WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 30 -- Monday

[linaewen]

Hello on Monday!  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

Monday Discussion - Do you use any other method besides writing/typing to record your writing (example: a voice recorder)?

Comments

[linaewen]

I used to get inspired while driving, so I tried using a small voice recorder to make story notes, but it didn't really work that well. I am much better at keeping up with the flow of inspiration with pen and paper, or in front of my computer.

[brithistorian]

I tend to get inspired while washing dishes, which is really not conducive to taking notes, so I've learned to hold my ideas in my head until I finish washing, then I dash and write them all down.

[linaewen]

That's pretty much my method, too!

[innitmarvelous_og]

I'm going to write some more today.

And nope never used a voice recorder.

[brithistorian]

Yesterday I started on chapter 2 of my latest WIP (a hotel AU fic set at a ski-country bed and breakfast). Since I can consistently write about 500 words a day right now, and since my chapters are pretty consistently end up being about 2000 words no matter how I try to change their length, I've found a way to use this to my advantage: My story has 4 viewpoint characters, so each chapter contains a 500-word section from each viewpoint. If I can write one section a day (except Mondays: class on Monday = no writing on Monday), every day, I can write 3 chapters every 2 weeks. I doubt I'll be able to actually keep that up, but it's a good goal to shoot for.

I've started a new part of my writing workflow that seems to be helping a lot. I had been in the habit of keeping each chapter in its own file plus a reference file for things I've looked up that I'll want to find again (Korean vocabulary, etc.). I've started also keeping a "feels" file, where I write down what the overall tone is I've going for in the story and what each character's current main motivations are. I read the feels file every time I sit down to write, which helps me keep tone and motivation consistent across the story, whereas otherwise I have an unfortunate tendency to drift somewhat from chapter to chapter.

[frogfarm]

Final editing, preparing to post finished fic.

At least for me, voice recorders work great for those momentary flashes of inspiration, not so much for prolonged dictation.

[frogfarm]

Even better, I broke through my block on the Buffy fic I set aside to work on this small fandom fic. I cheated my way elegantly through a would-be long and hard bit by making it short and sweet, *and* managed to finish a similar-to-dream sequence without it feeling too difficult, awkward and amateur. Win all around.

[linaewen]

I'm stalled on a long and hard bit in a WIP I'm working on -- turning it into a short and sweet bit might be the answer to my writer's block on that!

[dirty_diana]

I just finished incorporating one set of beta notes, so tonight/tomorrow for the second hopefully. Then Wednesday = posting day. Eep.

I used to dictate with a headset, typing at a desk just does not agree with me at all. Now I lay in bed and use my phone to type, though.