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DagothGares
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posted August 22, 2009 12:47 AM |
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The writing process
Hi, Dagoth here, creating another thread, which undoubtedly will fail, since my only threads with staying power had some sexual innuendo 
Anyway, I do some (pretty bad) amatur writing. I describe it as a hobby, though I'm not in some sort of club or anything. Most of it goes to a roleplaying site and the glade here, really, and that's about it. Still as long as I do it on a general consistent basis, I sort of feel validated.
Anyway, what fascinates me is writing and literature. Reading an author can be awkwardly intimate sometimes, becaus eyou're pretty much exploring the very fabric of a product of their mind. And what interests me as an extent to that is how some people get into writing and, no, I'm not really interested in the quirks of some famous writers that can only write after having downed several beers and having smoked several packs of cigars, though, I suppose that could be part of it as well. I wonder how people DO it. I mean, there are so many ways it is done, no?
I have the idea that with some people it comes naturally and they write it all down with a flick of their hand and never look back. I have a feeling that some dutch modernists, like Paul Van Ostaijen did this, mostly because he wrote like 1800 poems or something, while he died from tuberculosis, before he reached 30.
But then again, some writers do it as if it is bitter and hard work, like Hugo Claus, a post-modernist who wrote several hours each night and really applied himself to what I could call his craft. I know he didn't write a lot, except this big ugly monster called the sorrow of belgium. He had a separate room where he would write and his wife couldn't enter that room (wasn't allowed to). And I imagine him writing and self-correcting for hours on end. Would those be the two writing processes?
Well, I assume all writing does get checked a few times, but I think some people do it ruthlesly over and over, while some not. Now, I agree that some writing is a bit different from other writing. Romantics would indeed need to spend a lot of time on writing one poem, becaus ethose poems need to rhyme and have correct scanning for instance. And modernist art can be done rather quickly since all it has to do is convey a meaning and dump all form it has. Some writing needs to be rough around around the edges, perhaps, again a modernist trait.
Myself, I do not really have a writing process. I usually take one phrase or one scene that really sticks to me and write it down. main reason why I would never really write a novel 
My style is diving headlong and I usually do not dare to look back. I don't know why, but I'm pretty much a merciless self-critic, so I guess that's why. After a while, any endeavour I undertook tends to be a bit stupid in hindsight and this counts double for writing. In roleplaying I have it a lot less, because I have these people with me who also enjoy doing this and don't think it's a load of tripe. I think I should be one of those writers who really apply themselves and mercilesly correct themselves, but I don't have the heart or focus for it, I guess.
Reason why I started this topic is because I know there are at least three HC-members who've started/attempted/ are doing a novel of sorts, so I'm very interested in their writing process.
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xerdux
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posted August 22, 2009 12:51 AM |
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I never get started with my writing ;(
And often I do multiple mini-projects at the same time and in that way - none ever gets done and it pisses people off lol >.>
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DagothGares
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posted August 22, 2009 12:56 AM |
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what kind of mini-projects? And I know what you mean, seeing that writing in linear lines tend to bore me in the end
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xerdux
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posted August 22, 2009 01:04 AM |
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Warcraft Fan-Fics (Nimi Nisi Mors or something), The Elemental Stones fan-fic, Eragon Book IV big speculation, Faction contests, Naga faction, Naga H5 expansion, lots of mods, all contests overall, The Northern Grounds books (strangely, I've planned the last chapters about the Siege of Eagle's Crest very well) et cetera.
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DagothGares
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posted August 22, 2009 01:09 AM |
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I have to say it's kind of admirable for someone your age.
But anyway is there some sort of proces, I ask you. Do you envision everything at the start? Do you start with drawing a big outline of the story and then go into finer detail? Or do you just start writing and see what comes? Do you correct your own writing a lot?
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xerdux
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posted August 22, 2009 01:20 AM |
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Well, it depends on the project.
In faction contests you are often limited to a bunch of creatures or a single theme. So you dont need to be very creative there.
For stories, I do have a "chapter layout" - a storyline that I follow which "evovles" over time. And then I detail so stuff I find cool and might some funny "concept art" like I worked on Blizzard with the next expansion xD
And detail cool events like the big siege in the end which is the climax of the story.
Ever since I have been 10, I have "shaped" a map and discovered different fantasty worlds. The handdrawn fantasy world map I have now didnt look anywhere close to the first version that I created when I was like 10 years old.
