Do you THINK about what you write?

[Rhi Paille]

Afternoon!

So here's my question: Do you think about what you write?

And the reason I'm asking is this: I'm fairly certain Meyer didn't think about Bella and Edward getting married and having a half vamp / half human child. On that same thread I'm sure LJ Smith didn't think about it when she made her Original Family of vampires only 1000 years old. I'm sure she wasn't thinking Anne Rice, Lestat . . .

(I apologize for the non fantasy references, but I think fantasy writers think more than some of the YA authors out there.)

Sometimes what we put on paper, doesn't come out the way we wanted it to. Case in point, the recent Hunger Games movie. When I read the book I found NOTHING funny, but in the theatre, I couldn't help but laugh when Katniss shot the pig. It wasn't funny, but I laughed.

When it comes to my own work I have a process of thinking. I outline, read the outline, thinking about it as if it were a movie. Then I revise the outline, write the book, and begin the revision process. I analyze each and every scene to make sure it fits, that it flows the way I want it to. I change it if it doesn't. I add details that maybe foreshadow a future book or bring more life to the scene. I think about dialogue the most . . . plot comes second and then magic and landscape come last.

Where does thinking get me? I don't know, it prevents me from making stupid mistakes, having a character say something out of context, having something happen that makes no sense, having a character do something they can't really do, that sort of thing. It also eliminates anything cheesy, too biblical, not sexy enough (hell because a scene can never be TOO sexy), not thrilling enough, or unnecessary.

How about you? Do you think about what you write?

Namaste,
Rhi

 

[Caged Maiden]

interesting... I tend to not think about some things, like a love scene or character's words in an argument, because I believe passionate people act and speak without thinking sometimes, but then I have some things like my money system or political structure very carefully thought out, so as not to have a reader questioning my planning. So Today, as I was driving back from a doctor appointment, I thought about the work I'm currently editing (which needs quite a lot of work), and I asked myself, why would a guy who is a werewolf allow himself to get arrested? (Because a great deal of the story hinges on his improsonment for a crime he was framed for)
See I sometimes get so wrapped up in connecting things together that I blow by something that would likely stand out as unlikely to a reader. Then I have to go back and justify those things in writing, because I don't want someone inthe future to think I didn't plan accordingly.

I have found that when I overthink, I begin putting in (sometimes pages) of erroneous details, just to have my bases covered, and looking back I can only admit that the extra words have detracted from the original story.

So do I think? Yes. But it is a delicate balance, and I am still finding mine.

Best wishes. You sound like you have found a winning balance for your style.

 

[Amanita]

Of course.
I'm sort of telling the stories to myself in my head with accompanying pictures. Many of the stories I'm talking about here only exist in this form yet, but I hope to change that. I'm often playing through scenes in my mind many times and often they get much better for it. Sometimes I'm bored by them before I actually write them down though. If I can't bring myself to do this while walking with the dog, sitting on the train, lying in bed and so on, I can't really write anything either.
If by "thinking about your writing" you mean planning and asking yourself if the story makes sense, yes, I'm doing that too. I only plan a rough outline beforehand usually and allow the story to evolve naturally. This leads to some dead ends but for me it works better than planning everything beforehand. Wondering if something makes sense, if it could have happend that way and so on is necessary to of course, but I'm quite sure everyone here on the forums is doing that.

 

[Penpilot]

I think about my stories all the time, in the shower, as I drive, etc. Is this right? Is that right? Should I say this a different way? Sometimes I'll play out a scene in my head, taking both sides of the argument, trying to figure out what would be said. Sometimes it goes where I want it to while others it takes me to neat new places I didn't know about. When I'm writing, I think about where I need to get to and keep that in mind, but if something more interesting pops up I'll go with it.

When I revise, I work pretty much like you do Rhi.

 

[Jon_Chong]

I believe everyone thinks as the write. Some might 'free write' but that in and of itself is a form of thinking, just not conscious decision making. The real question I feel is not do you think when you write, but what do you think of when you write? Do these questions change shape and form when you change modes? I for one know they do. When I'm writing my frist draft, I'm more concerned with getting down words on paper. I plot, I sketch out a scene with nothing but the barest of details and the motion of plot and keep on chugging along until I finish. In this mode I make few conscious decisions as I let my characters dictate where the story goes. Then, when all's said and done, I go into revision mode. I take a look at each scene, at each word, at the plot, at the characters... I take a look at everything. And I ask myself, does it work? I think of things like scene composition - not unlike a camera man or a photographer - and I think of things that would further accentuate the reality of my world. I think of my characters and their motivations and desires and I worry if I can relate to them or not. I think of the world at large and if it makes as much sense to the reader as it does to me. I look at the writing style and think of ways to make it more slick, more smooth. I look at dialogue and I think about ways to make it quick and snappy. And like Pen, I don't just do this at the writing desk. I think about it all the time - its why I have a pen and a notepad on me at all times.

