Snowflake Challenge - Day 11

[przed]

Backtracking on the challenge again!

Day 11

In your own space, talk about your creative process(es) — anything from the initial inspiration to how you feel after something’s done. Do you struggle with motivation or is it a smooth process? Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to pull out when a fanwork isn’t cooperating? What is your level of planning to pantsing/winging it?

My creative processs is...highly variable.

I used to make detailed outlines before I started on the actual writing, and would jump around and write whichever scene I felt like that day. Now, I'm a total pantser. I've usually got a firm idea for kicking off the story, a less firm idea of how it's all going to end, and I discover the rest as I go along.

I'm coming off a year of the high of writing in a new fandom, where the words flow smoothly and I'm finishing stories easily, and am now back to the place where it's all fits and starts and it seems to take forever to finish anything.

One thing that's consistent, though, is what I do when a story isn't cooperating: write dialogue. If I can't get a scene moving and the characters seem recalcitrant, I just let them talk to each other and see what shakes out. (I LOVE writing dialogue. I HATE writing description.)

Comments

[corvidology]

There's nothing like the creative high from a new fandom, particularly one that's got a lot going on like your new fandom obviously has.

dialogue

[oldtoadwoman]

My first drafts are often almost nothing but dialogue. I go back and flesh in the narrative later.

For me, the most effective trick for narrative is to have one ask me questions. Often I find I already know the answer even though the question had never occurred to me.

Is it a nice restaurant or kind of tacky? Is it crowded? Is the character nervous? Doing a good job of smoothly covering that fact? Or dropping spoons and spilling the sugar? What color is the table cloth?

The first time I had a beta reader ask these kinds of questions I was instantly annoyed. I thought to myself that none of this was important, but then I also realized I knew the answer to every question and actually letting the reader in on what I knew was incredibly helpful.

[potofsoup]

haha, dialogue high-five! (I hate writing everything besides dialogue, too.)

[spikedluv]

Writing dialogue when you're stuck sounds like a good technique. I'm gonna try to remember that and use it.

Oh, the high of writing in a new fandom! :) And the low-lows when you lose that rush. :(