On Writing!

[zeitgeistic]

Finished my do-me-veela fic and came in at 12k which is AMAZING for me. The only thing that saved this from turning into 50k of me fucking around is the fact that it has absolutely zero plot.

Okay let's talk about fic/fiction writing strategyI've gotten 4 inquiries on my writing process for Azoth now, which is just mind-blowing to me since I never felt like

Comments

[sophie_french]

1) TITLE: I suck at titles, as I suck at summaries... So I definitely won't start with this! It's funny to see how you do it though, it's not something that would even come to my mind! :)

2) I always know what's going to happen in the end: me too: Harry and Draco will end up together! lol But it's basically it. The whole thing for me is how I will get them together. But I like your way of doing things better, and I think that's what I should be heading to.

3) I look for ways to make every character complex, flawed, and meaningful: that's what's still a bit hard for me right now. But I'm working on it. Today I worked on that, and also on the "Show, don't tell" concept. And your approach is definitely interesting.

4) I research the most mundane shit: Ah, me too! How many hours I have spent on potions ingredients and the complete list of spells! Oh, and I found a great plan of Diagon Alley that was a great help!

5) I never write a scene if it doesn't move the plot or characterization forward. That's what I'm working on. If it's not

[zeitgeistic]

01. I love titles so maybe that's why it comes easier to me. I feel like they set the tone for the entire fic, and knowing the tone helps keep me in line.

03. Sometimes what helps me with this aspect is just the fact that I *want something* in the story. I love writing about magical beasts and I wanted to have a Kneazle, so I tried to figure out how I could incorporate a Kneazle. I also wanted to have fantasy Quidditch, so I tried to think of how fantasy Quidditch could move the story forward. Adding things like that helps me to give things *place* or *timing* sometimes. I always have something to fall back on if I run out of scenes to write, if that makes sense. So maybe you could just think about something that you'd love to write about, even if it has nothing to do with your original plot, and find a way to add that in. Maybe you want to write about beer-making, so you decide to make Draco a brewer of potions AND beer. Who knows! Could be anything.

05. Stephen King would know! It's hard to edit. Maybe another option for you

[sophie_french]

Sometimes what helps me with this aspect is just the fact that I *want something* in the story.

So true! I wanted a Quidditch scene in my fic, so I used one to prompt an important talk between them! :P

[dysonrules]

ARGH!!! SUMMARIES!!! *RUNS AWAY SCREAMING* I always want to use "stuff happens - read this" for a summary.

[firethesound]

I love hearing about how other people write. I always think it's so interesting to hear how we all have such different ways getting our stories onto the page. Thought my writing process mostly reads like a great big what-not-to-do list. But it mostly works for me.

I usually don't have an ending when I start writing. Some of the time I don't even have a beginning. And even if I do write the beginning, I always end up rewriting it after the fic is complete, because otherwise it totally doesn't match. This is why I don't post things until they're completely written. I usually start with a scene in the middle that I really want to make come to life, and the rest of the story is basically an excuse to make that scene happen and give it context.

I am not a linear writer. I'm the worst with shorter stuff (under 10k) where I'll skip around at random, writing a bit here, a bit there, and then filling in all the blanks. My beta deserves a gold star because she usually has to go on a scavenger hunt for missing words and half-written sentences

[sophie_french]

I love reading how you do it, and to be honest, I had wanted to send you a message about that for a while, to ask you how you were doing it, but never dared do it, so I'm glad you did it here!!!

It's great to see everybody's writing process!

Oh and about that: what's the average temperature of London in April the other day I googled "opening hours for shops on Christmas Eve in London" lol

[firethesound]

For a while, I've been wanting to keep track of all the random stuff I end up googling while writing fics. I feel like the lists are long and varied. I like to think that my obsessive nature attention to detail makes my writing better. Though I think I get too hung up on them sometimes.

(Sophie! You can message me about anything! I adore you!)

[sophie_french]

I like to think that my obsessive nature attention to detail makes my writing better.

I think it helps making it ring true. And it's important. You know, when I was writing the chapter about Narcissa crying in TGE, I had not written it like that at first, because I imagined her to be colder and stronger. Then I reread the passage of the Unbreakable Vow in HBP, and was surprised to see that she was completely losing it in this chapter, like being completely hysterical, the way I would never have imagined her! So I think it's good to research, even the tiniest details. Because it might seem unimportant to you, but there could always be someone telling you: "hey, dumbass, shops open at 10 on Christmas Eve!" lol

(Sophie! You can message me about anything! I adore you!)

