WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 4 -- Thursday

[linaewen]

Hello on Thursday!  What kind of a writing day has it been today -- or yesterday, if today hasn't gotten going yet?

•     I thought about my fic once or twice
•     I wrote
•     I did some planning and/or research
•     I edited
•     I've sent my fic off to my beta
•     I posted today!
•     I'm taking a break
•     I did something else that I'll talk about in a comment

Thursday Discussion:  Outlines/Plans -- Does knowing exactly what happens next help you actually write it, or does the writing still have to be dragged out of you kicking and screaming?  Are outlines and plans generally helpful or do you work better just letting the writing take you whither it will?

Comments

[linaewen]

Writing isn't happening, I may have to wait until the weekend when I can be uninterrupted.

Detailed outlines are very important to me, and I usually know exactly what needs to be covered in a chapter -- but that doesn't mean it transfers easily from outline to screen! I deal with a lot of kicking and screaming sometimes when it comes to dragging out the words, even knowing what should happen -- this is especially true of opening paragraphs. Starting a new chapter is the hardest part. However, having that clear idea helps when the words finally come, because I can write like gangbusters then. ;-)

[rebecca2525]

I'm similar when it comes to outlines. For shorter/less complex fics I can keep the outline in my head, but for longer stuff or plotty stuff, I need a written outline. The more detailed the outline, the smoother the writing usually goes, but yeah, I can still have parts where writing feels like pulling teeth. Sometimes I'm lazy and handwave stuff during outlining, but I will regret it later. (Yet, I never learn...)

[rebecca2525]

I rewrote the crappy beginning I wrote yesterday. I normally try not to edit as I write the first draft, but since it is the beginning and I was just getting into the story, I think in this case, it helped matters.

[rosefox]

I've been keeping up with my daily one-sentence stories. They're hard!

I am a recent convert to the cult of outlining. Now that I understand better how to use an outline (and argue with it), I really like it.

[snowynight]

I posted a fic.

I wished I knew what would happen exactly next before writing, but alas, I usually only know what the next scene may be during writing.