Quid pro quo, Clarice.

[sarashina]

So I just came off a hellacious couple of weeks (which I will explain properly sometime soon) and I am feeling FREE AS THE WIND BLOWS. Best part? So many of my mental processes have been freed up, and I've been thinking about writing a lot more than I have been lately. Which feels so, so good.

I was thinking of a simple exercise I used to do with writing partners - I was actually telling moonsheen about it the other day - and I thought I'd put it up here so that we all could play.

Here's how it goes: you ask me a question about a writing project, I answer, and ask a question about yours. Simple as that! It could be about a specific project, or something in general (like, say, "Who is your most ____ character?" or something like that.) And the questions can keep going back and forth for as long as you like.

I've always found that it's easier to get enthusiastic about a project and dive right into it when you can share your enthusiasm with someone else. And there are my ulterior motives, of course - I get to find out about everyone else's writing, too.

Just to remind you all, my big projects are:

Completed:
In Descending Order
Grandmaster Draw

In progress:
Catalyst
The Imperial Guard
The Hungry Ground
Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Law

And there are also short stories like "The Mountain Sleeps" (and the not-yet-written universe based around that story), and cowriting and such.

Let's play?

Comments

[ruffwriter.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I want to read that fic.


When it comes to longer projects, I never let myself write it out of order, because even though I'm sure other writers can do it, I write best when I keep the narrative flow consistent. I don't always outline what I'm going to write, but when it comes to more complicated/expository scenes where I have to make sure to hit a lot of certain points, it comes in handy.

Then, I think. I think a lot. I think about my stories on the way to and from class/work/appointments, and I go on a lot of long walks by myself, usually with my iPod. And while I'm doing that, I try to visualize the scene in my head. Once I know exactly what happens in that scene, I can start putting it to words. The first draft, again, is usually in my head. I don't actually put anything down until I'm pretty sure of what I'm going to say. Sometimes scenes go really quickly and easily - especially when there's a lot of dialogue - and sometimes they just sort of hurt to write. The latter ones are usually the scenes that require the most fixing afterward. And then, once I'm satisfied, I move on to the next part!

How about yours?

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, well, mostly mine is the coasting along while chewing on interesting tidbits thing? If it's a longer story (by which I mean like 1-3K), I'll pick out a general sequence of events and connect the dots, not necessarily in order- I tend to shuffle scenes a lot to see how I like the look of things. If it's shorter, I'll usually just transfer one central idea/theme/scene from brain to page and then build around that as I find it necessary.

Depending on whether I have a prompt or not (I prompt myself a lot of times, since it seems to help), and whether or not it's for some sort of challenge/exchange (deadlines often trigger something deathly to my writing-think), the whole process could either go really smoothly and without brain or, you know, in fits and starts and headdesks and mental agony. :P

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

*curses, can't edit comments on LJ! :P And your question: describe your relationship with writing music! I am curious about this, because I've realized that I rarely ever write while actually playing music, but I do often write with songs (or lyrics) in mind.