[SweetDreams]

Can anybody tell me how does the process of writing go? I know it's individual, I'm looking for examples to think about...

 

[ibage]

This is speaking from my point of view. Look at what's in your head. Experiences, lessons, morals, inspirations. When you have an idea you feel you can express yourself enough with, go from there. Start structuring what's in your head and lay the framework. Once you have the backbone set, let ideas roll around some more. Once the time comes you feel you have enough to work with, start expressing those thoughts. Give them substance and meaning.

Once again, speaking from my mindset, I start with a theme or moral. Once I have that, I decide on the setting and give a conflict to fuel the theme. From there, I start developing characters and technology as well as the world or universe it's set in. Once I have that, I start writing.

I'm not published at all and I'm currently looking to go to school for writing. This is what works for me and how I process things. Take everything in this post with a grain of salt. However, remember that patience and time are both key.

 

[Krelian91]

Every person usually has a different mindset while writing, you should find your own. However, if it helps, I'll tell you how I usually go with the process of creating a story:

First of all, I think of a main theme: try to think about the things and the issues that you are most involved with. Then create characters which are connected to these themes, and focus on how they think and what drives them. (My stories are usually all character-driven)
When I figure that out, I think and focus on how to start and finish the storylines and the conflicts of the main characters: then I start to think about the setting and the general plot. When I figured out a solid plot I start writing: then in the process I create a lot of more details and secondary storylines that enrich the overall story.

My greatest advice is: don't worry if your story at first seems a bit too simple. Complexity will naturally come as you write. The tale always grows in the telling. (This, of course, if you want to write a novel and not just a short story.)

 

[ibage]

My greatest advice is: don't worry if your story at first seems a bit too simple. Complexity will naturally come as you write. The tale always grows in the telling. (This, of course, if you want to write a novel and not just a short story.)

This is also important as well. I don't know who exactly said it but it's been reverberated quite a few times; "Nothing you ever write is wasted."

 

[SweetDreams]

This is speaking from my point of view. Look at what's in your head. Experiences, lessons, morals, inspirations. When you have an idea you feel you can express yourself enough with, go from there. Start structuring what's in your head and lay the framework. Once you have the backbone set, let ideas roll around some more. Once the time comes you feel you have enough to work with, start expressing those thoughts. Give them substance and meaning.

Once again, speaking from my mindset, I start with a theme or moral. Once I have that, I decide on the setting and give a conflict to fuel the theme. From there, I start developing characters and technology as well as the world or universe it's set in. Once I have that, I start writing.

I'm not published at all and I'm currently looking to go to school for writing. This is what works for me and how I process things. Take everything in this post with a grain of salt. However, remember that patience and time are both key.

Every person usually has a different mindset while writing, you should find your own. However, if it helps, I'll tell you how I usually go with the process of creating a story:

First of all, I think of a main theme: try to think about the things and the issues that you are most involved with. Then create characters which are connected to these themes, and focus on how they think and what drives them. (My stories are usually all character-driven)
When I figure that out, I think and focus on how to start and finish the storylines and the conflicts of the main characters: then I start to think about the setting and the general plot. When I figured out a solid plot I start writing: then in the process I create a lot of more details and secondary storylines that enrich the overall story.

My greatest advice is: don't worry if your story at first seems a bit too simple. Complexity will naturally come as you write. The tale always grows in the telling. (This, of course, if you want to write a novel and not just a short story.)

Thanks, this could be helpful


I wasn't even thinking about the process of writing a story, but that's a good idea also. When I wrote the post, I was only thinking about poetry...


Have writing ever made you realize your own psychological motives? like when you finished up with an idea, you saw how much it was about you, when you were actually writing about something that was external?

 

[Krelian91]

Thanks, this could be helpful


I wasn't even thinking about the process of writing a story, but that's a good idea also. When I wrote the post, I was only thinking about poetry...


Have writing ever made you realize your own psychological motives? like when you finished up with an idea, you saw how much it was about you, when you were actually writing about something that was external?

Oh sorry, with creative writing I thought you meant prose. ^^ I'm not really an expert on poetry. XD

Anyway, basically anything I write is about me in some ways, every story is a different aspect of my personality, another conflict and dilemma that concerns me. I think it's pretty normal to write about oneself.

 

[owlet]

If I write prose, it starts from a vague image of a scene that then links together with other images - like shots of a film being put together. There are blanks I have to fill in, but it just comes to me. Sometimes I just stick something in until I think of something better. It's pretty haphazard - very unlike a lot of my other work.

With poetry, it starts with a rhythm and a vague feeling that then gets pulled out like a thread until it makes something. A good example of this was when I wrote a poem intended to be for a picture book (but was way too dark) and it was all about the rhythm - without that, it was just a pretty idea. Beat is very important with poetry to me.

 

[Eiderdrown]

Thanks, this could be helpful


I wasn't even thinking about the process of writing a story, but that's a good idea also. When I wrote the post, I was only thinking about poetry...


Have writing ever made you realize your own psychological motives? like when you finished up with an idea, you saw how much it was about you, when you were actually writing about something that was external?