*blushes* Thank you so much! I will, I promise! :) And now, off to read the latest chapter of All Our Secrets Laid Bare! :)

[nherizu]

Oh I remember writing about this two years ago in a workshop. :D

1. I always decide a theme and other general stuff first. If I see a prompt, I'll think about the theme (coming out!fic? time-travel? PTSD?), the tone I'm gonna use (light or mellow or funny?), which character's POV I'm gonna write (Harry? Draco? 1st person? 3rd person? Limited? Omniscient?), what kind of story it is, target audience, and other little things that seem unimportant but play a great role in my writing. I wrote 'When the Songbird Stopped Singing' in two different tones because of the characters' mental condition (from stiff and serious to light and a bit dorky), and it was planned out before I even started writing it.

2. I always write a plot-line. Per scene, in detail, from the opening scene to the ending. Everything I write is always already plotted out. Maybe I add or delete things as I write, but generally I always follow my plot-line. I never insert anything that's not important to the story. Even the most mundane scene serves a certain purpose (only

[zeitgeistic]

You have a very professional writing modus operandi. Very sophisticated. I like it.

Your plotting strategy especially is nice. I try to generally follow Larry Brooks' story structuring format, but it's in a very loose way. I follow it more closely when I'm writing origific.

And I love how you research! I may try interviewing someone next time!

Themes. I love having themes. I feel like it makes the writing process easier. Something I don't have to spend time thinking about is POV--if it's H/D, Harry is always the main POV. Sometimes I'll have secondary POVs, but it's never just Draco's POV and never 1st person POV. I just can't seem to get in anyone's head like I can Harry. I like how you're able to do different tones for different POV characters. That's something I would find difficult.

Titles. I must be like the only person who has a title in mind when I start, haha!

Also, yep! Manticoria was mine. I'm glad you liked it! I have a love/hate relationship with it myself, haha. :D

[sophie_french]

Oh god, I really love reading about that! And thanks for the link, will go and read it now!

I always write a plot-line. Per scene, in detail, from the opening scene to the ending.

I am the same. For TGE, I had pages and pages of tables with every single detail, because I didn't want any loose end. It happened there was one in the end, but not too important and I was able to change it, but basically, I wanted to make sure that everything had been adressed!

God, I definitely have to go and check Manticoria!!!

[nherizu]

You really should, Manticoria is really good. I really like the premise, and of course, it has a wonderful twist, too ;)

[birdsofshore]

Oh MANTICORIA! Of COURSE you wrote that. *rolls eyes at self* Your name change really threw me, I guess. I hadn't put two and two together at all.

I like your post. I am terrible with titles. I had one all the way through for my Rubber duck fic and I found that SO comforting. Usually (my betas will back me up here) I am emailing them saying "a title? A TITLE????" about 10 mins before it is time to submit. Often I don't know wtf the story is about until I am right at the end. Then I go back and add bits in that fit with whatever theme seems to have developed, and the title might reflect that. 'Hungry' worked that way; as I wrote, Harry just developed this great, well, hunger for life, as well as a prodigious appetite, and I wanted to bring that out in the title.

Btw I meant to say before, Azoth is a way better title than Inner Alchemy.

[zeitgeistic]

>.> Yes. *hides* Were there two and two to be put together? I mean, did it feel like similar writing? I can never tell. Manticoria is an anomaly to me sometimes.

Thanks! What was your title before Rubber Duck? Or is it a secret?

I will start a titling service for fandom. Send me your summaries, I'll send you a title, haha.

Hungry was a good title!

YES, I AGREE. I love the word and it's the last word in the fic, so it feels right to me. The only angsting was because Azoth wasn't defined until really late in the story and it was a concern that it wouldn't make any sense. I just added the definition of the word "azoth" to the beginning like an epigraph and that solved that.

[icmezzo]

I looooooove titling. :D

[zeitgeistic]

With the quality titles you come up with, I can tell!

[bk03]

Interesting. While a title may come to me as I'm writing, I usually wait until after I'm finished to come up with one. Certainly agree with you on #2, I usually have the major points of my fics plotted out. It's how we get there that I don't always have figured out until I'm writing it. I do #4 just for fun, I love reading random Wikipedia articles, and sometimes it'll spark an idea that I end up turning in to a story.

Something I've learned the hard way is that there is such a thing as too prolific. You can't simply jump from fic to fic forever, if you do there will be a point where you just crash and burn. Also, come up with some way to keep track off all the random thoughts you get during the day. You never know when they'll spark an idea for what you're working on or for something new.

[zeitgeistic]

I tried (with original fiction) to plot out every stop between point A and point B, but I've found that the "puzzle pieces" never quite fit together right if I'm not writing more organically. Sometimes, the solution I had plotted just Does Not Fit Anymore and I have to swerve to a different solution while I'm writing.

Interesting tip! I don't think I've gotten to that point yet. I like to have a WIP going and one or two small fics. More than that and I'll just push the least desirable one permanently to the back burner.