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Talking about writing
I know that a lot of people on my flist write fiction, at least occasionally. In fact, I suspect that virtually EVERYONE does. I don't know if anyone here has had any fiction published professionally, but it wouldn't surprise me.
I've been thinking a lot about writing, lately.
Fiction is so - okay, wait: positive, informative. No whining.
I've been trying to think of ways to write more successfully. To avoid choking up, procrastinating, and writer's block. While I was re-reading a Brust book, it crossed my mind that it might be smart to consider changing my approach.
Maybe I set the bar too high for myself. Perhaps, instead of seeing a story as some sort of hugely complicated project that I have to have all smoothed out in my mind before I start...maybe it would be better to simply start writing, and see what happens. If I can find a way to adjust my inner monologue enough to be able to simply let it flow into the form of a story, writing would be a lot easier.
Or I might simply start producing a lot of crap. :D
On the other hand, it's not like I'm writing much now. So what do I have to lose?
I recently re-read Heinlein's Grumbles From The Grave. I admire his writing ability, but thought that he was self-indulgent in his later books and seemed both arrogant and p*****-whipped. But it was interesting to read his letters in which he talked about "hearing" the voices of the characters, at which point stories developed on their own. That has almost never happened to me. Perhaps I'm over-thinking my stories before I start writing them.
So here's a question (finally!) for those who write: what's your process? Do you plot things out in advance, or simply let the words flow? Or do you do something entirely different? Have you ever deliberately decided to change your style or approach to writing, and if so, how did that work out for you? Do you have any tips or tricks to share?
If I were braver, I'd ask for suggestions about my own writing style. But I'm not feeling very brave today, and I don't want to end up crushed. :(
Incidentally, I DO have a story in mind. Well, not exactly a story; it's an idea. The "punchline" for a story, more than anything else. The problem is, I have the punchline, but not the story itself. So I'm sort of stuck.
Maybe I should just start writing with the punchline in the back of my mind, and see what, if anything, develops. I've also wondered if I should run an online scenario to see if I can develop a story that way.
Lots to think about.
I've been thinking a lot about writing, lately.
Fiction is so - okay, wait: positive, informative. No whining.
I've been trying to think of ways to write more successfully. To avoid choking up, procrastinating, and writer's block. While I was re-reading a Brust book, it crossed my mind that it might be smart to consider changing my approach.
Maybe I set the bar too high for myself. Perhaps, instead of seeing a story as some sort of hugely complicated project that I have to have all smoothed out in my mind before I start...maybe it would be better to simply start writing, and see what happens. If I can find a way to adjust my inner monologue enough to be able to simply let it flow into the form of a story, writing would be a lot easier.
Or I might simply start producing a lot of crap. :D
On the other hand, it's not like I'm writing much now. So what do I have to lose?
I recently re-read Heinlein's Grumbles From The Grave. I admire his writing ability, but thought that he was self-indulgent in his later books and seemed both arrogant and p*****-whipped. But it was interesting to read his letters in which he talked about "hearing" the voices of the characters, at which point stories developed on their own. That has almost never happened to me. Perhaps I'm over-thinking my stories before I start writing them.
So here's a question (finally!) for those who write: what's your process? Do you plot things out in advance, or simply let the words flow? Or do you do something entirely different? Have you ever deliberately decided to change your style or approach to writing, and if so, how did that work out for you? Do you have any tips or tricks to share?
If I were braver, I'd ask for suggestions about my own writing style. But I'm not feeling very brave today, and I don't want to end up crushed. :(
Incidentally, I DO have a story in mind. Well, not exactly a story; it's an idea. The "punchline" for a story, more than anything else. The problem is, I have the punchline, but not the story itself. So I'm sort of stuck.
Maybe I should just start writing with the punchline in the back of my mind, and see what, if anything, develops. I've also wondered if I should run an online scenario to see if I can develop a story that way.
Lots to think about.