Writing Forum

I go the insane route: I plan out every scene in every chapter. I have a background in theater so I typically know what plot, character motivations, and movements ("blocking") I'd like to occur in a given scene. Once that's been documented, I allow the scene to write itself from a stream of creative consciousness. Then . . . revise, revise, revise. I'm a word-tweaker and I will spend weeks going over every sentence and fine-tuning it until it flows and reads the way I think works best.

My current series has been in the making for over 10 years. Some due to worldbuilding and personal issues, but also because I want my "baby" to be very detailed and rich. I have spiral notebooks full of notes; thank God for back-to-school sales so I can stock up. For some reason I find it easier to capture my muse when I write longhand rather than finger-slapping on my keyboard. :D