Seeking advice from writers

Writers, where are you? I have a few questions for you, I'd be thankful if you could answer them!

 

I started writing fanfics for Tokio Hotel fanfics (around 4/5 years ago) in my native language, Portuguese, and even then I was facing this major difficulty:

I usually write in paper/notebooks, but I've grown to start and write on the computer. Back then I wrote in notebooks and whenever I had a chapter ready, I would type it down. Actually, in the very beginning, I would only write it on paper, since whoever read those stories were from my class, and then we just shared our notebooks around desks during class time (main reason why I'm such a failure at almost every subject; good times though). I wrote 'Troublemakers' (my first fanfiction in English) in paper too, and only then I would type it down.

 

The thing is (I really don't want to drift away from the main subject), I'm facing a lot of unfinished stories, ideas, thoughts and I really need to organize myself when it comes to this. College starts next week, I should have thought of this earlier ;___; I thought the problem was writing in the computer, but now I have like, 3 notebooks with 6 different stories in them... So, my questions. 

 

When you start writing a story, do you invest all your time thinking of it? I'm always lost on my thoughts, so whenever I'm alone, I find myself making up scenarios, new stories, new "realities", does that happen with you? Or do you only think of that story and on how to develop it, write it and finish it? 

Does it matter where you write? Be it in a notebook, in a computer, in your phone... Do you always finish your stories when you start them or are you always in the process of new ideas? 

 

Multi-tasking and I'm afraid it has turn into a habit...

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DobuOnew #1
Well, you have already replies to your questions that I don't know if mine will help or not but yeah ...
Lately I've been noting down some plots that came to my mind. If I tihnk of a plot (in its whole - beginning to the end) I'll note it down, but if I think of only a scenario, I'll try to fit it in my current stories or just forget it.
I want to focus in my current fanfics so I want stop updating cause I also don't like it when I'm reading stories and the updates are slow.

I do both at the same time. I do note down new ideas and continue my current fanfics at the same time, which sometimes can be difficult but nothing I can't take care of as I'm still in holidays.
I have the habit to think of new ideas when I'm about to sleep and usually they're all about my current fanfics, like what's going to happen in the next chapter and so.
So I don't really have any problem with multi-tasking (until-now).

Referring to the question "Does it matter where you write?" well, I always write in my laptop. I just note down the plots in my notebook, but the actual chapters I write them in my laptop. There's time si also write in my history class (when I feel bored), but I mostly write in my laptop.
salvatore #2
Use flashcards? Colour code the ideas and when you need them, line them up to see what can be used, what can be combined to form a bigger plot.
jeniquely #3
Well, new inspiration hits me when I least expect it. I jot the idea down and then maybe for the rest of the day I'll continue to look at it and develop stuff, taking notes of my developments for this plot. However new inspiration, for me, dies very quickly. I can become really excited for an idea and then it takes a while for the excitement to come back. I can never think of it, develop it and just write it. Sometimes when a new idea comes along I jot it down also it could become a plot or I could incorporate it into my other plots to make it even better. Therefore whenever I'm bored, I'll look at my notes and sometimes, when I don't feel inspired, I'll just leave it alone and maybe read it, edit it and never actually develop it. For me, new ideas hit me all the time but the inspiration dies really quickly and then I can't develop it.
_krystalized #4
well as you can see im also a writer it is just i am not as good as you are. i face problems like you do and lately i also havent been updating and i do have unfinished fics. i think it is kind of an unavoidable thing, since most writers get this problem too, even the good ones. alright, just like you do, i am always alone when stuff comes into my mind, plenty of scenarios, but i would choose one and scan the whole story. for example, whenever a scenario storms into my brain, i would invest some time thinking about it. i would think of the problems that would happen to the scenario, how the story starts until how the story ends. when i have finally finished making up the story in my brain, i would decide if its good enough to be written. if i do not think about the story until it reaches a good ending, i would just throw the scenario away and wait for another one to storm in. my grades have gone down lately due to me writing in my notebooks in class. i stopped since o realized i needed a break. it does matter where you write, i think. and okay, i do have a few on going fics right now and i have to say a lot of ideas would pass by when you have these fics. like i said, i would scan them till the end, and if the fic is good, i would write it down in a book or save it in the computer, to not let the awesome idea go to waste. when i have finished the ongoing stories, i would start writing the one i saved in the computer earlier. i guess that is all, sorry if it doesnt help much but basically i just wanna point out i do have the same problem and i have been facing it well lately.
pinkaichu #5
how about trying to incorporate all the ideas into one story?
Like if you have the following ideas:
- high school scenario, guy likes girl, the girl thinks the guy is gay
- girl has a boyfriend, they start drifting apart
- girl finds a lost phone and a number starts messaging her on that phone and she starts growing closer with the sender
- etc
why not make it all into one story? Like there's a girl who has a boyfriend, but they're not that close anymore, even though everything is perfect. She's a senior in high school and loses her phone. She soon founds a lost phone of someone else's and starts using it. Some guy starts messaging her on that number (maybe the owner of that phone) and they grow closer. Little does she know that guy is the same one who admires her at school, but she's convinced he's gay.
^ it's a pretty cliche example, but you know what I mean? When I have millions of ideas I just try and fit most of them into a couple of stories. It both makes the story interesting and more complicated and helps to get rid of unwanted distractions in the form of new stories :)
onjaezu #6
I have only one finished fanfic and 10 that are started (with just a prologue or chapter 1). But whenever I have an idea i write it down, even if it's just a word or one sentence. I often write just half chapter or something like that. Just write it down somewhere (I do it on my computer), but I make sure that I write it because when I look at it after a few days/months/years, I remember the idea and... yeah, that's how I work.
zeyniiDara #7
hi. :) i'm willing to answer. lol

1. i don't invest most of time thinking of the story. there was a time i'm like that. that's why i got many stories in mind and i can't wait to write them down. (maybe i'll forget it, you know lol). but nowadays, i tried to focus on my priorities, like my school. before, even when i'm at school, i daydream and produce more stories inside my head that i can't wait going home and writing them down. nowadays, i think of my stories, new and current, when i'm just idle or something, like on my way somewhere. this was only possible when i started focusing on school.
2. it doesn't mater where you write. it's a personal preference, like where you're comfortable. i'm comfortable in my laptop. :)
3. i don't want my stories to be hanging too long, so i finish them up. the more stories you have, the harder it is to finish them.

so, my advice is, take a little break, focus on your priorities, slow down. no one is rushing you nor running after you. my technique right now is, if i have a story, i'll be sure to write down the plot and that's it. since i have an ongoing fic, i won't post it up until i finish my current one. the more fics you have, the longer it will take to update them all. you'll notice the next day, you have the other fic on standy for months already. and we all know it's not good letting your readers wait for your fics for too long. they might forget the fic, or you, or worst it, they might lose interest and unsubscribe.

i hope i helped. :)
Marianations #8
I often imagine the scenes inside of my head like a movie and then write it down in my notbeook, in one of the last pages. When I write a sotry I tend to get emotionally attached to it. Specially touchy stories :)
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