And before im going to start write, I want to detail the background of all characters and add lots of nice towns and background on all counties and regions etc. Unfortuanly, that takes a lot of time
I admit that I have googled "How to write a successful fantasy novel" for advice xD
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DagothGares
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posted August 22, 2009 01:23 AM |
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So did I...
Well, I googled pretty much all guides to writing
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Adrius
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posted August 22, 2009 01:24 AM |
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Edited by Adrius at 01:25, 22 Aug 2009.
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I have far too many unfinished H5 fan fictions lying around... like 5-6 or something. While H5 isn't AWESOME imo, Ashan is still quite an interesting setting.
I don't really do anything special to trigger my imagination, I just sit down and write when I feel like it, then it just works. This usually only works for fan fictions though, since the universe already exists.
If I am to create something entirely new it goes a bit slower, but the process is kinda the same, I just write. All the details and stuff about the world are created as I go.
If I feel particularly uninspired I just don't write. If I feel like writing I write, simple as that.
In faction creating I've found that looking around on Deviantart is very effective, nearly all of my faction ideas come from that place.
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xerdux
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posted August 22, 2009 01:49 AM |
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One thing I hate is writing with a pencil. In school, if we are writing something long then I refuse to work if I dont get to write on a computer instead of ATLEAST take it home and work on my own computer.
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TheDeath
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posted August 22, 2009 01:50 AM |
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Yeah I hated that too, but now my hand shakes so badly I can't write anymore.
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Adrius
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Stand and fight!
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posted August 22, 2009 01:53 AM |
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Yeah I only write on the computer too...
@Death: Sounds bad...what happened?
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mvassilev
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posted August 22, 2009 01:58 AM |
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Writing non-fiction: when it's assigned, I sit down and start paraphrasing Wikipedia. Then I take a break. Usually, I have a flash of insight at this point. I go back and change a few sentences in my intro and write a lot of the body. Then I take another break. Finally, I paraphrase my intro as my conclusion.
Writing fiction: I gradually come up with ideas and never write them down. In any form. Because I may have a brilliant idea in my head, but when I sit down to type, all my inspiration disappears.
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xerdux
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posted August 22, 2009 01:58 AM |
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I find it so uncomfortable and my hands get all dry...
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TheDeath
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posted August 22, 2009 02:01 AM |
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Quote:
Yeah I only write on the computer too...
@Death: Sounds bad...what happened?
Nothing "bad", but probably I guess too much time without writing anything. Also I have a natural tendency to shake the hands (I can't hold them still in the air at all and shake a lot, some genetic stuff I guess because my dad has it too).
Mind you I wasn't writing that calligraphic before either, just that I guess without practice I tend to forget how to do it subconsciously (but I get back on track quick if I get to it). I also write slow for this reason (it's why I hated it in school, because I was usually behind with a few of my mates).
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DagothGares
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posted August 22, 2009 02:05 AM |
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To find characters for rpg's I also check deviantart or google. I even got some pics from /x/ as inspiration for some characters, but shhhhhh!
Also, 100 pages isn't a short story, that's a novella.
And I also don't write seriously, since I want to have meaning in the stories I tell, I don't want to endup like Meyer.
And I recognise mvass' fiction-writing problem, but I thought you said you were working on something.. Or is it just me?
xerox: what about writing with a pen?
I find it much easier at times, but maybe that's just me. I like scribbling all over my writing
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mvassilev
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posted August 22, 2009 02:07 AM |
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DagothGares
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posted August 22, 2009 04:02 AM |
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Quote:
And I recognise mvass' fiction-writing problem, but I thought you said you were working on something.. Or is it just me?
Going to repeat this for no particular reason.
Well, my handwriting is horrible in several ways, but my hands don't shake... They got enough sorrow when i'm biting my fingers...
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mvassilev
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posted August 22, 2009 04:29 AM |
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Yeah, the story's all there in my mind, and it's pretty epic too, but there's no way I can write it. If I try to impose it upon words and paper, I lose interest.
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DagothGares
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posted August 22, 2009 04:32 AM |
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Ah, i see...
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JoonasTo
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What if Elvin was female?
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posted August 22, 2009 09:34 AM |
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People, People!
You got to cut down on the booze and drugs if you get that bad withdrawal symptoms.
Or in your case,
get some muscles so you can even hold your own arms!
Pathetic...
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