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[mare]

I can't seem to find our thread we were posting on. This is the first time I'm coming on today and it was there when I last read it last night. I'm not sure what happened, so I'm starting a new one.

I did see where Julie mentioned school wasn't done yet. This seems later than usual for you. Am I correct in that thinking? I feel like you were usually done before Memorial Day.

Sorry about that, guys. I really have no clue what happened. I would even blame my sausage fingers, but I was only reading last night and didn't come on to post anything. 

[mare]

Oh, and I got my elastic, so I was able to redo my bracelet.

[backstreetsbabyg]

That’s weird… the thread really did just disappear… has this ever happened before?

My last post from last night was asking everyone what their writing process was.(some writing YouTubers that I follow have done challenges in the past like “writing like Stephen King for the week”. I’ve been toying with trying it to up my productivity.

[RokofAges75]

You're right; the thread is gone!  Weird.  That has happened before, and we can never figure out why.  I posted my thoughts on AI and a response to Lindsey's question about writing process that I don't feel like retyping right now LOL.

I'm glad you got more elastic, Mare!

Some years we do get out before Memorial Day, but we started a little later this year and then had two snow/cold days, which pushed us back an extra two days.  Tomorrow would have been our last day otherwise.

[mare]

Threads have vanished a few times before. I have no idea how or why. That sucks when you write out a long reply and it either erases or the thread disappears.

That's a good question about writing processes. I don't know if I've ever really thought about that. I've never been one to map out a story by outlining what I want to cover or anything like that. I usually come up with an idea but don't really act on it unless it just won't leave my head. A lot of times, I'll have a thought, "Oh, this would make a great story!" But then that's as far as it gets. Other times, I find myself constantly thinking about the what ifs of it. That's when I actually start writing it down. Sometimes the Title comes first, sometimes that's the hardest thing to come up with. Generally, I know what direction I want the story to go. I'll have specific parts of the story all done in my mind, but the process of getting there is very spontaneous. A lot of my plot twists happen as I write, never really intending for them to happen until they show on the computer.

I know I've mentioned this before, but "Why I'd do it all Again." Originally started out as a - what would happen if Nick and Kevin went on the Amazing Race together. That then morphed into the idea of having cameras surround them 24/7 as if a documentary was being filmed, which morphed into each one having their own Pov about a day in the life while on tour. That's a lot of unplanned morphing. lol but then ironically, I went back to the Amazing Race idea but then just changed it to fly fishing. I have yet to actually do the Amazing Race. lmao maybe one day.

I have never attempted to write in the style of someone else. I would find that too difficult. It would make sense for someone who is trying to find a voice of their own maybe?

[backstreetsbabyg]

Threads have vanished a few times before. I have no idea how or why. That sucks when you write out a long reply and it either erases or the thread disappears.

That's a good question about writing processes. I don't know if I've ever really thought about that. I've never been one to map out a story by outlining what I want to cover or anything like that. I usually come up with an idea but don't really act on it unless it just won't leave my head. A lot of times, I'll have a thought, "Oh, this would make a great story!" But then that's as far as it gets. Other times, I find myself constantly thinking about the what ifs of it. That's when I actually start writing it down. Sometimes the Title comes first, sometimes that's the hardest thing to come up with. Generally, I know what direction I want the story to go. I'll have specific parts of the story all done in my mind, but the process of getting there is very spontaneous. A lot of my plot twists happen as I write, never really intending for them to happen until they show on the computer.

I know I've mentioned this before, but "Why I'd do it all Again." Originally started out as a - what would happen if Nick and Kevin went on the Amazing Race together. That then morphed into the idea of having cameras surround them 24/7 as if a documentary was being filmed, which morphed into each one having their own Pov about a day in the life while on tour. That's a lot of unplanned morphing. lol but then ironically, I went back to the Amazing Race idea but then just changed it to fly fishing. I have yet to actually do the Amazing Race. lmao maybe one day.

