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paulamcgHere I go again, writing about my writing, no matter what happens out there in the world. I’d love to hear how all of you write. Our writing is essential!
The way I write is very simple, just as I’ve already described here. Oh, when describing my writing process I forgot to mention research. I do check facts about real-world places, times, weather, music etc, but mainly just at the point in the story when I need them. I do have a separate document in which I make notes and paste links. (Sometimes, when I’ve decided that I want to write a story set in a particular year – e.g. the year when my character left Hogwarts – I search for music of that year before I start writing, and a song I find can work as inspiration and appear in the story.) What I don’t do is writing an outline beforehand – or any character charts, not even for original characters, not even for a chaptered fic (or I didn’t do that for the one, long chaptered fic I wrote). Almost always I write a story from the beginning to the end.
As for editing, it’s just an integral part of my daily writing of a fic, not a separate phase after completing the story. I couldn’t possibly count how many drafts I make. Or maybe I can. Three: the text as it is when I’ve just reached the end, the text after the first read-through after that, and the text I send to the beta. But there are only minor differences between these three texts and the final one, the text after I’ve made the corrections suggested by the beta (almost always all of them).
After reaching the end of the story, I usually leave the fic for a week or so (while I start something new and contact my beta – in case it’s a fest fic and beta is demanded, so that I have a reason not to be too shy to bother my beta) and then I read it again but make only the same kind of changes as I’ve kept doing while writing.
Perhaps this can be called a strategy.
And here’s finally a list of five editing situations in the order of how much pleasure I get from them.
1. Interacting with an amazing beta – and since last year I’ve had one again.liseuse has kindly helped me do the final edit every time I’ve asked her, and saved me from some embarrassing vocabulary errors, but hasn’t questioned the style or contents or suggested anything but minor corrections. This is the most rewarding stage of editing because I get brief positive feedback on how the story works for a reader, which is a treasure particularly when I get little feedback after publishing the fic.
2. Polishing my text constantly while writing. Rereading each paragraph, and every now and then from the beginning of the scene, and several times – also, of course, after reaching the end – from the very beginning. But making only minor corrections and stylistic changes, hardly ever changing the events or adding a whole sentence or more at any spot.
3. Changing the grammatical person in a WIP when I’ve tried to write it in (the more popular) third-person technique and want to give up because I’m sure that a first-person voice will work better.
4. Revising a story I wrote about fifteen years ago (before posting it on AO3) when I notice something in its style or in (minor details in) its contents doesn’t satisfy me any longer.
5. Reading a WIP on my phone on the way to work (while walking, standing at a bus stop or sitting on the bus) and making notes about details to be corrected. This is surprisingly useful because the different line breaks help me notice errors or repetitions more easily, and I sometimes get ideas for the continuation and make brief notes about those, too, on the phone.
The way I write is very simple, just as I’ve already described here. Oh, when describing my writing process I forgot to mention research. I do check facts about real-world places, times, weather, music etc, but mainly just at the point in the story when I need them. I do have a separate document in which I make notes and paste links. (Sometimes, when I’ve decided that I want to write a story set in a particular year – e.g. the year when my character left Hogwarts – I search for music of that year before I start writing, and a song I find can work as inspiration and appear in the story.) What I don’t do is writing an outline beforehand – or any character charts, not even for original characters, not even for a chaptered fic (or I didn’t do that for the one, long chaptered fic I wrote). Almost always I write a story from the beginning to the end.
As for editing, it’s just an integral part of my daily writing of a fic, not a separate phase after completing the story. I couldn’t possibly count how many drafts I make. Or maybe I can. Three: the text as it is when I’ve just reached the end, the text after the first read-through after that, and the text I send to the beta. But there are only minor differences between these three texts and the final one, the text after I’ve made the corrections suggested by the beta (almost always all of them).
After reaching the end of the story, I usually leave the fic for a week or so (while I start something new and contact my beta – in case it’s a fest fic and beta is demanded, so that I have a reason not to be too shy to bother my beta) and then I read it again but make only the same kind of changes as I’ve kept doing while writing.
Perhaps this can be called a strategy.
And here’s finally a list of five editing situations in the order of how much pleasure I get from them.
1. Interacting with an amazing beta – and since last year I’ve had one again.
liseuse has kindly helped me do the final edit every time I’ve asked her, and saved me from some embarrassing vocabulary errors, but hasn’t questioned the style or contents or suggested anything but minor corrections. This is the most rewarding stage of editing because I get brief positive feedback on how the story works for a reader, which is a treasure particularly when I get little feedback after publishing the fic. 2. Polishing my text constantly while writing. Rereading each paragraph, and every now and then from the beginning of the scene, and several times – also, of course, after reaching the end – from the very beginning. But making only minor corrections and stylistic changes, hardly ever changing the events or adding a whole sentence or more at any spot.
3. Changing the grammatical person in a WIP when I’ve tried to write it in (the more popular) third-person technique and want to give up because I’m sure that a first-person voice will work better.
4. Revising a story I wrote about fifteen years ago (before posting it on AO3) when I notice something in its style or in (minor details in) its contents doesn’t satisfy me any longer.
5. Reading a WIP on my phone on the way to work (while walking, standing at a bus stop or sitting on the bus) and making notes about details to be corrected. This is surprisingly useful because the different line breaks help me notice errors or repetitions more easily, and I sometimes get ideas for the continuation and make brief notes about those, too, on the phone.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-11 12:28 pm (UTC)Even though most of my comments on AO3 are somehow detailed, I don’t include concrit. When I feel the story is well-written and the writer has shown some interest in conversation, I can send a private message mentioning an error – like typo – I’ve spotted.
I noticed a big difference in a particular fest which I’d participated on Livejournal in the good old days. R/S Small Gifts had always been a heartwarming experience: I’d felt I received several gifts, not only the fic or art based on my prompt but comments on my fic (even though it was without sex) from… perhaps half of the participants. Now the fest is on DW and AO3, posts the fics on both. Last December I went overboard and in addition to my assignment I wrote three extra gifts. Two of the giftees didn’t respond even with kudos. One commented on DW, one on AO3, and the mods commented on two of the stories if I remember correctly. Otherwise my fic went unnoticed, even though I commented on a lot of works, and on everyone’s introduction in the advent of the fest. Oh, I’ve just checked and seen that my assignment fic received six comments on DW, so I must be satisfied. It seems I easily remember the disappointments most clearly.
My point is that perhaps we shouldn’t take the lack of feedback from even the giftee personally. It could be that now that the fandom is spread on several platforms – even within one fest – people might not follow or return to check out their gift.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-12 02:34 pm (UTC)You did the right thing, IMO. When people are saying that kind of things, it's better to straighten one's back and continue.
You're probably right about the fandom having been spread out being part of it. I also think that people have become accustomed to leaving a 'like' instad of a comment because of sites like Facebook and Tumblr. Personally, I savour every kudos I receive. :)
no subject
Date: 2020-04-13 10:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-13 08:42 pm (UTC)And yes, I still don't understand why she felt the need to tell me that. I think the person was busy trying to become a "big name" in fandom or something.
Being ignored also hurts, yes. And in that regard kudos are great, because it's such an easy way to show your appreciation of a work. :)
no subject
Date: 2020-04-14 05:31 pm (UTC)