Writing Meme: Questions 9 & 10

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

9. Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other? Both, or neither?

I am a drabbler. I prefer writing short fics and drabbles. I don't usually read long fic either unless one of my friends has written it or it's something I am super keen on.

I am a pantser and a plodder. I write in sequence. I don't skip and move on to the next bit if I'm stuck. I may wait a day or two and come back to it but I don't continue on writing the rest of the story. That's not how my mind works.

I have had a long fic in mind for many years (a seven layer BBC Femlock mystery) and I would have to be a plotter, and a very good one, to realize it. I always think about doing it for Nanowrimo, but November is after October and October is my High Holy Season of Ficcing.

I think I would find it difficult to sustain enthusiasm for a long fic that involved a lot of plotting. It doesn't strike me as fun or a great use of my limited free time. But that's just me.

10. How would you describe your writing process?

So, I see *something* that gives me inspiration. A prompt. A bit of a film. An image. A quote. It almost always suggests a particular fandom at the same time. So I think about it a lot, first, composing dialogue, and then when I have a moment, I write it down and start plodding.

I ride my moods. If I feel like writing porn, I forgo sleep and other responsibilities and dive in. Sometimes I am feeling like something clever or quirky or sentimental. I take advantage of wherever my minds is going.

I usually write at night, but those days when I wake up early with a great idea are pretty special. Sometimes things just flow.



1. Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?
2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project
3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway).
4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like).
5. What character that you're writing do you most identify with?
6. What character do you have the most fun writing?
7. What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?
8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?
9. Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other? Both, or neither?
10. How would you describe your writing process?
11. What do you envy in other writers?
12. Do you want your writing to be famous?
13. Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?
14. At what point in writing do you come up with a title?
15. Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?
16. Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)
17. Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?
18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.
19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe 'too often', trope you can’t get enough of?)
20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)
21. What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)
22. Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?
23. What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?
24. Would you say your writing has changed over time?
25. What part of writing is the most fun?

Comments

[smallhobbit]

I'm so glad you write short fics - makes it so much easier to read!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Ha, ha! There is that advantage, too!

[write_out]

I always enjoy reading about how others approach writing, so this has been a fun meme to follow.

Unlike you, I will jump over the tricky bits that are stumping me and write other parts of the story. It's good in that it keeps me engaged with the fic, but really bad in that it's too easy to avoid the hard parts and I think this is one reason why I do not have a lot of finished fics.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yea! I am glad you are enjoying it.

I think your way is more normal, though? (to skip parts) That's why I even mentioned it because I get the sense it isn't a common strategy.

[write_out]

I think it can be a useful strategy if you use it it wisely, not if you're like me and use it as a total avoidance technique, ha.

[debriswoman]

Yes…I admire, rather than usually enjoy the very lengthy fics. You are very good at picking up on a moment, or an object or an action:-)

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yes, I mean, once in a while I get sucked into something lengthy but it's very rare.

Thank you! That's very kind to hear.