Your writing process

[alohadave]

I've decided to embrace how I write. Instead of worrying about not writing enough, I'll focus on telling the story the way that it comes to me, and that is very short stories. Maybe they'll get longer with time, but for now, I'm not worrying about how many words they are, but that they tell the stories I want to tell.

 

[Duleigh]

How does that compare to your process?

I write stories based on whatever a plot bunny brings me centered around characters built with elements of people I know and I place them in places I've lived.

My weapon of choice is MS Word 365 with OneDrive, that way I can pick up on a story in progress on any device I can pull up word. My keyboard however has to be a keyboard. I've been typing on keyboards since 1970, my fingers are obstinate and refuse to use a tablet keyboard. That's not to say I don't type on a tablet, I have a blue tooth keyboard mouse combination and adapters so I can plug my keyboard into my phone, tablet, surface, laptop, and PC and my fingers remain happy working with the same input device.

Yeah, people think it looks weird to see me at the park typing away on a full 110+ key keyboard with mouse using an iPad mini or a phone for my monitor, but I don't care. I only care what they think if they're a reader

 

[EmilyMiller]

I write stories based on whatever a plot bunny brings me centered around characters built with elements of people I know and I place them in places I've lived.

My weapon of choice is MS Word 365 with OneDrive, that way I can pick up on a story in progress on any device I can pull up word. My keyboard however has to be a keyboard. I've been typing on keyboards since 1970, my fingers are obstinate and refuse to use a tablet keyboard. That's not to say I don't type on a tablet, I have a blue tooth keyboard mouse combination and adapters so I can plug my keyboard into my phone, tablet, surface, laptop, and PC and my fingers remain happy working with the same input device.

Yeah, people think it looks weird to see me at the park typing away on a full 110+ key keyboard with mouse using an iPad mini or a phone for my monitor, but I don't care. I only care what they think if they're a reader

I’d prefer a keyboard, but hard to use some of the places I write.

The keypad on my iPhone is fiddly, even with small fingers, and error prone. Then I end up writing in places I wouldn’t otherwise write.

Em

 

[lc69hunter]

I am actually writing, and getting ready to submit my first real story. My first submission was nothing more than a semi-autobiographical data dump, partially to get a rise out of the LW trolls, and admin wisely decided to put it in Reviews and Essays, where it was still found by a certain subset of LW readers. I am not displeased with it and have only had to delete one comment, but actually had to change my location on my profile because of the threat. It has brought me some followers and likes, I think based upon comments I have made on other stories

Anyway, when I started my current story I was actually worried about the 750 word limit, but as I was writing, things naturally fleshed out, and it will probably come in at 2-3 pages. However, the process! I can only manage two to three paragraphs at a time, as my mind goes off on a tangent to another story line unrelated to what I am writing.

Does anybody else run into this?

 

[alohadave]

However, the process! I can only manage two to three paragraphs at a time, as my mind goes off on a tangent to another story line unrelated to what I am writing.

Does anybody else run into this?

All the time. I'll get in a groove and find that I've only written 200 words. It's frustrating.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I can only manage two to three paragraphs at a time, as my mind goes off on a tangent to another story line unrelated to what I am writing.

Does anybody else run into this?

I have the opposite problem. I’m loquacious, prolix, verbose, meandering, orotund and expansive.

It has been pointed out that I have swallowed a thesaurus.

It has also been pointed out that I like swallowing.

Em

 

[Red_Herring4]

Most of my best ideas come after a brisk morning swim.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I am actually writing, and getting ready to submit my first real story. My first submission was nothing more than a semi-autobiographical data dump, partially to get a rise out of the LW trolls, and admin wisely decided to put it in Reviews and Essays, where it was still found by a certain subset of LW readers. I am not displeased with it and have only had to delete one comment, but actually had to change my location on my profile because of the threat. It has brought me some followers and likes, I think based upon comments I have made on other stories

Anyway, when I started my current story I was actually worried about the 750 word limit, but as I was writing, things naturally fleshed out, and it will probably come in at 2-3 pages. However, the process! I can only manage two to three paragraphs at a time, as my mind goes off on a tangent to another story line unrelated to what I am writing.

Does anybody else run into this?

Nope. My mind feels like it’s sometimes on rails. Once I’m on it I can do 1000 to 2000 words in one go. In fact I’m hoping to do that tonight.

But it’s not a contest each person is different. If it works for you…I’m never gonna criticise.

 

[Voboy]

I might have said this before, but I know it's going to be a good story when I can leave it for a few days, then come back to it and pick up right where I left off, with no pre-reading and no close perusal of my notes. I reopen the file, my brain shifts into gear, my narrative voice clears its throat, and I'm typing as though no time had passed.

That's what my current story is doing. Yay!

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I might have said this before, but I know it's going to be a good story when I can leave it for a few days, then come back to it and pick up right where I left off, with no pre-reading and no close perusal of my notes. I reopen the file, my brain shifts into gear, my narrative voice clears its throat, and I'm typing as though no time had passed.

That's what my current story is doing. Yay!

