How do you write your stories?

[Winterfrost]

Well basically I'm just curious. When you write your stories, do you write chapter by chapter and don't plan the story, or plan the entire thing altogether and, when the ENTIRE thing is done, then post all of it. Any other styles of writing?

And from you guys' experience, which way is better? More interesting? More fun to write? I mean, some of the best fanfics out there is unplanned writing, and i found that really hard to believe. I know that Stephen King makes up his stories as he goes along, though.

I usually write my fics as a whole first, make sense of everything, checking the chronology order, then post the entire thing. The only fic I did so far didn't have many responses (most part probably because it includes my character.........)
Maybe I'm putting too much thought into what I want my fanfic to mean. I probably have to make my writing routine less 'serious'.

[drakkenfan]

Basically, I write an outline with plot ideas, and ideas for funny dialog and stuff. So I know what the whole story will be about. Then I start writing the actual story, 2 or 3 chapters. Then I start posting the chapters. Ususally a new chapter every weekday.

[lonestarr357]

More often than not, I plan ahead. For multi-chapter stories, I always draw up an outline. I don't always go by it (usually, I add or subtract little details), but I like to have it as a guideline as to where I want the story to go.

Same thing goes for one-shots...but recently (while I have a basic sketch in my head), I've taken to making things up as I go.

[captainkodak1]

Most of my one shots I just sit and write after I get the idea. Some I will go back and work on others I will post almost immediately. My longer stories I plan ahead. The Lotus Bloom was completely planned on one Saturday afternoon with a massive IM session with Rich. My other longer stories I have a basic plan. I keep a notebook where I have notes and outlines on my stories. I can refer back to this from time to time. Wannaweep had some planning. Four Friends is almost done on the fly. I have a list of scenes I want for the stories but for the most part it is done on the fly. I guess I use all of the ways to write.

[iluvredheads07]

I usually have the main story plots already in my head and then the add the dialouge while im writing.

[RavenStar]

I usually start with the beginning and end mostly outlined, then fill in the middle. Most of the time I end up having torework the ending slightly to fit some of the ideas I put in while fleshing out the main part of the story - but then again, most writers end up doing that, I believe...

[aliciamartin]

i do the whole thing before putting chapters

[jmt2005791]

i make it up as i go along. but i have an idea of what i want to happen in each chapter before i write

[FloW]

I make them up and write them...but I always get stuck in the middle of the second chapter

[mrpotty]

Mostly I just write it. I got one or two ideas, about something that will happen, but I come up with most of the stuff, while I'm writing it.
For my newest story, I wrote a timeline, to keep some of the events together.
But usually I got an idea for a story, and then I start writing. When I've finished a chapter, I put it online. (But not this time, because of its length and because I got some help with translation)

[Ezbok58a]

I usually have the story mapped out in my head, the more it sits there the more of the story comes together, when I type it out I usually add little bits that come to mind as I'm going through the story.

Other times like in The Car comes to middleton I have a preset story from beginning to end, I just add whatever seems right as I type it out.

So its half planned, and half on the fly.

[bigpenguin]

Oh how I wish I could plan better. I know what will happen at the end of the story but getting there is a random, spew of ink that gradually spreads and covers my sheet. So when I write, I focus on the characters reaching to the point that I already know. I don't recommend writing like this, it leads to constant jams.

[Quin Separable]

I usually have a basic storyline in my head (although with my newest one I am writing an outline) and other elements come into my story as I write. So I write half planned, half spur of the moment.

[wkc814]

I write the whole story down before posting any of it.

[wolfmanvi]

Usually a basic plot and characters to begin with. from there I usually write a brief outline for each chapter. But most of the time for my recent stories ive gone by the seat of my pants and done it off the top of my head. i find to be spontanious can really affect a story. As your mood can affect the mood of the story and the direction it can go. Everynow and then i ask for readers opinions because i enjoy allowing the reader to tell me what they would like to see. And many times they open venues i never even thought of. Soi guess i use a mix medium.

[RavenStar]

I usually also get some lines of dialogue and a few plot point/plot twist notes scribbled down that I like, and try to integrate the lines and plot devices I like the best into the story...

[taechunsa]

With oneshots or short stories I basically build the entire story around one premise or idea. For these I just write. Not much planning takes place. I just let the characters and stories evolve as I write.

However, for longer stories I outline them. I make notes of major elements that need to happen in that chapter along with notes for dialogue or events that I have thought of that fit. However, within the chapter I basically just write. It is a bit more restrictive then with a oneshot since there is an over reaching story, but for the most part I have built the outline by reasoning out how the characters will act and what that might lead to.

For the couple of long fanfictions that I have posted I posted the chapters as they were finished. However, I have promised myself to never do this again. I hate the fact that one story hit a road block and the other one I just can't seem to get back to writing on. There are way too many unfinished fanfictions out there and I decided that i would not contribute anymore. I will not post a chapter until I have the first rough draft of the entire story completed. Then as I edit and correct a chapter I will post it.

My biggest problem right now is that I am part way through two outlines for longish stories and I can't decide which to focus on.

[azzie]

[glow=blue,2,300]I work on stories like one does a puzzle, get the frame first, then put it together in peices.[/glow]

[shegal92]

What I do is think out the majority of my plot, not just what it's about and stuff but main events. I start posting chapters once I've been thinking about it for a few months (or on a whim, depends on how long it is). I make up the small details as I go along and I even get surprised sometimes with what I come up with. I occasionally edit (not including spell/grammer check) previous chapters that I think pretty much suck, so I don't really revise. I also love reader's comments and try to add them into the story. But, of course, it doesn't always happen. I look forward to reading your stories, I checked out your...thing at Fanfiction earlier.

Shegal Out.

[surforst]

I just got into the whole fanfiction writting but for me I tend to come up with a crazy idea.

For example on one of my stories I thought to myself "what would it be like if Kim was a guy" and then I remembered a show I saw. From there I wrote the first chapter. After that I just let it grow.