WIP Challenge: Day 4 check-in

[elf]

It's April 4, and you know what that means! It's the 25th anniversary of the Grateful Dead show Live at The Centrum! That means it's totally appropriate to put on some tunes and smoke something inspirational while writing your fic. If you're not inclined to smoking, and find music distracting while writing, perhaps you could wear some tie-dye. Or have a random hippie encounter in your fic. Or celebrate the Grateful Dead's activities by keeping hippies *out* of your work and letting them cavort all they want--somewhere else.

Poll #10073 April 4 check-in

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 15

View Respondents

Things I did for my fic today:

View Answers

Wrote some words
10 (66.7%)

Edited something I wrote
3 (20.0%)

Planned out a terrific action scene
3 (20.0%)

Worked on my outline
3 (20.0%)

Researched details I'll put in my current WIP
2 (13.3%)

Researched details I might put in a WIP someday
2 (13.3%)

Sent something to beta
3 (20.0%)

Clicking on poll checkboxes counts as writing, doesn't it?
5 (33.3%)

Discussion Topic: Music--helpful or distracting? Do you make mix collections to write with? Do you want music in the background while you write, or prefer other sounds, or no sounds at all? Do you have a favorite album that gets you typing? Do you have different song preferences for action scenes and sex scenes and thinky-talky scenes?

Comments

[crowdog66]

I've written and posted a 1440-word story in the ReBoot universe that's grabbed me by the throat: "Possession" (Bob/Megabyte, R). I'll be back to working on the Garak/Bashir fic "Impulse" next -- I just had to get Megabyte out of my mind first...

Music? Distracting! A piece of music might inspire an image or a whole scene that results in a fic, but while I'm working the only sound I can tolerate is the TV (which I've learned to filter out while working).

[ty_writes]

Reboot, That brings back so many memories

[rhi]

Oh, yeah. I totally need music to write. Mostly as something to concentrate *against*, but what I write against changes with what I'm writing which is why I have instrumental, foreign language, fight and horror play lists, among others. (Just now, Phil Collin's "I Don't Care Anymore" while I write a kidnapping.)

[littlebutfierce]

Sent something I've been struggling along w/for months off to beta/first-reader/cheerleader -- whatever, it is out of my hands for now. Hooray! Maybe someday it will get posted.

I find music helpful, sometimes as background noise, sometimes as inspiration. I have vague mood-related playlists; once in a v. long while I have specific fandom playlists. & sometimes I just let iTunes go on shuffle, which occasionally results in interesting bits of inspiration!

[lilly_c]

I've got a couple of drabble/ficlet lenght pieces ready for posting, need to find some time to post them and double check my ep notes for one of them. Want to get some work on my casestory fic too before I'm away home on Monday. Also signed up for the new round of prompt_in_a_box (on LJ) I'll get my prompts emailed tomorrow, think sign-ups are still open actually.

I always have music on. Sometimes a song, a few lines or a instrumental piece will spark something but I mostly have music on because I cannot concentrate at all with the telly on and my flat is too noisy for silence. When I'm at the beach (where I sometimes write) I usually put my ipod on shuffle and just zone out for a couple of hours.

[roane]

Struggling a bit with the edits for chapter 1 of Pull the Stars from the Sky (the Sherlock AU finally has a name, yay!). One of my betas is especially incisive about it and is correct, but that doesn't mean I'm not whining about rewriting scenes. :)

I MUST have music to write. I mean, not 100% of the time, but most of the time. I have playlists for things. One of my oldest writing tricks is to take something with caffeine or sugar (Mountain Dew has been popular in the past, but not so much anymore), and pick one or two songs for what I'm working on, and put them on repeat. It has the effect of sort of hyperfocusing me.

Of course, given that the thing I'm working on right now is a music-based AU, the playlist is ENORMOUS. :)

[in_lighter_ink]

I've written words! Granted, they were for a meme fill I'm working on and not, you know, for either of the fics that are due at the end of the month, but. Still.

Music is a necessity for me. I have sort of vague mood and character playlists, and sometimes listening to something completely unrelated to what I'm working on sparks a new insight or direction. I also tend to always listen with headphones -- even if I'm the only one around -- helps me concentrate.

[snowynight]

I've written 4K on my AU wip of doom.

Music doesn't matter to me. It neither helps nor impede me to write

[bay_alexison]

FINALLY got started editing my help_japan fic. I only have a couple scenes edited, but it's progress. I think it'll take a while as the first part of the fic is over 10K and I'll most likely need rewrite a scene or two. @_@ Haven't heard from Beta A over my Big Bang yet, but I'll check on her again Friday night so that I can concentrate a bit on editing my help_japan fic for the time being.

When I'm editing music relaxes me so that I'm not like, "Oh gawds the characterization is work, I suck" and such. XD As for writing I tend to put on music if I'm in a mood for a specific playlist/genre/soundtrack/etc. while other times I can write without it.

[barbayat]

Wrote very little - was more busy with migraines (yes, it is migraine week). I did however think about how the chapter will turn out and at least I kno whow to proceed.

As for music, sometimes it helps - sometimes it does distract me terribly. For Dark Matters I have currently a very strange mix - mostly to make sure I do not accidently listen to a "triggering" song. For some reason I connect a c ertain song with a certain fanfic idea or a pairing (like Strangelove which is my ultimate Gabriel/Dracula song - but I can't listen to that or I only focus on the later parts of the trilogy, not Part 1 sans Gabriel) .... and any of those songs is bound to distract me. Luckily some songs are more generally getting me into the vampiric spirit and that helps with Dark Matters as well as other vampire fanfictions.

[mareel]

Music is essential when I'm writing. I have playlists for my WIPs, for various AU's, for relationships, even some for particular characters. Sometimes it's just background, but often it's a more direct source of inspiration.

I find I can't write when there is other distracting noise, like the tv. I can tune it out while I do some other things, but not when I'm trying to write.