Cal Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 A basic outline of the Writing Process. This is for people, like me, who have major difficulty remembering the steps. (taken from http://www.leakylounge.com) Prewriting - Research, notetaking, brainstorming, outlining, .... Drafting - Writing Revising - Adding, Removing, Moving, Changing major parts such as whole sentences, paragraphs or chapters Editing - Checking grammar, spelling, punctuation, captilization, ... Publishing - Make the work public in some way I hope it helps in some way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerise Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 For some reason I've been skipping the first and last step, lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pengzilla Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 (edited) Well I don't think I've ever done the first step, and usually only do half of the second. I have accumulated a couple of unfinished fics. All with crazy names like "bus" or "Hooshdakump". (Obviously not named properly yet, but I assure you, if I ever do post these fics the new names will be MUCH worse) How do people name their fics, anyway? I find naming a fic REALLY difficult. I don't know whether to use a song title, or whether to just think of words. Mine always end up badly, anyway. ie, Returning Emotions. Help? Edited March 23, 2008 by Pengzilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmasi Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 (edited) My fics go: Drafting - Writing Prewriting - Research, notetaking, brainstorming, outlining, .... Drafting Revising - Adding, Removing, Moving, Changing major parts such as whole sentences, paragraphs or chapters Prewriting Drafting Revising Editing - Checking grammar, spelling, punctuation, captilization, ... Editing Editing Deleting/abandoing everything and starting over again Prewriting Drafting Revising Editing Editing Editing Publishing - Make the work public in some way Editing Revising Editing Editing Editing I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm slightly dyslexic because I read words that aren't even there, and spell things completely wrong so that they make no sense... and no matter how many times I edit, I can never catch all of my mistakes, even - perhaps especially - the blatantly obvious ones So yeah, it's a LONG and exhausting process for me, and in the end I still don't get it write <<<<<---- I did NOT make that mistake on purpose!! PROOF! I suck at titles too. Songs are great if you can find one that suits your fic, and preferably hasn't been used already by someone else. Mostly I just go for the most obvious point of the fic - my latest being "a simple misunderstanding" - so that I can hurry up and post it without having to think about it too much. If it wasn't so confusing, I'd probably be happier naming them "Untitled *insert number here*" Titles are important, they can really draw people in or keep them away, so it really shouldn't be taken too lightly if you want people to read what you've written, but I'm just so lazy and impatient when it comes to naming things. I usually just name the files on my computer by whatever the main character is. But once again, do that too often and it becomes confusing. It's a dilly of a pickle. Edited March 23, 2008 by emmasi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pengzilla Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 Lol! That is a lot of editing! Unfortunately I've lost my proofer so I have to edit my own, and I do go through it LOTS of times. I hate it when it gets to the point when you know there's something wrong... but you can't fix it. That's a right pain in the bum. "A Simple Misunderstanding" is actually a good title. I saw it on the boards before.. and (this is the truth) I was very close to clicking on it. But then I realised I know nothing about Aden. It's straight to the point, and made me wonder what the misunderstanding was. I agree about the title's not being the same as previous title's. I always try to not pick a title picked previously. I think I may have actually succeeded so far. Touch wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerise Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 I have the worst time with titles. I seldom find a song to suit the story I'm writing. I got so fed up with my original story I called it 'A love Story' and was done with it. Best to think up a crap working title and when you finished the writing change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xGlowingAngelx Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 In terms of titles, I love one word ones. There's something abrupt about them that always catches my attention. I'll admit, I probably use song titles a bit too much. 8 of my fics on ff.net have titles that originally belong to songs. My others are all ones I've made up myself, and I've never been the best at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I love music Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 I thought A Simple Misunderstanding a great title too, it's very original. Cerise, don't limit yourself to song titles. Think of the poetry you've done in school/college as well. I've used, before now, Promises to Keep (Robert Frost poem) and What Dreams May Come (well known line from a Shakespeare sonnet). I thought I was being very original but if you do a google search loads of people have used the same titles for fanfic or original fics but I still liked the titles. Or, if you know how the fic is going to pan out, use a title from the end - eg I always knew (without having a clue how I was going to get there ) that little Sally would stay several years after tellingl Pippa she was going to call for a few days so I gave it the title Sally Called! Hope these ideas are of some help to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerise Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 I like A Simple Misunderstanding for a title, it's nice and simple and... just simple. That's my favourite type of title, i also like simple titles that have a big meaning, analysis behind it that will become clear to you at the end of the story/ff/novel/poem etc., and titles that have to do with the storyline/s in the book, eg. In The Pact by Jodi Picoult, obviously the suicide pact between Emily and Chris, but there are also other little pacts that contribute, for example the pact of friendship between the Hartes and Golds. What I find really clever is working the title into the story somehow, like make it a quotation, and make the reader question if the title only refers to the one thing, for example (and I'm only using Jodi's books because I'm reading them right now ) in My Sister's Keeper, the well used quote from Jesse: "Who am I, My Sister's Keeper?". But My Sister's Keeper refers to Anna being the only one who can keep Kate alive, but you know, the quote kind of makes you think. I find that when I want to start working on a story, I have to give it a title, because a Title, to me, is like a place where I can extract a story from. Give me any title and I can analyse it and write a 500 paged novel centered and based around the title. That's a good writers block therapy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pengzilla Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 I think I'm probably the opposite to that. Ideally, I'd like to have a title to begin with... but if I did I'd feel like I'd have to stick to that title instead of the actual fic, and I'd end up just getting in a mess while I tried to stick with the meaning of the title instead of developing the story. So yea, title's just get in my way to begin with. But I'm really going to try your method, ILM. I think it's a really good idea to have the title involve something from the end of the fic. The title's the first thing you read of a fic, and if it ties in with the end... well I think that's really powerful. I like that idea. And I loved those title's you mentioned. Especially Sally Called!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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