How Do You Write?

Everybody writes differently. Some write the important bits and then flesh it out, some write it all in order. Some write drunk, others write sober. Some write with very loud music playing, some in silence.

What is your ideal way of writing?

I keep a note book with me at all times. You never know when an awesome idea (Home Alone mixed with the story of Anne Frank or Hurricane Katrina/shark movie mash up) or film title (Woof Justice/Offbeat Shenanigans) will pop into your head. If I like an idea I'll think about it endlessly until I think I've figured out the whole plot. I'll then sit down and start to write, only then realising I don't have an actual idea, just a synopsis.

I'll then write down what I have on flash cards. Scene by scene and fill out the rest. When I think its complete then I'll start writing. What I usually come up with is very stupid ideas that need a writer more talented than I to pull them off. However I'm convinced that Penis Intravenous, my porn business parody, is a winner.

I prefer to write whilst watching something of a similar genre, but if its for a uni assignment, i prefer silence

Johnstone McGuckian wrote:Everybody writes differently. Some write the important bits and then flesh it out, some write it all in order. Some write drunk, others write sober. Some write with very loud music playing, some in silence.

What is your ideal way of writing?

I make it up as I go along. I only ever have a vague plan.

I very, very rarely have a concrete ending in sight when I begin a project. Unless it's a work-for-hire gig - but not always even then. Usually I start with a basic plot idea and a firm handle on the main character and then I allow that character to basically "whisper" the events of the story as they unfold directly into my ear.

I very rarely make any kind of detailed notes, usually begin at the beginning and work in a linear fashion through to the end, and I very often don't have a clue what's coming up in the next chapter. Amazingly - it works for me. In fact I know for certain I've hit my stride when I plan for the characters to do one thing and they flat out refuse and instead go off and do something else entirely.

I also tend to use appropriate background music when I'm writing. For example with The Blue Hour, I played a lot of movie soundtracks from classic noir films. Particularly Polanski's China Town, which just just seemed to fit the mood of the piece like the proverbial glove.

Oh yes, and again using the latest as an example: during the writing of it I'd begin bang on 8.00am every morning, break for lunch at 1.00pm - begin again at 2.00pm and work through until 4.00. And that was every week day. If you have the time and you also have to have the discipline.

Set yourself a daily target in either number of words written or chapters completed and stick to it whenever possible. You'll be amazed just how quickly you'll reach the finish line if you apply yourself.

Oh yes, and on the initial draft of a project I never, ever worry myself about correct spelling and punctuation. All of that can be fixed during the editing stage. To begin with just concentrate on getting your story down on paper. That's the thing of paramount importance.

Sid Seadevil wrote:I very, very rarely have a concrete ending in sight when I begin a project. Unless it's a work-for-hire gig - but not always even then. Usually I start with a basic plot idea and a firm handle on the main character and then I allow that character to basically "whisper" the events of the story as they unfold directly into my ear.

I very rarely make any kind of detailed notes, usually begin at the beginning and work in a linear fashion through to the end, and I very often don't have a clue what's coming up in the next chapter. Amazingly - it works for me. In fact I know for certain I've hit my stride when I plan for the characters to do one thing and they flat out refuse and instead go off and do something else entirely.

Oh yes, and again using the latest as an example: during the writing of it I'd begin bang on 8.00am every morning, break for lunch at 1.00pm - begin again at 2.00pm and work through until 4.00. And that was every week day. If you have the time and you also have to have the discipline.

Set yourself a daily target in either number of words written or chapters completed and stick to it whenever possible. You'll be amazed just how quickly you'll reach the finish line if you apply yourself.

I'm with you on all of that except the music. I write in silence but sometimes my kids are screaming or trying to kill eachother in the background and it puts me off my stride. i ignore them as much as possible.

writingmum wrote:I'm with you on all of that except the music. I write in silence but sometimes my kids are screaming or trying to kill eachother in the background and it puts me off my stride. i ignore them as much as possible.

Whatever works, m'dear. If silence suits you best, that's excellent. There's no real hard and fast rules to this kind of thing. Having said that though, I actually admire you for managing to get any writing done with children around. Even if you do ignore them when you can safely get away with it.

When I go somewhere I carry around a tiny little notebook that fits in my pocket. I usually find great ideas for things whilst travelling, be it bus, train, car or by foot, so it's good to jot a little something down. Usually a few words, nothing more - certainly no real plot.

To write I have to be in a very particular (and usually hyperactive) mood, whereby I sit at my laptop and great streams of text pours out of my fingers as they hammer my keyboard at a speed which I am fairly certain is faster than sound. I have to write in a totally linear fashion and if I try to write things in a jumbled order then it all looks fragmented and doesn't work for me. Once I get writing I may do anything from one line to dozens of pages, depending on how I'm feeling. Sometimes silence is best, sometimes I listen to appropriate music to suit the mood I'm writing for. It's very rare that I start writing knowing what's going to happen, so I just hammer out whatever is being delivered to my fingers and then look over it later on. Usually it makes some sort of sense but sometimes I realise it's all crap and just start again.

This may be psychological but I feel I write better when I'm not very comfortable. Also I seem to be able to write much better stuff at night than at any other time of the day. It just happens, really.

I carry a notebook, which I scribble in.
I use an application called WriteMonkey, which is a distraction free writing space, to do actual writing in. I use it because I found if I worked in Word I would end up spending endless hours noodling about with Fonts and fretting at the dictionary.

For research, I have an App called Evernote, which lives on my phone and laptop and syncs with both. If I have an idea or spot some useful nugget of information, or even an image, I can make it available to myself where ever I might be.

The phone also has a Google Docs app so if I'm seized by the mood to scribble and I'n sans notebook or laptop, I can do so and retrieve it to Writemonkey when I get home.

As for the actual writing, I tend to do a first draft sitting at home and listening to a vast random Spotify playlist, because music helps me avoid other distractions. I then hold my work captive, revising and rewriting until it's good or until I can't stand the sight of it any more.

I have to get better at that last part.