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

There are probably a few people out there gifted enough to write a coherent, entertaining story without thinking about it, much in the same way that there are a few people out there who have won the lottery.

Everyone else gets to do things the hard way.

 

[Ivan]

With an important scene, especially involving dialogue, I will go through it several times writing the back-and-forth and mesh the parts I like best.
EDIT: By back-and-forth I meant the conversation, of course.

 

[ThinkerX]

I work my way mentally through each scene as I type it in, asking myself such things as 'these two characters are talking, but what are these other two doing? Does one of them contribute to the conversation or do something else? (and keep in mind this ones impulsive and that one is an idiot) Where do these characters have to be in order for the scene to work? Is there some feature of the scenery that plays a role in this episode? I usually have to go back and reread a couple times, adding or subtracting minor things.

 

[gavintonks]

I think about the core issues what is the protagonist doing what will carry the stroy and make it interesting, and I play the scenes out in my mind, that way I can write them from any angle and look for the way in which the story will involve the reader and be the most emotionally satisfying for the reader

 

[King Raven Stark]

sounds like you have a pretty good system me myself usually i just go into it using a freehand style without thinking, I find it more fun that way, exciting. I do take down facts and ideas too. It's like I always visualize the end and sequels and a whole universe for my stories

 

[Steerpike]

It varies for me. I've written short stories without thinking much about them, but instead having a vague idea of what the story might be about and then just writing. I see where it takes me from there. For a novel, that would not be a good approach for me. I need to know what I'm doing in each scene or chapter, but I don't plan out the details. Once I know what a scene or chapter is supposed to accomplish, I just write and again let it take me where it will (within limits set by its purpose).

 

[Lorna]

I tend to use a mixture of writing through and allowing the characters to play things out for themselves then re-tying the plot and making sure everything is coherent with the metaphysics and world map. I sometimes find my characters do things unexpected but awesome and so worth keeping in the story it means changing both the plot and workings of the world, which I tend to redevelop and keep in flux. I think at the early stages you can be free when you get to redrafting and editing takes alot of thought and coherence is crucial.
Randomly, I can draft when drunk and sometimes write better scenes than I do sober but drinking when redrafting / editing is a no - no.

 

[Shockley]

My goal is to get things down on paper, first and foremost. I think during revision.

 

[Sheilawisz]

With my novels, I usually think the entire story and write a structure guide before I start, and even though many unexpected things can happen in my writing adventure and the story sometimes takes unexpected turns, having the structure clear in my mind is like knowing the best climbing route to reach the summit of a very high mountain =)

With short stories and crazy fanfics I can write without thinking the entire thing, and I can have loads of fun that way!!

 

[The Dark One]

At the risk of sounding like a pedant...of course you think when you're writing. It's just a different type of thinking.

When I was young, I used to call it the writer's trance - I would only occasionally get into that trance but everything I produced seemed magical (cf stuff produced in non-trance sessions). 20 years later, I write every day and go easily into that mode. Mind you, I have since learned to plot carefully in advance and understand my own processes extremely well. I can turn on the writer's trance like a tap now...which is kinda important when I get to work.

Work, of course, involves yet another type of thinking.

 

[Noc]

I only write after letting a story unravel in my mind for months. My latest work was conceptualized when I was just eleven, and I've been reconstructing it ever since.

 

[C.B. Jones]

I let the story come to me as I write. Better plot twist in my opinion.

 

[Hap818]

Yah I let it come while I'm writing

 

[They'reWatchingUs]

I just get a pen or pencil, some paper and write. I don't think it really matters, as long as you have a scene that your working to, like J.K. Rowling was always working toward the scene with Hagrid carrying Harry out of the forest and that was were she was going the whole time. So, having an aim and then just working towards it would be how I prefer to write, if you get what I mean.

 

[Bear]

I usually put a great deal of thought into my writing. I focus mainly on short stories so I usually need to come up with a twist of sorts. So the ending of my stories need to have a meaningful and impactful feeling. As a result I kind of have to think about things a bit.