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alchemicink(Giggling quietly because "trust the process" to me is a reference to the Philadelphia 76ers 🤭 this has nothing to do with the actual post. It was just amusing joke to myself. IYKYK)
Anyway...
Challenge #8
Talk about your creative process.
Oh this is gonna be a rambly answer... 😅
Let's start with writing!
I do all my writing on my phone. Which I know sounds weird to many people, but my old laptop died in 2019, and I spent a year without one before I replaced it, and in that time I got adjusted to doing everything on my phone, including writing. And since then, I've found it difficult to transition back to the laptop (though I still use it to do some fic writing on rare occasions). I think the problem is actually that I use a computer for work writing so in my brain now it's "computer/laptop = work writing" and "phone = fun writing" 😂
I appreciate the ability to write on my phone because it means I can write just about anywhere. I like to jot down ideas and some sentences/paragraphs at work when I have a few free minutes or during my lunch break or while I'm just killing time somewhere. Not only for my (extremely numerous) fic ideas but also for Dreamwidth posts too. I write and format them up in a note on my phone, and then just copy/paste when I'm ready to post. This is especially helpful for my weekly summary posts and weekly review posts because I just add the notes/links in throughout the week, and then flesh it all out on the weekend before posting. (The downside: I have so many notes on my phone now lmao)
Another reason I like writing in the notes on my phone: it doesn't have a wordcount tracker. Sometimes it's easier for me to write without knowing how many words the fic is, so I don't get too focused on that instead of the story itself. Also it's a nice surprise to copy/paste into Google Docs later (as an additional backup version) and see what the final wordcount is. This doesn't work when I'm writing drabbles, of course, but that's okay!
As for the writing process itself... uh, ideas just sorta float into my head 😅 I don't really know where the inspiration comes from. But generally I find myself thinking about how to fill in gaps in canon or about how characters would act in different situations we don't see onscreen. Or maybe I just want to put the characters in interesting (or silly) situations. And then the fic inspiration bubbles up from there. I also find that reading helps to spark my imagination too. If I'm out of ideas, I usually just take a break to read for a few days.
Writing for me is like putting together pieces of a puzzle (arranging ideas into something connected and coherent). It's how I process information and emotions, and it's why I love writing so much. Another way I deal with writer's block is to take a walk. (Actually it's usually just literal pacing) It's a good way to spend time turning the puzzle pieces over in my brain. If I give it enough time, things usually fall into place.
Sometimes I write a full outline for stories. Sometimes I just roll with whatever happens as I go. And sometimes I think I'll be able to remember the whole outline without writing it down because all writers have some sort of hubris to deal with, don't they? 😂
When I was younger, I could write while watching TV or listening to music, but I can't do either of those now. My ability to multi-task has only gotten worse over time... sigh
The Challenge post mentioned some examples of other kinds of fannish engagement things to talk about, such as the process for leaving comments. So I figured I'll talk about that too!
When reading fics, I like to copy/paste a few lines I love as I go, so I'll have them handy when I comment at the end. (Again, doing this on my phone is convenient for me.) I try to think about big themes of the story when I get to the end, so I can mention them in the comment. Basically, I just like to write the kind of comment I would like to receive: I tell the author the parts I really loved and how the story made me feel 🥰
But also sometimes I just express myself through emoji (as I do frequently in my Dreamwidth posts too 😁)
I don't really do many other kinds of creative/fannish activities (except for the occasional doodle in my sketchbook) and I think I've probably rambled enough for one post. I've probably forgotten to include some things, but this is good enough I think!
Anyway...
Challenge #8
Talk about your creative process.
Oh this is gonna be a rambly answer... 😅
Let's start with writing!
I do all my writing on my phone. Which I know sounds weird to many people, but my old laptop died in 2019, and I spent a year without one before I replaced it, and in that time I got adjusted to doing everything on my phone, including writing. And since then, I've found it difficult to transition back to the laptop (though I still use it to do some fic writing on rare occasions). I think the problem is actually that I use a computer for work writing so in my brain now it's "computer/laptop = work writing" and "phone = fun writing" 😂
I appreciate the ability to write on my phone because it means I can write just about anywhere. I like to jot down ideas and some sentences/paragraphs at work when I have a few free minutes or during my lunch break or while I'm just killing time somewhere. Not only for my (extremely numerous) fic ideas but also for Dreamwidth posts too. I write and format them up in a note on my phone, and then just copy/paste when I'm ready to post. This is especially helpful for my weekly summary posts and weekly review posts because I just add the notes/links in throughout the week, and then flesh it all out on the weekend before posting. (The downside: I have so many notes on my phone now lmao)
Another reason I like writing in the notes on my phone: it doesn't have a wordcount tracker. Sometimes it's easier for me to write without knowing how many words the fic is, so I don't get too focused on that instead of the story itself. Also it's a nice surprise to copy/paste into Google Docs later (as an additional backup version) and see what the final wordcount is. This doesn't work when I'm writing drabbles, of course, but that's okay!
As for the writing process itself... uh, ideas just sorta float into my head 😅 I don't really know where the inspiration comes from. But generally I find myself thinking about how to fill in gaps in canon or about how characters would act in different situations we don't see onscreen. Or maybe I just want to put the characters in interesting (or silly) situations. And then the fic inspiration bubbles up from there. I also find that reading helps to spark my imagination too. If I'm out of ideas, I usually just take a break to read for a few days.
Writing for me is like putting together pieces of a puzzle (arranging ideas into something connected and coherent). It's how I process information and emotions, and it's why I love writing so much. Another way I deal with writer's block is to take a walk. (Actually it's usually just literal pacing) It's a good way to spend time turning the puzzle pieces over in my brain. If I give it enough time, things usually fall into place.
Sometimes I write a full outline for stories. Sometimes I just roll with whatever happens as I go. And sometimes I think I'll be able to remember the whole outline without writing it down because all writers have some sort of hubris to deal with, don't they? 😂
When I was younger, I could write while watching TV or listening to music, but I can't do either of those now. My ability to multi-task has only gotten worse over time... sigh
The Challenge post mentioned some examples of other kinds of fannish engagement things to talk about, such as the process for leaving comments. So I figured I'll talk about that too!
When reading fics, I like to copy/paste a few lines I love as I go, so I'll have them handy when I comment at the end. (Again, doing this on my phone is convenient for me.) I try to think about big themes of the story when I get to the end, so I can mention them in the comment. Basically, I just like to write the kind of comment I would like to receive: I tell the author the parts I really loved and how the story made me feel 🥰
But also sometimes I just express myself through emoji (as I do frequently in my Dreamwidth posts too 😁)
I don't really do many other kinds of creative/fannish activities (except for the occasional doodle in my sketchbook) and I think I've probably rambled enough for one post. I've probably forgotten to include some things, but this is good enough I think!
