In case you're interested
Jun. 13th, 2002 01:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thebratqueenI already answered this for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wesleysgirl but on the odd chance anyone is interested in the answers, here's a little bit about when and how I write my fic.
When do you usually write?
Typically late afternoon/early evening. That's when I tend to have free time. Plus if I get on a roll I've got hours to work with. I don't like stopping stories in the middle if I can help it.
Do you wait for the Muse to strike? Or do you write every day, even when you don't feel inspired?
Always, always wait for the Muse to strike. I've tried writing stories just because I had to, but even on something like Epiphany where I know what's going to happen next it's still better if I wait for that certain feeling which says "write now!". Hence why some chapters come out within days of each other and others are written about a month apart.
Do you work on one project at a time, or multiple projects?
Um - multiple projects, I guess? Epiphany's ongoing, I do some stand-alones in the midst of all that so I guess that means I'm okay for multiple projects.
Um - especially if we count the RPGFH in there too. Cough
When you get "stuck," how do you break free of the rut?
Step away from it. Whatever it is I'm working on, if I get "stuck" it means I've burned out my creative juices and I need to recharge.
Sometimes reading good fic also helps.
Do you write an outline before you start a new story?
A proper outline? No. But I do know the jist of the story and where it's going before I begin. I work all of my stories out in my head until they feel right, then I write them down.
Any special resources you use before or during writing?
The internet is your friend. If I'm talking about anything beyond the characters I make sure I've got at least a passing knowledge of whatever the topic is in order to make it sound more realistic. For example, in one of my stories Angel whipped together a curry, so I looked up curry recipes to know what would be involved in that (and also figure out if I thought Angel could do it). In the recent story of Angel and Gunn laying tiles I looked up DIY instructions for tile laying since that's what Angel would have been working off of as well.
Personal experience also helps - I've played pool so I knew how to write out the gang playing a game.
After that - shooting scripts and transcripts if ever I need to look up some canon.
How does your inspiration come to you?
Usually while walking or driving and listening to music. If I've got a bunny forming in my head I'll hit the treadmill or go for a ride and put music of that emotional level into the CD player and just let my subconscious work it all out.
I also get inspiration from talking out some of my plot bunnies with friends, although typically the end result is nothing like the original idea. Case in point, the "Wes ends up in an alt dimension" storyline came out of a brainstorming session about Faith, of all things.
How do you come up with titles for your work?
Badly? ;)
Usually I either pick a word or two that sums up the point of the piece. In second place is using a part of a lyric or quote - usually a part of it people wouldn't normally think to use. Finally the show sometimes inspires me. For example in the 3rd crossover I did with Mer and Keren we deliberately wrote it in a Fool For Love/Darla style so that you'd need to read both stories in order to get everyone's perspectives. So since the show used the name "Darla" for their crossover, I used the name "Buffy".
wesleysgirl but on the odd chance anyone is interested in the answers, here's a little bit about when and how I write my fic.When do you usually write?
Typically late afternoon/early evening. That's when I tend to have free time. Plus if I get on a roll I've got hours to work with. I don't like stopping stories in the middle if I can help it.
Do you wait for the Muse to strike? Or do you write every day, even when you don't feel inspired?
Always, always wait for the Muse to strike. I've tried writing stories just because I had to, but even on something like Epiphany where I know what's going to happen next it's still better if I wait for that certain feeling which says "write now!". Hence why some chapters come out within days of each other and others are written about a month apart.
Do you work on one project at a time, or multiple projects?
Um - multiple projects, I guess? Epiphany's ongoing, I do some stand-alones in the midst of all that so I guess that means I'm okay for multiple projects.
Um - especially if we count the RPGFH in there too. Cough
When you get "stuck," how do you break free of the rut?
Step away from it. Whatever it is I'm working on, if I get "stuck" it means I've burned out my creative juices and I need to recharge.
Sometimes reading good fic also helps.
Do you write an outline before you start a new story?
A proper outline? No. But I do know the jist of the story and where it's going before I begin. I work all of my stories out in my head until they feel right, then I write them down.
Any special resources you use before or during writing?
The internet is your friend. If I'm talking about anything beyond the characters I make sure I've got at least a passing knowledge of whatever the topic is in order to make it sound more realistic. For example, in one of my stories Angel whipped together a curry, so I looked up curry recipes to know what would be involved in that (and also figure out if I thought Angel could do it). In the recent story of Angel and Gunn laying tiles I looked up DIY instructions for tile laying since that's what Angel would have been working off of as well.
Personal experience also helps - I've played pool so I knew how to write out the gang playing a game.
After that - shooting scripts and transcripts if ever I need to look up some canon.
How does your inspiration come to you?
Usually while walking or driving and listening to music. If I've got a bunny forming in my head I'll hit the treadmill or go for a ride and put music of that emotional level into the CD player and just let my subconscious work it all out.
I also get inspiration from talking out some of my plot bunnies with friends, although typically the end result is nothing like the original idea. Case in point, the "Wes ends up in an alt dimension" storyline came out of a brainstorming session about Faith, of all things.
How do you come up with titles for your work?
Badly? ;)
Usually I either pick a word or two that sums up the point of the piece. In second place is using a part of a lyric or quote - usually a part of it people wouldn't normally think to use. Finally the show sometimes inspires me. For example in the 3rd crossover I did with Mer and Keren we deliberately wrote it in a Fool For Love/Darla style so that you'd need to read both stories in order to get everyone's perspectives. So since the show used the name "Darla" for their crossover, I used the name "Buffy".