Excellent.

Just finished H&F part 7. One final spell-check and it’ll be done today.

Always exciting.

 

[Voboy]

Excellent.

Just finished H&F part 7. One final spell-check and it’ll be done today.

Always exciting.

Mine is my Halloween story for this year.

Erotic Horror, but MUCH less erotic than most. I'm loving the worldbuilding.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Mine is my Halloween story for this year.

Erotic Horror, but MUCH less erotic than most. I'm loving the worldbuilding.

Yeah, for my next story (I only do one at a time) it’s either gonna be a short one about a creepy high school coach, or a huge sprawling Novel/Novella about a sports facility experimenting with gene therapy that comes unstuck in a sort of Stephen King/David Cronenberg horror/Sci-Fi/Mind control thing.

I’ll probably do the short one. Just to boost my numbers.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Most of my best ideas come after a brisk morning swim.

Some of my best ideas come from riding the Bx10 bus. It's a long and circuitous route, so I have time to think. Oddly, the droning of the engine is like white noise, in the background but yet covering other distracting sounds.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/df/16/22df168650f093fe76c7105703285ecb.jpg

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Some of my best ideas come from riding the Bx10 bus. It's a long and circuitous route, so I have time to think. Oddly, the droning of the engine is like white noise, in the background but yet covering other distracting sounds.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/df/16/22df168650f093fe76c7105703285ecb.jpg

Swimming.

Bus riding.

For me, it’s walking the dogs.

Whatever gets you in the right head space I guess.

 

[SamScribble]

Most of my best ideas come when I am about a thousand words in to the writing process and I ask myself: Where is this story going? Sometimes - but not always - I then have to go back and tweak the first few sentences. 'Use the force, Luke.'

 

[gunhilltrain]

Most of my best ideas come when I am about a thousand words in to the writing process and I ask myself: Where is this story going? Sometimes - but not always - I then have to go back and tweak the first few sentences. 'Use the force, Luke.'

Now that you mention it, when starting up again on a certain day, it's worth going back to the older stuff at the top first and reading through that again. One sees more things to be changed in the text that was originally written more hastily just to get something done.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Now that you mention it, when starting up again on a certain day, it's worth going back to the older stuff at the top first and reading through that again. One sees more things to be changed in the text that was originally written more hastily just to get something done.

I do that pretty frequently as well.

 

[onehitwanda]

I have the opposite problem. I’m loquacious, prolix, verbose, meandering, orotund and expansive.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/6e23fd67c1e18cbf2ac787e13c6c63cb/dca144d094ec556c-9e/s400x600/6ba5e960f7c7eb0ea4348ceeddf237a56692a813.gif

It has been pointed out that I have swallowed a thesaurus.

Hey! that's my favourite dinosaur!

 

[BgDaddy33]

I tend to write a section, then save the whole document back to Lit and use the preview function to read the latest bit. I make changes to the Word document when I find errors, or ugly sentences, or continuity issues. Every few sections, I go back and read it all (again in Preview) from the beginning.

This is a great tip to see how it will look on the site and see how the formatting/flow may change in going from one format to another. Thank you for sharing that.

 

[friendlyoldman]

Some of my stories are true. All others are always inspired by true situations that in my fantasy go different than they really did. The idea pops up in my mind. I keep thinking of it for a few days and then write it down in one time. (I always write short stories.) If it's in English I first send it to a Lit friend to edit, because I'm not a native English speaker. Sometimes he also does some suggestion for content and sometimes I follow these.

 

[RoperTrace]

Swimming.

Bus riding.

For me, it’s walking the dogs.

Whatever gets you in the right head space I guess.

Same for me, walking my dog. When I was still working, it was the 30 to 45-minute drive home.

 

[luv2custrip]

I get an idea and it circles around in my head. If I can imagine some key scenes and great dialogue, it’s a go.
I just sit and write. As I go along, it’s as if my characters are leading me.

 

[EmilyMiller]

This is a great tip to see how it will look on the site and see how the formatting/flow may change in going from one format to another. Thank you for sharing that.

You are most welcome .

Em

 

[gunhilltrain]

This is a great tip to see how it will look on the site and see how the formatting/flow may change in going from one format to another. Thank you for sharing that.

The only thing more I'd suggest is that it's best to have a somewhat complete draft (however one defines that) before putting it in the submissions box and using the preview feature. While actually writing the story, it's sometimes good to go back to the top of the document (in your word processor) and read down from there again. That way you'll get a sense of how the new material you're writing fits in with what you may have done days (or weeks) earlier.

 

[BgDaddy33]

While actually writing the story, it's sometimes good to go back to the top of the document (in your word processor) and read down from there again. That way you'll get a sense of how the new material you're writing fits in with what you may have done days (or weeks) earlier.

Agreed. I already do that as part of my own writing process. I also read it on my phone as well as print it, usually finding something to tweak each time.

I've read advice to write the story complety even if it is are to be posted as chapters but for now the feedback is what motivates me to keep writing, so that is a muscle I still need to grow.