My edge on poetry is to start off with the effects of my...psychological motives, actually. (well put!) I'm going to recall a few lines I wrote when I was thinking about what a stress on the martyr aspects of myself would entail...and my writing process (as best I can)

> The core was that, I believed I would crack and become uncharacteristic of myself (implications in general are great to the depth of poetry), which resulted the line...
"I try but don't obey"

> From there, I add context; where the problems come from itself...giving the reader some details to get on the same page as me
"For instance I pray"
(I guess all problems are self imposed)

> Going further into context, I've started to get more detailed into the motives of this character..but it's me in this case, So I get more personal (ruh roh).
"I will make the grade today"

> I save my ideas until this point..and return to the core to go on with more implications (this is after everything else is done)

Poems juggle between "It is" and "What it could be" questions for motives, ideas themes or etc...

The articulation and rhyming come after I've got the ideas for each line in the poem generally...I try to reduce my dependence on communication limits.




It all feels very external and real (to me) to answer your question... and because they're based on me, it can get pretty embarrassing..but I can pretend that they're not when I think about it afterwards.. or when somebody stumbles across them xd

 

For instance I pray
I will make the grade today
I try but don't obey
For instance, six feet under I pray

=

 

The overturning of my aspirations in separation of the internal and external worlds result in an internal suicide

I've condensed the Context, Intent, Implications, so this poem comes out dense and to the point..but that's ok. Past the poor rhyming, poor poetic devices, poor use of words, poor etc...This is some advice on my creative writing...and I'm taking advice too xd

 

[carlin]

Last year, I used to attempt 750 words a day on this website, 750words, which is based on the morning pages from the book The Artist's Way.

The idea behind the morning pages is that by writing 750 words of stream-of-consciousness prose everyday you unclutter your sub-conscious, leaving it free to process your creative endeavors.

This year though, I try to write about 500 words a day of quality prose, since my primary focus is learning and improving my craft. But I still take a stream-of-conscious approach in the beginning, then when I get to a good idea I flesh it out and polish it.

As far as the creative process goes, I'm a big believer in brainstorming, list making and mind mapping, as well as doing second drafts, third drafts, and fourth drafts.

Just taking a break for a while and coming back can make a big difference. When I come back to a piece, I often find what seem to be obvious improvements I can make that I wasn't seeing before because I hadn't stepped away.

I don't write poetry, but when I give my subconscious time to ruminate, it rewards me with a better image, metaphor, punch line, etc.

 

[ideologicalflowz]

For poetry, I like to start off by thinking about what I want to capture and express. Then I spend time trying to visualize it and really put myself in the mindset that I think will help me write about it the best. I usually try tying the themes and ideas that I want to convey to real-life events and memories.

Then I write out key words to represent all the things that I was thinking about. Sometimes, if I cannot find the word, I draw pictures and symbols in its place instead and come back to it later. This provides me with a sort of map and then I look at each of those words/symbols and flesh out my individual response to each item. From this point on, the poem usually starts to take on a form and life of its own and I refine the poem's structure to my own liking/style.

I know my insights may not be very useful, but I do hope you are able to find your own path to writing. Good luck to you!

 

[GoodOldDreamer]

If you want things to read in terms of creative writing, just browse through any number of fan fiction sites out on the web that take your fancy. That's all fan fiction is, lol. Good, bad, and anything in between. And if you want to get into writing, that's a good route to go for practice and get lots of feedback at the same time. Take your favorite show/movie/book/game/whatever and write about it. Make up stories that you wish would happen or hope will happen or pretend happened "behind the scenes". The characters are there, pre-established for you, as are most of the locations. So that frees you up to focus on the stories and character interactions more. )

 

[SweetDreams]

Wow, I didn't expect to have that many responses
It's all going to be very helpful to me!

I'd like to say more, but I'll have to write it when I'm feeling less tired.
Thank you roud:

 

[SweetDreams]

The idea behind the morning pages is that by writing 750 words of stream-of-consciousness prose everyday you unclutter your sub-conscious, leaving it free to process your creative endeavors.

Interesting...

@Eiderdrown, thanks for analyzing your process like that, it made it very clear.

@GoodOldDreamer, thanks for the idea, it could also be releasing...

I'm not interested in writing for artistic reasons. I'm looking for ways to make my writing to sound more abstract. I hope I could figure my method to it out of all of these ideas as an inspiration...so thanks

 

[jd_]

I need a theme/prompt and an audience in mind.
What is the driving theme/moral of the story which is going to come up throughout and come to a climax?

Then, who am I writing for. Is this a service piece? Am I attempting to write something beautiful? Is it academic? Is it humorous? Who do I envision reading this?

Once there, I just let Ni do all the work and know it will come together. The ideas will come to me once I'm writing. The MAIN problem is actually starting, b/c I often just live out the entire story in my head and don't actually write it down.

This is one reason I think taking a creative writing class or workshop *could* be helpful for you. Very helpful for me as it forces me to do it. ... Expressing all those ideas in my head through Fe to evoke emotion/ideas/understanding in others.