I seem to be in a lonely camp. I write start to finish, even when I know the ending and major plot points. Why? Well, you've got me! No clue. It's just how I do it.
For me, the lure of the major scenes is what drives me. My mind is in "gotta get there" mode and spills out whatever it takes to get to the next big deal in a hurry. Dangling carrot idea I suppose.
Now I begin to wonder what would happen if I wrote the scene that has my enthusiasm spiked. Would it kill that urge to fill in everything else? Or make it easier? Hmm.
And how do you keep up with everything you've written? Do you go scene by scene and, say, number them? Or...write it all in one file still? Doesn't it get confusing?
I'm so full of questions.
I'm very impulsive by nature, but I'm also very meticulous. I need all the answers before I let my impulsiveness out...unless it comes to my hair. I really like being impulsive with my hair. But when considering trying a different writing style on for size?
It looks all shiny and new and sparkly and beautiful...until you're lost in the trenches and can't see for the thick layer of...*insert description here*. I'm getting carried away with myself.
So, my questions for you are...
Are you a pantser or a plotter?
I try very hard to be a pantser, but it doesn't work for me. I'm anal and need an outline to follow. :)
Do you write in short bursts of creative energy, or can you sit down and write for hours at a time?
I'm totally a short bursts writer. My mind turns to goo if I try to write too much at once. Sometimes I wonder if I have ADD.
What about you guys? Plotting? Hours at the computer? I wanna know!!!
3 comments:
I do the same thing, I start at the beginning and go until the end. I'm a planner. It's the only way I can write a story. Sometimes I write 50 pages just to get to one line of dialogue. At the moment I'm really struggling with my current WIP. But II didn't do it start to finish I'd NEVER get finished with it.
Great post
Ok, a little tip for you, that works for me. Before you start writing the actual story, grab your outline and write chapter summaries in the actual document you are going to write the story.
They don't have to be long, just summarise the major plot points, things that must happen in the chapter. Then when you finish each chapter, you delete the summary. When you start the next chapter, even if it's days afterward. You know exactly what has to be written, and you can trust that the content is correct because hopefully you wrote the chapter summaries in one day and knew what you were doing ;o)
Also if you don't finish the chapter in one sitting, you still have the summary there to prompt you.
Good luck!
AA- What an excellent idea! I do write chapter summaries in my outline, but I never thought to put them in the document as a prompt.
I'm totally going to try it!
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