My Writing Process
Aug. 5th, 2015 12:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grimrose_eilwynnMy writing process is almost entirely defined by my bipolar disorder.
Let me explain what I mean. When I first come up with a writing idea, I get obsessed over it for days. I hardly ever spend any time on anything else, and I can write for hours at a time. I get excited and a little manic.
Eventually, the mania fades away and I'm on an even keel for a while. I write for about an hour a day. During this time is when my best and most detailed work comes out.
I just start writing the story, and makes notes and plans for myself as I go -- I'm too impatient to write out character and plot sheets beforehand, so it just all floats around in my head and eventually comes out on paper. The plus side to this is that I can create whole characters and keep them in excellent characterization without ever writing anything down at all -- I've trained myself to be able to do that. I get compliments on my characters all the time, characters I've never written anything down for, characters I just made up off the top of my head. Each character has a certain feel, and I immediately know everything important about them as soon as my head creates them.
At some point, one day, the inspiration just stops. It just dries up and I stop writing the story completely. Maybe I stop writing entirely, or maybe I just turn to a new project. Either way, the inspiration never lasts forever.
Now this is when the true test comes out. If my inspiration eventually returns and I go back to that original story, I know what I came across was a good writing idea. If the inspiration never returns, the story wasn't worth it and it dies on my computer. The vetting process is pretty harsh, and I'm sure many of the lost story ideas would be good enough for almost anyone else -- but not for me. I have to feel it to be able to write it.
In this way, I'm a very moody and intuitive writer.
Let me explain what I mean. When I first come up with a writing idea, I get obsessed over it for days. I hardly ever spend any time on anything else, and I can write for hours at a time. I get excited and a little manic.
Eventually, the mania fades away and I'm on an even keel for a while. I write for about an hour a day. During this time is when my best and most detailed work comes out.
I just start writing the story, and makes notes and plans for myself as I go -- I'm too impatient to write out character and plot sheets beforehand, so it just all floats around in my head and eventually comes out on paper. The plus side to this is that I can create whole characters and keep them in excellent characterization without ever writing anything down at all -- I've trained myself to be able to do that. I get compliments on my characters all the time, characters I've never written anything down for, characters I just made up off the top of my head. Each character has a certain feel, and I immediately know everything important about them as soon as my head creates them.
At some point, one day, the inspiration just stops. It just dries up and I stop writing the story completely. Maybe I stop writing entirely, or maybe I just turn to a new project. Either way, the inspiration never lasts forever.
Now this is when the true test comes out. If my inspiration eventually returns and I go back to that original story, I know what I came across was a good writing idea. If the inspiration never returns, the story wasn't worth it and it dies on my computer. The vetting process is pretty harsh, and I'm sure many of the lost story ideas would be good enough for almost anyone else -- but not for me. I have to feel it to be able to write it.
In this way, I'm a very moody and intuitive writer.
