I think writers fall into two general groups. Those who know what they are writing and those who don't. And by that I mean, people who have painstakingly plotted out their whole manuscript from beginning to end, and then start writing. And people who sit down with a blank slate, write, and see what happens.
I fall firmly into the plotter camp. For the most part I have everything all worked out in my head before I start. I have scenes dancing around between my eyeballs and I know every character like a good friend. Then I sit down and try to transfer what I have spent months daydreaming about into words. (This is actually a lot harder than it sounds.) The result is a very rough draft. I never get writer's block because I always know what's coming next, and I think I save myself a lot of revision time.
In contrast, I'm not really sure how anyone writes off the cuff. I imagine that people who write a lot for a living are forced to do this because they just don't have time to spend developing a story in their heads beforehand. They get a topic or an inspiration and they just start writing. (I like to call it puking onto the page). But now that I think about it, that is how I wrote the majority of my papers in Uni, and how I come up with blog posts so...maybe I do a little bit of both after all.
This is just part of the writing process, of course. There are as many processes as there are writers. Some people listen to music, (I can't). Some people write on paper, (only if I'm not at home). Some people sit down and write at the same time everyday no matter what, (this is called butt in chair. I can't do it. I can only write when the urge strikes and that can be anytime.) Some people have strange rituals involving chickens and burnt sage. (I don't actually know if this is true, but the world is full of weirdos so maybe).
I didn't have anything to rant about today, even though it's rant Wednesday. I'll try harder to be annoyed by next week. See you all soon, and if you haven't already check out the short story I wrote listed under Odds n Ends. I am trying to write another couple of short stories to post as well.
I fall firmly into the plotter camp. For the most part I have everything all worked out in my head before I start. I have scenes dancing around between my eyeballs and I know every character like a good friend. Then I sit down and try to transfer what I have spent months daydreaming about into words. (This is actually a lot harder than it sounds.) The result is a very rough draft. I never get writer's block because I always know what's coming next, and I think I save myself a lot of revision time.
In contrast, I'm not really sure how anyone writes off the cuff. I imagine that people who write a lot for a living are forced to do this because they just don't have time to spend developing a story in their heads beforehand. They get a topic or an inspiration and they just start writing. (I like to call it puking onto the page). But now that I think about it, that is how I wrote the majority of my papers in Uni, and how I come up with blog posts so...maybe I do a little bit of both after all.
This is just part of the writing process, of course. There are as many processes as there are writers. Some people listen to music, (I can't). Some people write on paper, (only if I'm not at home). Some people sit down and write at the same time everyday no matter what, (this is called butt in chair. I can't do it. I can only write when the urge strikes and that can be anytime.) Some people have strange rituals involving chickens and burnt sage. (I don't actually know if this is true, but the world is full of weirdos so maybe).
I didn't have anything to rant about today, even though it's rant Wednesday. I'll try harder to be annoyed by next week. See you all soon, and if you haven't already check out the short story I wrote listed under Odds n Ends. I am trying to write another couple of short stories to post as well.
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