How do you write?

[amhran_comhrac]

It's no secret that many, maybe even most of us here are writers.  In the interest of sharing "best practices," as they say in the cube farm, I thought it would be interesting to discuss our own processes.  Maybe someone can pick up a trick or two that way.  Some of us co-write, some use betas, one person (and my virtual hat is off to you for your bravery, miri1984 ), has even taken to livestreaming as she writes.
So, I suspect there's a great deal of variety. 

Share! How do you write?

Comments

[rhiyah]

I've recently started writing again after a 15+ year stint of non-writing. I find that my process has changed quite a bit. Before I wrote strictly with pen and paper, then would transcribe the lot via a manual typewriter.

Now, however, I use MS Word, primarily on my home desktop. I have worked on my stories some at work, though not often because it's hard to stay in the "zone" as it were.

My pieces tend to have a playlist, but ironically, it's usually only one song that I have on repeat. I get a lot of inspiration from music and often a specific song will trigger the emotional connection I'm looking for in the piece I'm working on. Hearing the song on repeat puts me in an almost meditative state where I can just focus on what I want to convey while maintaining my concentration.

For instance if I'm working on smexings I usually listen to something that I find erotic or arousing. It makes things flow better and not feel so mechanical to me.

Analect has been a gracious checker of grammar and lameness for my DA work and a real godsend. I don't over analyze as much knowing she's going to look at it and help tidy it up or point out sticky spots.

I also spend far more time thinking about my characters/stories than I do writing them. I usually do this while I'm commuting to work, doing house work or cooking. By the time I sit down to wrtie, I've usually sorted out exactly what I want to put down.

While I do repeatedly read over my work, I don't usually change much. Mostly trying to build up description or flesh out an emotion. I suspect this is because I do spend so much time pondering what I'm going to write before I write it. Though there have been pieces that I've just completely chucked because I couldn't get what I was thinking to work itself out in words.