as I go along, although often times I might have something in mind for the end before I've even hit the middle of the story.

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

The middle of the story is almost guaranteed to be my stumbling block. I know where to start, and how we get to meet everyone, I know the main issue at the beginning of the story... then it begins to trail off into, "well, maybe this would work". Then the ending. I always have an ending. And it usually involves lots of characters dying. o___o

[ZeldaGirl]

^Haha, I'm the same way too! It's like, I know what where I want to go, and I can get started...but it's just getting to the end that's the hard part.

[CaptHayfever]

Sometimes I'm writing towards a decided end, sometimes I can free-associate my way through an entire plot, sometimes I follow a strict outline, sometimes a loose outline, sometimes I go through & do certain spots, then fill the gaps between them*. For one script of mine, I intentionally started with the act/scene breakdown, then filled in the scenes' content at random.

When I'm writing songs, sometimes I'll start with a chorus, or a bridge, or a final verse, or even a second verse, and build the rest around it. In fact, the least likely thing for me to start with is the first verse.

*This has been particularly the case with the musical I'm working on; I focused on the lyrics first (mostly), then tailored the dialogue to not be redundant.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Metal Man]

Schizophrenic pieces come out one part at a time, and then I slowly assemble them and strengthen them. In major pieces I will then run over them and slowly polish it until it meets my standards.

[Mushi]

I can't finish not a single thing I start,

What am I doing wrong?

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

Just keep pressing on. Even if you don't have inspiration to finish one story, write something else. A short piece, some poetry; come back to the other story some other time, or let it sit as an archive of practice. Most authors have a massive pile of unfinished (and unpublished) stories.

[Dr. Furball]

Most of the writing I do is scripts for the chapters in my graphic novel, in which each one is usually a self-contained story.
I usually have a specific joke, theme, or scene I want to put in it, and work towards that. I keep a notebook with me so I can write in my free time. I'll write the entire chapter out, sometimes including little sketches in the margins.
Then I'll read over it, and do revisions and add foreshadowing or important details I forgot if needed. I've changed the story of entire chapters this way! Then if I happen to get any great ideas as I'm drawing, I'll try to slip those in as well.
My biggest problem comes in the ending. I have a lot of trouble ending a story with a punchline.

So...yeah. My writing process isn't very interesting.

[Microphone_Kirby]

I usually envision the entire story in my mind; the problem is putting it to paper and making it interesting and understandable. I just try to write it as interesting as I can.

But when I see something similar in style (I usually write in first person) that's better written, I give up on whatever I'm writing. When I do read other people's writing, it's mainly for inspiration... but I end up being intimidated.

I don't think I've finished a single story...

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

First-person is ridiculously harder to pull off than third. That said, each story is unique in some way, so you shouldn't get put off from writing just because something seems similar. You'll always have a new perspective to add to something, and the writing is practice in itself.

[Robotazy]

I've found that having someone else help you with the story can help you envision finishing it.

At least that's what me and Arensa found out :/

[Blake]

I'm not officially a writer, but when I think of random stories, I begin with fragments of significant pieces of a story and then find ways to connect those fragments with others. However, I haven't written a story in a long time and my roleplaying is nearly at a minimum as well.

I think one of the most intimidating things for me is my favorite part of a story: Dialogue. There just seems to only be only so many ways to say 'he/she said', remarked, spoke, etc. after someone said something. I feel like it can become quite redundant in a long conversation.

[Panfan]

1. Think of an idea that I think will be good.
2. Talk to people on AIM about my idea and how I think it will be good.
3. Procrastinate.
4. Procrastinate.
5. Procrastinate.
6. Forget about the entire idea.

[Bomby]

Originally Posted by Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds

First-person is ridiculously harder to pull off than third.

I would have to disagree. It really depends on what kind of story is being written. I tend to incorporate real life situations from my past into my stories, and often like to use themes of memory and desire, and for the most part am more concerned with communicating the characters' emotional and psychological states than getting from point A to point B, so for what I usually write, I find first person to be much more comfortable and natural than third. Of course, when I used to battle at NLBF, I found the reverse to be true, since I was more concerned with action (although my comeback battles in late 06/early 07 would often communicate my character Yuki's emotional state).

What I'm really interested in doing, in the future, is multiple perspective first person narrative.

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

Originally Posted by Blake

I think one of the most intimidating things for me is my favorite part of a story: Dialogue. There just seems to only be only so many ways to say 'he/she said', remarked, spoke, etc. after someone said something. I feel like it can become quite redundant in a long conversation.

Let me give you some valuable advice: "said" is your friend. Using other words in place of "said" is a natural desire, because the writer will almost always feel they've overused the word, but you absolutely need to remember that "said" is a skimmed word in a piece. No one will notice you reusing it, but it will get very irritating to have people gasping, whispering, stating, bellowing, etc throughout a single scene with lots of dialogue. It's all about using the other words to really hit home an emotion or reaction, not as a replacement for "said".

Originally Posted by Bomby

I would have to disagree. It really depends on what kind of story is being written. I tend to incorporate real life situations from my past into my stories, and often like to use themes of memory and desire, and for the most part am more concerned with communicating the characters' emotional and psychological states than getting from point A to point B, so for what I usually write, I find first person to be much more comfortable and natural than third.

I agree that there's a time for first person, but when I say more difficult, I meant more as in most people can't pull of first person. The biggest issue is forgetting that, as a singular, you can only guess at other character's emotional state. Most writers who use first person will add in bits about how the other person was thinking or feeling, when you need to surmise or use only observation. *shrug* I don't like reading first person because most people can't do it right, however, when it works, the story can be a lot more involving than the same tale in third person.

[Kargath]

I start off with a piece of prose in my head, a particular story incident, or a character attribute. Then I rapidly fill out spots from there, so that the story is now a series of events, characters, and themes (though not necessarily in the final order). Then, I fill out the gaps between. My entire stories are usually a collection of hierarchical bullet-point lists during production.

I find yWriter too restrictive. Having to divide my work into preset chapters etc doesn't fit at all with my iterative-fill style.

Originally Posted by MC Mushi Mo

I can't finish not a single thing I start,

What am I doing wrong?

Deadlines and structure are your friend.
Deadlines give you an incentive to work, and a structure or outline helps you know how to finish.

Originally Posted by Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds

Let me give you some valuable advice: "said" is your friend. Using other words in place of "said" is a natural desire, because the writer will almost always feel they've overused the word, but you absolutely need to remember that "said" is a skimmed word in a piece. No one will notice you reusing it, but it will get very irritating to have people gasping, whispering, stating, bellowing, etc throughout a single scene with lots of dialogue. It's all about using the other words to really hit home an emotion or reaction, not as a replacement for "said".

I personally find it more effective to drop "said" etc wherever possible, and put dialogue on its own lines. I use the context of the prose to indicate which character is speaking at any one time, and only use in-paragraph dialogue with "said"s for disambiguation.

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

Agreed, but if there's numerous people involved in conversation/in the room (as most of my scenes tend), then you can't drop too many of the "said"-types. And dialogue should always live on its own line. Within paragraph dialogue = headache.