I don't write as much as I think. But when I do write, it's usually either a poem of sorts, a short story with a twist, or it's part of a much grander concept of which I hope to one day turn into a book.
I've attached a short story for a concept I thought off in regards to death (which I later found out I subconsciously ripped off from a friend who told me about it from a manga)
I'm currently trying to work out an idea for a new story I want to write. I've got great ideas for the characters and the rough setting but I need to pin down the details, which isn't easy! It's going to be a children's book - a bit steampunky.
I have the same problem with something I'm working on. I got the beginning and the end pretty much figured out, and much of the plot, motivations, characters etc. But there are some places which wont connect yet in a way that makes much sense within the framework of the story.
One thing that's helped me is after thinking quite a bit on the story, I put some music on my computer or mp3 player, which fits the mood of the story I'm going to tell, plut earplugs into my ears, close my eyes, and let my brain show me what happends. Visualizing like that, really helped me flesh out the concept and themes in my story. And some of the visions I get are pretty amazing IMO. However, it's a bit risky as it may dissasociate from the logical framework of the story. I've certainly had to modify quite a few visions of mine to work within what is already set in stone in my mind.
I wondered if many of you are writing anything at the moment, and if so, what? Which part of the writing process comes most naturally to you? I'm all right once I get going but getting started and committing to one specific project is taking forever.
If I know my characters well, and I have a good idea of where this is headed, the writing comes pretty natural to me. Heck, it comes natural to me even if I don't do that. But that ususally ends up in surreal types of story. Case in point: At times when I'm replying at a forum, the words just come out of my head without me consiciously thinking about it, and I have to read through my last few sentences to actually understand what the hell I'm actually talking about.
Here's an idea for not getting stalemated by your own project: You've created a universe you want to explore in the book. But you're only exploring part of it. Get some of the characters on some spin-offs that you write to entertain yourself. Don't plan them, just let the writing come naturally, and let events unfold as they seem they should. That would help you get to know your characters better, and you'd get a break from what migth seem to you as a somewhat mundane task of having to keep everything together with the story.