Going off the whole process thing again, I guess to clarify, do you plan when you write? So you start off with characters, plot, theme...but do you write out how each chapter should be written/what content needs to be in each chapter or do you just...write as you go?
If you do plan, what happens when a new plot bunny comes in and completely changes your original idea around? And how do you find that to work for you in terms of finishing stories?
I'm more of a "I'll just write on the fly"/stream of consciousness kind of writer which is probably why I'm the worst person ever when it comes to writing novels so I'm curious as to what you do. Maybe one day I can write chaptered stories too.
It's difficult to explain how it happens, but I will try.
I do start with a plan of about how many chapters I want and a very basic outline of things that will happen. This includes a fairly set-in-stone ending for the romances, but never for the mysteries (so like "Harry Potter is Dead!" and "Partners in Crime", which may explain why I have such trouble updating these stories). I always write more chapters than I originally intended, and I often change my mind about the plot depending on what reviewers say.
My problem is that I have a different planning process for every one of my chaptered stories. Half of them are entirely kept within my head while the other half are saved on my computer, all with different methods of organization depending on how and when the plot bunny arrived. Each chapter is planned out ahead of time in my head - even down to certain lines as they come to me - and I cut/edit as necessary when I type it out so that it fits the word count I want.
You've just made me think about what I do, and it hurts.
And now I realize that it's not at all consistent and really weird and confusing because most of it goes on in my head by itself, so I've stopped paying attention to how it happens. I'm sorry I can't help you more, Missy. There's no secret to it, only madness.
Violet I must say that I am a big fan of your writing. I love reading about your characters and your ideas are just incredible. They are really different from most of the stories on the Archives So I have some questions too
1. Does something particular inspire you? Maybe a song, a passage from a novel, a real life event, maybe an unusual ship?
2. Do you research for your longer fics? If yes, how much time does it take until you are convinced that you have everything planned out??
3. How do you think you accomplished yourself in writing? What is your secret? What's your advice for novice writers? Especially for those that don't have English as their first language so it's always harder for them to learn to write engagingly in a literary way (not to mention remember phrases, words, etc) like me?
Thank you very much! I remember your reviews (and am still getting to responding to some of them) and really appreciate your kind words.
1. There doesn't seem to be much that doesn't inspire me.
Music is a significant one, and I seem to have a song for each of my stories, whole soundtracks to some of my stories. Most of the time, though, an idea will just hit me and I'll draw from numerous resources to fill out the details and make something of it, so whatever I'm reading, whatever I've been watching or been exposed to, all of it will come through in what I'm writing at a given time. (Not a very specific answer, I'm afraid)
2. Most of my research for stories includes going through the Lexicon or the books to check on dates, character facts, anything that could relate or be used within a story - for historical fics, I turn to history books, like Howard Carter's diaries for "Black Sands". My planning is very basic - simple plot structures, etc. - so the length of time between coming up with an idea and writing it too often depends on how much time I actually have to spare for writing.
I never feel confident enough with my research and planning, but I wait to write until the idea feels so strong in my head that I can no longer stand it - once it's written, it gets out of my head and leaves me alone and I never think about it again. Sometimes, if I leave an idea for too long, it becomes the only thing I can think about, and no matter what I have going on - which has included exams, large assignments, and work - I'm compelled to write the story before I can do anything else.
3. Even though I'm a native English speaker, I'm one who started off with terrible spelling and a peculiar style of grammar that apparently resembled poorly translated Latin. Two things helped (well, three, as it helped a lot to learn Latin to figure out what I was doing wrong). Firstly, practice - writing all the time and getting criticism and listening to that criticism even if it makes you want to cry. The more critique upsets you, the more you should listen to what it says - that's what I've done, at least, and I like to think that it's worked.
Secondly, read everything. There's no better way to learn how to write than to see how others have done it, especially to see the strange, creative things they've done, even with the simplest types of stories. It makes me jealous, but that envy drives me to want to be like them, be among them even. It's not really a secret, but it makes a difference.
Thanks for answering Sequel to Winner Takes All? Inform me inform me inform me! I'm a huge fan of your work
I thought it was really unique an so un-cliched, you definitely make me want Teddy/Rose more!
How long have you been writing for? What inspired/made you want to write?
You should definitely read more Teddy/Rose - there are some really amazing ones here at HPFF.
They definitely inspired me to write mine!
For a very long time? Will that count? There were some stories I wrote in elementary school for class that were well-received (one about spring and the other about kittens at Christmas), and then in grade 7 or 8 I started keeping a secret journal of stories that developed into a badly-written "novel" that was eventually posted on the internet. For the most part, I wanted to write the kind of stories that I liked to read - so mysteries and adventure-romance kind of things. Number-wise, it's been more than a decade.
The one thing I can't remember is what made me want to write in the first place. It was just there. Very strange.
