Writing - How Do You Do It? - The Story Corner

I’m sure we all can agree, writing can be daunting - whether it’s your first time, or if you’re coming back into it after a break. As the Sky Forge grows and to an extent the Story Corner with stories - either new or sequels - appearing more frequently I figured about asking a major question to all of you.

How do you do your writing?

Pinterest guide/thing from our Discord Server - posted by Kendrix in the ‘Writing Hub’

I don’t mean as in how to open a simple Word doc and start typing or writing on a piece of paper. How do you do it? Each and every one of us have our ways and our own styles.

Do you go for weeks on end in a writing drought or more commonly known as the infamous ‘Writer’s Block’ or do you force yourself to write a paragraph each night? Do you search the Web for resources and/or motivations like Reddit’s Writing Prompts or even Pinterest for those images for guidance? Do you sit down somewhere, having a new document open with a thesaurus nearby (or in another tab)? And so on.

Feel free to go into as much or as little detail as you’d like. Hell, even if you’ve got tips or trick shot that help you - feel free to mention them below. Just because something seems ‘useless’ to you or irrelevant, you’d be surprised by who it helps.

Hah! True writers never actually write!

When I eventually do, though, it always starts with a very good idea that I cannot bear to keep in my head. There has to be that moxie behind me going to the keyboard and writing my heart out. Usually, this idea begins as a scene, some image of something cool I would like to see in the story. I visualize the scene as thoroughly as possible (this can take weeks or months), and then I will put that visualization into words which becomes the foundation of my writing material. From here, I fill the scene out with emotion and sense, make it have an extrasensory 'oomph' when the readers get to it. This then repeats until I have a finished product, I think what I have is similar to storyboarding or whatever those animators do before animating. The process usually ends with me sanding off unnecessary purple prose or correcting grammar and plot holes.

Many people cite the problem of writer's block, but that has not been a problem for me simply because I do not see it as a problem. There will be times that I will be creatively bankrupt and I accept that. To be able to have the drive and the idea to write something amazing down is, to me, a privilege that does not come around easy or often. Maybe it's just the universe telling me that I have better things to do right now.

Replies

Ponty January 9, 2020 at 2:31am
Hmm, here's my usual process. I haven't written much in the way of actual stories until recently, though I've applied a similar process to planning tabletop RPG sessions for years.
1. Come up with an idea. Jot down some notes (I use a google doc so I can access it from anywhere) and mull it over for a few days (or weeks, or months!), updating the notes as you go. I'll usually do this until I don't come up with anything new for a couple of days at least.
2. Turn it into something more structured with dot point notes for example.
3. If possible I like to discuss what I've put together with someone else to bounce ideas around. They might point out something you haven't thought of or come up with a cool addition.
4. Start writing! When I'm not busy I find I can fairly easily do about a page a night, sometimes more if I really get in the flow. I'll have some music on in the background (TES compilations for my recent writing, or otherwise something genre-appropriate) with my story in one window and some helpers in the other. This could be some relevant lore articles or a thesaurus as Lee suggested.
5. As necessary update my outline/plan. Usually I'll come up with some new ideas while writing that require me to make changes to future events. I used to see this as not planning well enough but now I think it's great to see the story take on a life of its own!
Zee January 9, 2020 at 9:18am

Hah! True writers never actually write!

When I eventually do, though, it always starts with a very good idea that I cannot bear to keep in my head. There has to be that moxie behind me going to the keyboard and writing my heart out. Usually, this idea begins as a scene, some image of something cool I would like to see in the story. I visualize the scene as thoroughly as possible (this can take weeks or months), and then I will put that visualization into words which becomes the foundation of my writing material. From here, I fill the scene out with emotion and sense, make it have an extrasensory 'oomph' when the readers get to it. This then repeats until I have a finished product, I think what I have is similar to storyboarding or whatever those animators do before animating. The process usually ends with me sanding off unnecessary purple prose or correcting grammar and plot holes.

Many people cite the problem of writer's block, but that has not been a problem for me simply because I do not see it as a problem. There will be times that I will be creatively bankrupt and I accept that. To be able to have the drive and the idea to write something amazing down is, to me, a privilege that does not come around easy or often. Maybe it's just the universe telling me that I have better things to do right now.
The Frozen Pharoah August 22, 2022 at 7:00pm

I don't follow any rules or tips or guides. I just write. Whatever comes naturally. I don't see the need to complicate. If I have an idea I let it come alive and unfold, and let myself be the instrument through which the idea becomes its own entity on the page.

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