Bisky's Twitterling's Scribbles! discussion

What is your process when you are going to write. Do you have anything you -must- do to enable yourself to write?

Is there anything you do you'd want to change about how you go about it?

I like writing first thing in the morning after my first cup of coffee. When I've finished what I wanted to add to a story then I'm ready to do other things.

I must start my writing early in the morning and go until at least lunchtime. Other routines take over and it's hard to get back into it during the afternoon, but often I'll do a little writing in the evenings.

I have to listen to my story's playlist. I have to play a song on repeat when I'm writing certain scenes to set the mood. I also like to write in the dark, which probably isn't the best thing for my eyes. I don't write very much if I can't hear my characters' voices in my head. Maybe I'm crazy. O.O

I am very music orientated Ren :]

I do a lot of the same things Ren does. I almost always listen to music, always use a playlist (I have several created for different genres and styles), and frequently put one song on repeat. I've written entire chapters listening to one song on repeat for days and days.

And Ren, if you are crazy, we all are, so no worries! ;)

I like my music to be jumpy and repetative with no lyrics :3 Sometimes soundtracks, but only for emotional scenes :D

I've got different playlists too. Some have lyrics some don't. My favorite soundtrack would have to be Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. After I watched that movie, I got the soundtrack and suddenly Obsession took on a whole new life.

No Ren, you are not crazy. I argue with my characters when they don't go the way I think they should. (BTW: I rarely win. ;) )

Yeah, I'm the morning writer as well. I find that my inner critic (that voice in the back of my head that tells me I suck) is a late waker, so I get the best work done before the afternoon.

I only end up listening to music if I hit insanity mode and need something to counter the fritz in my brain. Usually around Nanowrimo time. Usually either instrumental or techno... sometimes even dub-step. Never with lyrics unless they're drowned out.

I must have my second cup of coffe, otherwise I can't do anything in the writing department. Aftrer that I re-read my characters bio, the last chapter (just to see where i left) and I'm ready to go.

Music and silence in the background. I honestly MUST zone myself out with good music, or every little thing in this crazy house distracts me. I even have to go so far as to announce I'm going to go write, so children, teens, and adults aren't poking me or asking me for stuff.

I wish I could just sit and write, because some days I really want to, but it requires a bit of planning. Stupid distractions, anyway. :(

My process? I open the laptop, open the file and start writing. It's not interesting, quirky or 'artistic' but so be it. I write in the morning, afternoon or evening as time allows. Linda can have the TV on, or music or whatever. I zone in on the story and tune out the world. I'm not temperamental, and the only circumstance or condition needed for me to write is a place to sit and my laptop.

The most important thing to me is to make writing the _first_ thing I do in the day. Everything else feels better if I've written first. My morning routine before writing? Hmmm, shower, ablute, unload dishwasher, feed cats, make green tea, eat breakfast while reading a couple of pages of Asimov's Chronology of the World. Then write. Then go about other things in the day.

I write when I find myself in front of the computer. We travel all the time so it doesn't happen every day.

I write when I find my self relaxing in the evenings when my thoughts start flowing out. This is my form of relaxation after a day's work to unwind.

I used to write first thing in the morning, but then I read a study that said we are more creative when we are tired. So I'm trying to save it for the last thing in my day before dinner. It's working well so far.

Late at night works best for myself in the dark which is not good for the eyes but it helps me focus solely on the computer at hand. I have a serious problem of spacing out and discovering shiny objects. I also listen to tons of Celtic and Gaelic music. It helps me think clearly and it isn't too loud to distract my transpiring thoughts.

I just love the wide range of things that work for us!

@J: shiny things? Oh I have to be soooo careful writing at the computer. Endless shiny things... BTW, I love Gaelic and Celtic music too ( not to write to, but in general).

Soft back round music soothes the sole especially pieces like Enya, soft water and natural sounds or soft classical was told this with when my children were studying it helped them soothed and relaxed.

Drafts are written by hand with a pen. Then I type them onto the laptop where editing occurs.

@Carl did that today with some chapter rewrites, it was quite nice :3 but I dunno if I could write the whole draft like that. I type fast enough to keep up with my brain. I can't write freehand like that.

well done Carl

I homeschool my kids so it's hard to have any strict rules or times. I try to get the first draft done early in the morning or when my husband is home from work. When my husband is home, I have to have my headphones on to drown out the noise from downstairs. I also have to lock the office door and bring the key in with me so no one comes in to ask me questions.