I have never attempted to write in the style of someone else. I would find that too difficult. It would make sense for someone who is trying to find a voice of their own maybe?

It’s not really trying to copy the chosen author’s voice from the vids I’ve watched… more like hitting a certain word count or following their writing schedule I guess would be another way to word it.

[mare]

Oh, okay. I know I usually aim for at least 500 to 1,000 words a day and usually anywhere from 3500 to 4500 words a chapter. As far as schedule, I always write this time every day (9:30 - whenever) fluctuates depending on my schedule. But if I didn't have a regime, I could see me looking for guidance from someplace else.

[RokofAges75]

Oh, I misunderstood the original question about writing process and writing like certain authors, too.  In the first response I posted on the last thread that disappeared, I talked about how I used to unintentionall y emulate authors whose work I'd been reading a lot of.  When I first got into Harry Potter and was obsessively reading and rereading the first four books while waiting for the fifth one to come out, I started using some of JK Rowling's techniques, such as parenthetical inserts in the middle of sentences.  Similarly, when I was reading a lot of Stephen King, I found myself describing settings in more detail, like he does.

I haven't intentionally set out to follow a specific writer's process, but I've definitely picked up tricks and habits from different writers over the years, both published authors and other fanfic authors.  I read Stephen King's book "On Writing" years ago, so I know I've gotten advice from him.  If I remember correctly, he's one of those authors who writes every morning.  I'm a night owl and used to do most of my writing late at night, but a few years ago, I started writing every morning instead.  I've found that it's easier to stay consistent if I do it first thing in the morning, before I get too distracted by anything else.  If I wait until after work, I'm usually too tired and brain dead to do anything that requires mental effort or creativity, so I write before work when my mind is fresh.  I don't set a daily word count goal like Stephen King does, mostly because I usually only have 20-30 minutes to write while I'm getting ready for work.  If I can get 100 words written in that time, great!  On weekends when I have more time, I try to get more like 1000 words written.  Sometimes I'm way over that, and sometimes I'm way under.  My goal is really just to write at least one word a day to stay consistent with it.  I hit Day 1225 of my daily writing streak yesterday!

I started tracking my daily word count on NaNoWriMo a few years ago, thanks to a suggestion from Dee.  I'm sad because the site just shut down earlier this week, and I lost all my stats.  I found another site called TrackBear that is similar, so I may start using that instead.

Another habit I've gotten from other writers is celebrating with a glass of wine when I finish a novel.  It doesn't happen very often because I write such long stories LOL.

[mare]

I didn't realize NaNoWriMo went away. That's something I always said I'd do but never did.

I definitely prefer writing in the morning. I find that by the afternoon or evening, my mind starts to wander, and I find it much harder to concentrate.

The glass of wine thing is a great idea. Maybe I'll start something like that when I finish a novel I'm about three chapters away from finishing the one I'm writing now. I am not a fan of wine of alcohol in general but perhaps doing chinese takeout would work!

[RokofAges75]

I never did the actual NaNoWriMo contest in November; November is such a busy month that I knew I would never be able to write 50k words.  I did a couple of the "Camp Nano" ones in April and July and had a bit more success with that, thanks to spring and summer break.  But 50k a month is still a lofty goal.  I didn't even write 100k words last year (for the whole year), and I'm not on track to make 100k this year either.  But I care more about being consistent than burning myself out trying to reach a high word count.  I'm like the tortoise - slow and steady LOL.

You should definitely treat yourself with something to celebrate finishing a story!  It doesn't have to be alcohol.  But, seeing as how you're not going to get paid for finishing a project, and praise from readers isn't guaranteed, you should find a way to reward yourself for a job well done.  Only other writers understand how much time, effort, and creativity goes into the work we do, even if it is fun work.

[Carter-Orange]

I agree with treating yourself to something when you finish a story.  Chinese takeaway or bottle of wine sounds good