#writing method

Can’t wait for the next chapter!!

okay first of all IM SORRY FOR THE LATE REPLY i know this ask has been sitting in my drafts for way too long!!

and THNK YOU this is actually such a lovely ask because i love talking about my writing process, especially since i do really want to be a novelist someday, and this fic has honestly been a huge experiment for me in that regard

i used to be much more of a “figure it out as i go” writer and ngl... that is probably also why some of my older fics took forever or got left unfinished 💀 i know some people swear by that method but for long fic especially, i personally do not buy it at all lmao. there’s just too much to keep track of if you want the story, themes, and character arcs to stay consistent

for this fic, i started with the core premise first. i.e what i wanted the story to be in terms of tone, genre, emotional shape, all that. then i made a broader outline from beginning to end, just to keep the main spine of it intact. after that i got way more specific: chapter outlines, scene outlines, character arcs, dynamics sheets, parallels, little thematic notes, all the deranged little connections that help me keep everything coherent

and the thing is, sometimes scenes do change things. characters surprise you, or you realise a planned beat no longer makes sense once you’ve actually written what came before, that part is normal!! but having the structure there means the story still doesn’t lose its centre. it helps me adjust without derailing the whole thing

also, because english isn’t my first language, detailed outlining helps me a lot. sometimes i know exactly what i mean emotionally or narratively, but i need that extra layer of structure to make sure i’m actually landing it the way i want in english

weirdly enough this method has also helped me sooo much with “writer’s block.” i’m still slow because life/work is life/work and i have too much going on fjdksk, but i’m not really blocked, because i already know what i want to write. the threads are there. i just have to connect them

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(my general rules for this:

-spin the wheel at least three times a day and write a page or a complete paragraph for at least thirty minutes or the time you want. Setting a timer helps to focus more on the goal.

-You can start the day after with the last fic you were writing or spin the wheel again to a new prompt.

-set a publishing day every week and, the day before, focus on the most complete work in progress you have or the fic that has kept your interest more among the ones you've started.

-you can try with as many fic ideas as you want, but if it gets confusing just think about the ones you have already at work and stop spinning the wheel until you have finished one of two.

-Take your time and have fun, if you're busy remember it's just for fun and to help you fight the writer block.

-It can also work with art and other things.)

Finally someone said it (adding to this post). Thank you, @reloha . Yes, I choose to call Rashid/Armand "Rashmand" because it reminds me of Rashomon and I am a Nerd that loves to find connections everywhere. So, here goes my info dumping…

On the Rashomon effect, unreliable narrators and continuous interpretation

Rashomon was the gate built at the southern end of the ancient city of Kyoto, Japan. According to an old folktale, it was a gate haunted by a dreadful ogre. The tale is memorable for its convoluted narrative, since it presents three different versions of the story and they all contradict each other. 

The filmmaker Akira Kurosawa first utilized this storytelling technique in the film 'Rashomon' (1950), playing with nonlinear narrative, extensive use of flashbacks and open lines of dialogue. After the film's success, the term "The Rashomon Effect" was coined.

The Rashomon Effect is a term used to represent how a single event can be described in a variety of ways due to the unreliability of multiple witnesses. The witnesses’ unreliability and subjectivity are a result of situational, social and cultural differences. The term is widely used to symbolize general notions about the relativity of truth and the unreliability, the inevitable subjectivity, of memory.

From a storyteller's point of view, the Rashomon effect can be used to establish conflict and to give the audience agency. This effect allows space for the audience to decide for themselves what is the "truth", since the narrative in itself does not tell the audience what they should believe or what is the "correct" narrative. 

This effect also leaves an open space, specifically for ambiguous endings. Since the reliability of the stories presented through different narrators is exposed and never truly explained, the ending comes with more questions than answers. This ambiguity can engage the audience to continue discussion and interpretation after the credits roll. 

The Rashomon effect does not play with ambiguity for ambiguity's sake, instead it is a tool used to reiterate themes and larger concepts. It gives the audience space to explore, to discuss and to analyze without providing direct line of "truth".

NOBODY TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I don't care if it's not worth watching. There is Piper Perabo in a cowboy hat. That's all I need to know. Hopefully, my buddy didn't spend too much on it, but I'll watch anything with Piper in it. Well, all except that film (which I forget the name of) that will make me stop loving her.

Thanks @raevenlywrites​! This is a great question!!

Usually, my mind is closer to an audiobook than a film. The large majority of scenes I write come from dialogue I hear in my head, and I hastily write it down in a word document or on a scrap of paper before I forget. Then, when I sit down to write the scene, I flesh out the idea more thoroughly. I’ll show an example, because I feel Extra™ this morning:

This was the entirety of my notes for December 25th, 1970:

Liliane is over for the holidays and she’s chatting with Emily. Later on Christmas day, Lee and Geoff come over (G to talk to Cameron about the album) and when Lee is alone with Emily, he’s like “Emily you never said your sister was an angel” & then Emily: *snaps fingers in front of Lee* “dude are u ok”

I sat down to write the date, finished it, and let it sit for a couple days. I went over it again, tweaked a couple things, and this is the final product (at least pertaining to Lee’s comment)

I took a piece of an apple from the plate on the table and popped it in my mouth.

"Emily," Lee said quietly.

I looked at him and answered. "Yes?"

"You never told me your sister was Aphrodite," he breathed.

I raised my eyebrows and stared at him. He had a glossy look in his eyes and for a moment I worried. I waved my hand in front of his eyes and spoke. "Lee, are you feeling alright?"

He met my gaze and smiled. "I have never felt better."

I chuckled at his words, but knew better than to doubt the sincerity of them. It was only when Liliane returned to the kitchen that he broke out of his absorption.

I don’t actually. You know how some people can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. I can’t write and listen to music. I end up focusing on the background song too much. However, I do listen to songs before to jot down ideas in a notebook!

That means so much!!! My biggest piece of writing advice is: write to enjoy what you do. Write what you want to write, and when you have inspiration, act on it! 

I’ve been writing for almost ten years now. I started super young, posting my fics to Fanfiction.net, and if I’m being honest, I was terrible. I thought that high word count= high quality, never read over my work before posting, and wrote one-dimensional “Mary Sues” all the time. But I kept writing, and as more people started to read my work, I learned. I experimented with new styles, new characters, and new worlds. I found my writing style, and I found a passion for writing.

Don’t get me wrong - this hasn’t been a linear journey with some ultimate prize at the end. I didn’t grow at a constant rate, employ the same mechanisms, and then achieve great literary success. I’m a twenty-year-old college student who has gone through fits of inspiration, writer’s blocks, and hiatuses, but I always come back to writing because it’s a part of me. I’ve had a decade long love affair with writing, and I don’t think it’ll ever end.  

I used to operate in a chronological way, and I would advise against that! I used to have bursts of inspirations for little scenes, but because my narrative wasn’t at that point in the story, I wouldn’t write it yet. Don’t do that. Get the scene out and ride that creative wave. You can always work it into the narrative later. 

My writing process changes because each story is different. Sometimes, I can sit down and write 3,000+ words with only a vague plot idea because the narrative takes on a life of its own. Sometimes, I have to meticulously plan and write in sections. Some characters come to me fully formed, and others have to be carefully crafted.