I've realized that my previous answer to this was incomplete since I have a co-author, my wife Linda. so here goes the complete answer-

First we start with an idea and we research. We discuss the idea and then I sit down and start 'spewing' the first draft. Not too concerned with spelling at this point, or sentence structure etc. The thing is to get the story out and 'on paper.' Well, on computer but you know what I mean... We discuss the story as I am spewing, keeping Linda caught up on progress. Linda contributes ideas frequently during this phase.

Writing with Linda is Brilliant- she often has ideas that send the story in new, better directions. If I get stuck we sit and brainstorm and get me un-stuck.

Linda does a quick read as we go along to make sure that I haven't completely lost my mind and that the story makes sense and mostly works. Next we read the story out loud. This makes it really obvious when a sentence or passage doesn't work, and we correct as we go. We do this every few chapters so the 'second draft' is actually being created concurrently with the first, just a few chapters behind.

I joke that Linda is the 'Amnesty International' of our writing, rescuing my tortured prose and nursing it back to health...

When the story is finished and the second draft is complete and we're happy with it it goes to an editor. This can be at our publisher or a free-lance editor depending on circumstances. We get the story back and implement the editors corrections and often their suggestions. Then the story goes to a proof-reader and we make any remaining corrections needed. The story is done, ready to publish or submit to an editor.

There- that's the complete process.

Anna, lol. I'm not a technophobe but I can royally screw up a word doc. Lost part of a script last weekend. The pen is safer!

How did you manage that! :o I haven't lost anything for years except on paper :p I have an intricate network of external hardrives, memory sticks and google drive :p

I use Dropbox to back up all my docs in the Cloud. It's pretty reliable and my docs are available on all my devices, including my phone.

Willow: it sounds intense and beautiful. I agree that if you're not going to write the naked truth, why bother. Me, I hear it best with silence. So interesting the different ways we hear our truth.

Willow, we are old-fashioned. :)

I guess I need my loud repetative music to stop my mind from being distracted by other thoughts. I hand rewrote two chapters last week, its helped me immensly! I think I'll try it more :3

Bisky, did you write in your pink notebook with your awesome pen? (Loved your video)

I sure did! :3

http://distilleryimage3.ak.instagram....

From my instagram :3 Hoping to do some more videos soon, just trying to figure out what to waffle about is alittle difficult :p

I love this thread! So insightful.

I do my best writing on a night ... quite often with a glass of whiskey to hand - and always with music playing. I wrote the whole of The Battle For Brisingamen listening to the twilight soundtracks - songs and score ... most of The Glade too come to think of it, with some Last of the Mohicans thrown in for good measure.
Occassionally I write all day as well, on one epic occasion I produced 25K words in one stint - was pretty square eyed by the end though ... lol
I tend to choose music to match the mood I intend to create in my current chapter. Sometimes I write in silence, but most often I have the background music running.
I'm definitely at my most creative when I should be sleeping - the times I've been dragged out of bed in the dead hours to spend two or three hours sitting at the computer in the dark, the ideas pouring out. It feels great at the time, but in the morning I always regret it - I call it my writing hangover, lol :3
It's great reading this thread and seeing how NORMAL I am after all, everyone else (non writers) just thinks I'm a crazy lady ;P

I do that too actually, I try to match up what I'm writing with a soundtrack. Music often lets me know what emotion I should be feeling. It helps me that way.

Twilight was a set of shit movies with a pretty awesome soundtrack, I absolutely love Sia. I'm blogging about what I listen to on Monday (its done but I already posted a blog on friday, don't want to over do it, lol) if anyones interested in finding some new music :3

Now that I'm editing I just have to alternate what I listen to :3 Finally I'm getting to the more action packed chapters so I can listen to some epic songs again >:]

Morning, coffee, cigar, watching the sun rise through he window while my gears get turning. Then 4 to 6 hours of writing or editing, whatever may be the case for the day.

I had an image of you adjusting your monocle as I read that :p

Bisky, THAT image made me laugh and snort coffee out of my nose !

Hope it didn't get onto your Victorian style twizzly moustache :P

Twilight soundtracks are bloody fantastic.