Writing Process

1. Do you write your first draft by hand, or digitally?

Both?  Often, I’ll get ideas at work, where I’ll write them on post-it notes, but mainly I write digitally because it’s less painful on my hand.

2. Do you have a writer’s notebook?

I have so many, it’s not even funny.

3. Planner, pantser, or planter?

Yes.

4. What is your favorite place to write?

At home, on my computer.

5. What is your least favorite place to write?

In my living room, where my computer is.

6. What is your favorite writer’s drink?

Grasshopper.

7. What do you like to eat when you’re writing?

Chocolate by the truckloads.

8. Do you like to write where it’s quiet, or with noise? If noise, what kind?

Mostly quiet, or music, depending on my mood.

9. Do you have a favorite writing season? (eg. spring, summer, fall, winter)

They're all good.

10. Do you make imageboards or storyboards or playlists before you write a story? Do you do them during? After?

Oh lordy.  Sometimes I’ll make playlists of music afterwards, but it’s really rare.  I will make playlists for ships, though.

11. How do you feel about worldbuilding?

I’m against it.

12. How many drafts does your work go through before you’re ready to show it to people or publish?

It depends.  On a flash fiction, maybe I’ll read through it once to catch typos or other errors.  For multi-chapter fics, I’ll do long read overs to catch mistakes and make it polished before publishing it.

13. How do you feel about editors and editing?

Love them.  I’m an editor at heart.

14. What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Honestly, the idea and writing stages.  I know, I’m weird like that.  I actually enjoy writing.

15. What do you do when you have no inspiration, but have to put something on the page/get that story finished?

Cry a lot.  Seriously, though, I’ll sit there and pound out words until it’s finished, then take a break and look it over later.

16. What do you do when you have lots of inspiration, but no way to actually sit down and write?

My phone is a good thing for Google Docs.  Or post-its.  Or email at work.  I find ways.

17. Have you ever dreamed something that ended up in a story?

I once dreamed three full chapters of a fanfic word for word.  It was incredible.

18. How often do you hit save/back up your work?

I only use programs that auto-save.

19. What is your favorite punctuation mark?

;

20. Have you ever gone to school for writing? Would you?

I went to school for theater, which is like writing fanfic and role play all at once.  I think I’d like to go to schools for writing, but I’m also afraid it will make me so dull I’ll never enjoy anything again, or else be too scared of failing to ever like writing.  I’ve worked very hard for this confidence.

21. How do you get better at writing? Do you read articles, blogs, or books about writing for tips and tricks? Watch videos? Make it up as you go along? Something else?

I just keep writing and reading.  I don’t analyze what I read, just absorb it.  I’ve read Story Genius, but I like that style of writing book because it’s more structure related than craft related.

22. What’s something you wish you learned earlier as a writer?

Finish things before you post them.

23. What is the first thing you remember writing?

A story for my fifth grade class, though I know I wrote before that.

24. What is the last thing you worked on?

A new noir detective fanfic about detective Catwoman and homme fatale Bruce Wayne.

25. Your perfect writing day would be…

One where nobody was around and I could write all day.