In from the cold writing process

[ladyjanelly]

Mainly for me so I don't forget how I did this...

Day:
1)write 500 words
2)write 800 words
3)edit 1300 words, write 300 or so
4)write 800 words.
5)edit chapter. Add 50 or so words. Cut 25 words.
6)start next chapter. Write 200 words. Send complete chapter to beta.
7)look over beta notes. post fic. write 500 words. Becomes day 1) again.


Seems pretty straight forward. I dunno if it'd work on other fics that I write--I just never seem to have those 800 words days on any other fic. If I did though, I'd be UNSTOPPABLE! MwaaHaHa!

Okay yeah, tired.
Night.

Comments

[angels3.livejournal.com]

Honey I don't care if you use little green aliens as your love slaves as long as you write it and get it posted, cause I fucking love this story.

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

Today is day 6. :) Relatively speaking. I know I"m not on this as a strict schedule becuase i've posted 10 chapters since christmas. But yeah. Roughly.

MMmmm, aliens? (imagines jensen in green with little antenae).

So glad you're diggin' the story.

[angels3.livejournal.com]

Not rushing just saying.

Just think what he could do with antenaes.

[lomer.livejournal.com]

How many pages is 800 words? I suck at word counts.

I'm glad you're so prolific with this fic. *feeds your bunnies* Your dedication, and this schedule looks awesome.

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

Uhhh, dunno. 1/3 of one of my usual chapters?

I don't mean to be following the schedule but that's how it's shaking out.
It is a super-awesome feeling.

[lomer.livejournal.com]

YAY!

[stjra.livejournal.com]

God, I wish my muse worked like yours does.

Mine is very shy and will hide for ages then just explodes and I'll write 2000 to 5000 in one go.

It's so frustrating.

I've tried just making time every day to write at least something, but what I write is total crap unless it's an "on" day.

*sigh*

I must say though I am extremely glad that's how it works for you 'cause more AWESOME fic for us! YAY!

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

No muse of my life has been this cooperative. It's crazy.

I usually get about 200 words written/day in two or three fics. Never these huge tasty chunks.

Glad you're enjoyingit.

[jennygeee.livejournal.com]

I just love this fic! Can't wait for more - whatever you've got just give it to us when you can - I know we all appreciate how hard you are working on this and your dedication shows in the writing -absolutely awesome!

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

You are truly inspired on this one. I love how quickly you're posting, but if you did that on every fic, you'd probably burn out!

[fannishliss.livejournal.com]

Ladyjanelly, you totally rock. Here's to UNSTOPPABLE YOU!

[sierraindigo.livejournal.com]

I am enjoying your homeless Jensen story so much! In fact, I should feedback you in far greater detail later of just how much I adore your sweet lost Jensen who is slowly creeping back out of his shell and Jared who is so big and open and cares so much. I check your LJ every day to see if there are new bits.

And I have to confess I've re-read the sections where Jensen made the little man with the green glass heart, or where Jared tries out Jensen's "couch" engineering squeezing himself into the little confines to imagine it for himself only to fall asleep all cramped up, or the way you have Jeff gruffly protective of Jensen and confrontational with Jared who is genuinely just a nice guy, several times over.

I really like the fact that you are taking the building of the relationship between the characters so nice and slowly, where we are being allowed to learn about them as they learn about eachother. It's not that you're meandering, but you're giving a lot of details and subtle hints and clues which just makes it layered. It's a great style that not everyone does and what really first drew me to your writing. (I first found your LJ when a friend recommended your story "Life Drawing" --which is utterly wonderful, by the way, and one I hope you revisit again someday, please!)

But more importantly, what I really meant to say, is that your little muse weekly schedule is fascinating. I always find the writing process is like watching a magician pull rabbits out the air (and sometimes alligators out of a hat wondering how "that" go in there when they really meant for it to be "rabbits").

Do you try to sit down each day at the same time and write? Do you find it's easier over time? Sort of like your brain is primed and ready to write? Do you leave each chapter knowing what you're going to write next so that it's easier to jumpstart the next one or do you think you're writing to find out what happens because you're seeing the story along with us?

Curious minds want to know, or at least mine does.

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

Awww. I appreciate this huge hunk-o-feedback though. I love lost!Jensen. This is probably the most enjoyable to write fic I've ever done. It just flows so smooth. Having 3 main characters helps too. If I get stuck I can switch POV and keep rolling forward. Somebody always has something to say.

Feel free to friend if that makes it easier to keep up with. I'm not pimpin' or cross-posting this anywhere, so it's all cool.

I really like a slow build. Even if they fall fast, there has to be that last bit still ungiven lingering there until finally they lay it all on the line, y'know?

I feel this piece is a departure and growth of my writing style. My husband was reading and experimenting obsessively and got into Cormack McCarthy and I read a few pages of that and really opened up to the way the words fit together being as important as the words themselves. I'm paying a lot more attention to sentence structure (not rules-wise but flow-wise) now and fitting thoughts together like puzzles.

The weekly muse is weird for me since I usually write in little 200-500 bits, sometimes on a few different fics in a single day. Haven't been doing much multi-tasking with this one.

I'm almost tempted to go back and rewrite everything I've ever touched in this improved style.

but no.

I have to go out of the house to write. Every now and then I'll get the bug on the couch and get some writing done but not often. I usually take the laptop to Chick Fil A and eat breakfast and hang out until the battery dies. I am finding that it's easier now than in the beginning. I've been writing fanfic for like 3 yrs or so now and every year I put out more words of fic.

Heh. Homeless!Jensen is certainly an alligator. I love his surprises. I write fic for the surprises. When an idea is just a fantasy sort of "anything could happen" but what usually happens is nothing. Once I start pinning down the causes and effects down and the character's reactions, it becomes this path that "they couldn't have done anything else and still been themselves."

I try not to leave myself a blank sheet, ever. Even if a fic is "done" i usually start the first paragraph of the sequel. I mgiht never write it, but that blank sheet stops me cold every time. I don't post a chapter until the next is about half-done.

Um, I think I got them all. Thanks for the questions. I feel all thinky now. :)