WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 13 -- Sunday

[linaewen]

It's a new week, and I'm here to ask how it's going today in your world of writing!  Have you had a successful day, or has it been less successful than you had hoped?  Did any of the following happen?

• writing?
• research?
• planning and outlining?
• editing?
• posting?
• totally ignoring writing in order to do something else?

Today's discussion is brought to you by all those nights when you couldn't stop composing stories in your head, but were too tired to get up and write them down:

 

Is this something you have experienced?  What do you do when this happens?  Do you pray that you'll remember what you thought of in the morning?  Do you get up and write it down?  Do you keep a pad and pencil by your bed and write things down in the dark in hopes you'll be able to read it the next day?

Comments

[linaewen]

I had a very successful day yesterday. I redid a piece I had finished but which I didn't really like, and it turned out much better, and I'm quite happy with it now. It's 1,560 words, and is waiting for a bit of final editing before I post it. I also made some progress with research and some writing for a piece that's currently at 500 words; I'm hoping to get more done on that with what's left of the day.

I had this very problem last night; after working on a story for awhile, I decided to give up and go to bed. But it kept writing itself in my head! I actually got a much better idea for it the minute my head hit the pillow, but I really was too tired to get up. I think because I had been working on the story and had a good feel for it, I trusted myself to remember it. Of course, I didn't remember the actual conversations that took place in my head, but I did remember the gist of it all, so I am confident I will be able to write it.

I usually try to get up and at least write down notes, because I know I'll regret it in the morning if I don't!

[sylvaine]

Haven't done anything even remotely useful all day. Ah well, it's Sunday, I'm gonna use that as an excuse!

Discussion: happens to me ALL the time. Usually I actually get up (or, well, turn over and open the laptop) and write the damn thing out, because in my experience it's a) the only way to ever get me to write anything that's actually complete and b) usually far better quality than anything I produce when halfway lucid.

[roane]

Writing and planning and outlining, whee! Got about 1,000 words today on the next chapter of my WIP, and I think I have a good sense of where it has to go this chapter.

For me, it's not so much lying in bed as it is in the shower or driving in the car. Usually it's driving in the car on the way to work. So when I get there, I try to make notes for myself so I don't forget it--especially since I often get whole conversations of dialogue.

[luna_plath]

Haven't written anything today because I've been traveling/visiting with my family for mother's day. Maybe I'll have time later.

I always end up writing in my head before falling asleep. It's kind of like my brainstorming time. I hope that I remember everything in the morning. Sometimes I do, other times I don't. I tell myself that if the idea is good enough I'll remember it. lol

[crowdog66]

Today I planned and outlined concerning nicknames in the Lethean military and legal names in the Domain of Omalan, and completed a fan art portrait of an enraged character. So not so successful on the writing front but definitely productive in an overall creative sense.

If a whole chunk of story comes to me in bed I'll get up and type it out if it involves delicate details, but if it's major sweeps of plotting I'll let it go until morning and trust that the truly good bits will still be in my brain at that point. :)

[krait]

Hahaha, I do that ALL THE TIME, and naturally remember nothing in the morning. So irritating! Because I really do write entire chapters in my head; and I mean all the way down to very deliberate contemplation of word choices, and line-by-line edits! My about-to-sleep brain is very, very writerly.