where lovely girls go

[angelgazing]

Arg. Arg and further arg.

I had this conversation typed up last night, finally, after hours of fighting with it. I had the conversation, and it said nothing, of course, but underneath it it said everything. And there were hints and coldness and other various things that it needed. That made it work. You know?

And, naturally, my computer crashed and it was gone. Gone. And now I'm staring at the place where it should be, and it's not there and the replacement doesn't fit right. It doesn't say the same thing at all.

I know that there are people who do outlines and lots of drafts and such, and I'm just so very much not one of them it's sad. Nine times out of ten I go in with nothing more than a vague idea of where I want it to end up, so I'm just along for the ride. And it's hard for me to understand the Outline people, but harder for me to understand the Drafts people.

Because I may go through 100 versions of a first sentence or a first paragraph, but the truth of the matter is, that most times, when I finally manage to get the story started, I don't go back, I don't change things, I don't add things in. I start it and I keep writing until I think, 'okay. Okay, it's done.' There's often very little actual story difference between my first, rough draft, and what you see.

So please, tell me dear f-list, where do you fall? Are you a Drafter? An Outliner? A Fly-By-the-Seat-of-Your-Pantser?

Do you ever wish you could be the other thing?

Comments

[tinyholidays.livejournal.com]

I outline, and then I outline the outline, and then I do character arcs within outlines. I do this because I've often fallen in love with the beginnings and settings of books and TV shows, only to find out that that was all the creator had planned, and it all eventually begins to unravel and/or turn into a rambly mess, especially if the creator can't let go of the characters. I also like the richness that can be added throughout a story by knowing what's going to happen. Although planning closes possibilities of plotting (and it's good to remain flexible), it really opens up the storytelling within that planned story.

[nekare.livejournal.com]

I'm like you actually, but that's mostly 'cause I'm a one-shot kind of gal. I get an idea in my mind (a very abstract one, mind you) and start building something from there, making it up as I go along. If I'm having problems with one part, I skip it and write the next scene, and when I'm done I only spell chek and look all of my not-so-sure words (the bane of not being a native english speaker) and think of a title.

But yeah, I don't ever do outlines; but the first line and the last one are always the most difficult. That and dialogue. Dialogue is evil!! XD

Ps. Sorry about your computer, mine used to give up on me all the time too.

[laurificus.livejournal.com]

Hah. Three guesses which one of them I am. That is correct; you may give yourself a coconut. I am, indeed, a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pantser. Again, probably because I'm a one shot sort, too, and also because plotting is not my friend (is, in fact, my sworn and most hated enemy).

I don't know. Sometimes it's fun just writing and seeing where you end up, but sometimes I see other people talk about how they draft, and the characters just talk to them, and they outline, and the characters talk more to them, and make them revise the previous outline, and I think maybe I'm doing something not quite right. I don't think I have it in me to do anything else, though.

[affectations.livejournal.com]

wow that really sucks. If you were writing it in Word, didn't you get one of those rescued document things? I'm so sorry that had to happen to you. Evil computer. *kicks it for you* hmm I hardly ever write but when I do I am a Fly-By-the-Seat-of-Your-Pantser but then again I also do multiple drafts because usually the first time round, it's not very good and then I go back and add things on. I envy people who can actually plan and have ideas and plot and stuff.