First off! I have to not agree with something, or something has to get under my skin, or just think of something out of spite that go against what people believe. And I come with the subject I think might cause a reaction. I invest in caffeine because I like my coffee in the morning. Put on some good music, and then all of a sudden bits and pieces of things come to me that may go with different subjects I jotted down. I write my sentences down, I always save them I always come back to them later. I basically build my story that goes to a particular subject. That is my ruff draft! I put it up to come back to it months later with a non-favoritism with a particular sentence and I go threw it like a professor proof reading his students paper for corrections.
I'm a complete newbie when it comes to writing, so my creative process may be totally different to most but it more or less mirrors my creative process for my own artwork; an idea or concept comes to mind, I visualize the overall 'story', then get into researching the background to the concept. Once I feel I have all the information I need to begin working I first do a series of sketches or layouts to transfer my thoughts to paper, then using the research material begin fleshing out the work.
I am writing all the time. At my day job, I am constantly jotting bits of dialogue on the back of scrap paper, and to lull myself to sleep at night, I work a scene through in my head--then hope I remember enough of it the next day to work from.
My drive to and from my day job is generally a 30-45 minute commute, and I used to talk out the next part of the story while driving, then write it out when I got home. However, it seemed that I would come up with some clever twists of tale while alone, talking to myself in my car, then promptly forget it all when I sat in front of the keyboard. I bought a small digital recorder, and now I dictate the story as I drive. If I am unable to write that evening, I still have a really good idea of where the story is headed. When I do have time to write, I listen, type, add and subtract and generally work that way. Sounds meticulous, I know. Don't worry, I'm not that much of a nitnoid in other aspects of my life.
I have no set day or time to write, but when I am in front of this keyboard everyone knows I am not to be disturbed. Fortunately, this wish is respected most of the time. I belong to two writer's groups. One is a serious critique group where the five members are seriously editing a mss in hopes of getting it out. The other group is a "read and comment" sort of group and I do get a lot from both. It seems that I get most of my writing done on these days, either while editing for perfection (an unobtainable goal, as we all know) to wow the group, or because I am fired up with creativity from something that was said or something I learned while in the meeting.   | | |
I start thinking only when I sit down to write. I'll write, doodle, sketch, scratch out, get up, look in the fridge, drink some water, sometimes eat something, check my email, watch TV, sit down at my desk again.
Maybe I'll arrive at something good. Mebbe not.
Repeat.
After a nap. Or some surfing. Or watching 'DS9.'
Wow this is like giving up trade secrets!
The Process: First live a life worth writing about, then Journal everything from moments and ideas, to seeds for actual pieces, then compose from that base of material! Most of my writing starts off in a journal. Only when I feel like it is time to compose do I set aside time to work at the computer and write out actual pieces.
"A poet spends 90% of his life doing something other then writing poems" --Vince Clemente
I keep a notebook of ideas with me. For writing nonfiction articles, I like to do quite a bit of research and jot down a brief outline before I start writing. My poetry is a little different, because I believe poetry is part of the process and is similar to taking a photograph of your emotions. While I understand different forms, I believe the most beautiful poetry comes from taking a certain emotion that you might think only you can feel, and then using words, images, and rhyme to evoke that feeling in someone else.
Writing for me is a business--work--so I tend to just sit down, cut off the distractions, and go. I try to be pretty ruthless with myself about word counts or page counts when things aren't going well since the Web can inhale so much time.
Inspiration comes and goes for the most part. You have to be in a certain mood to start writing, and that happens because of all sorts of reasons. It is usually an emotion though.
Sometimes, if I concentrate hard enough, I can start the whole process without any outside trigger, but then it feels like cheating. And the story is no longer real, it no longer breathes its own breath.
My creative process is constant.Everything I see,feel or do inspires me. People,things,and my emmotions. My best writing spurs from saddness.
The creative process. It is much like a thunderstorm, and waiting for lightning to strike. Often times I'm reading about a work of art, or I'll overhear a story before inspiration strikes and I must write. I've been able to train myself to record as many ideas as possible; keeping a written journal and also a place where I can quickly type something and save it with other quicktypes.
But my favorite way to write is late at night, after drinking a glass of Cabernet. The inspiration will strike me, and I'll get out as much of the enthusiasm as possible, at least the gist of what I want to say. Then I'll smoke a celebratory cigarette and start a mixture of creating and editing.
My father commented that I'm always self editing. When I was preparing for a poetry reading, and practicing reading my poems to him he commented "I can still see your brain working, in those tiny pauses, making small changes."
So in short, the creative process is just learning to follow my gut reaction to an emotional response, and finding some way to record it either on paper or computer. | | |
My creative process is varied. Romantic poems flow from the relationship to my wife Birgit. Science fiction flows from developments such as the discovery of new planets circling other stars and the exploration of the multiverse and hyperspace by physicists.
Being an economist has led to my formulation of a new non-adversarial economic system I've called Cooperatism, where all parties involved in the economy play real roles.
Safety and security writing has come from my experience in law enforcement and as an investigator in New England. But much of my writing falls between the cracks of these
creative processes and comes more from insights, epiphanies, and the like, which I would like to think of as inspirations (readers may or may not agree.)
There isn’t really a whole lot before I sit down to write. Unless I’m outlining (by paper) or brainstorming, I usually just sit down and write what comes to mind. I’m the kind of writer who won’t outline unless I HAVE to. I prefer to have the story flow from my muse, into my head, down my shoulders and into my hands, then finally stop at the keyboard. I don’t have any specific ritual, although I usually write at night (since my family is asleep and I am able to concentrate better.) I can’t stand having people walk by me or look over my shoulder at what I’m doing.
Before I write anything an idea sparks in my mind. It often bounces arround there for a bit then I will write it down, point blank form just so I don't forget. Later after mulling it over the creative process begins and everything spils out onto paper. The next step is making sure it makes sense and reviseing it.
For me, it's mostly spontaneous. I'll get an idea for a story plot, get it down on paper then comes character development, scene setting and adding details to enhance the story. I probably have 14 or 15 rough drafts before I consider it finished enough that I'll start submitting to agents and/or publishers. Some novels I've been working on for three or four years, unless it gets sold then I have no choice but to consider it done.
Interesting question! I am , let's say, overtaken by the need for self expression so I let my fingers and mind take over and I write. I never know whether it be poem, story or the beginning of a book! |
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