In the past, writing on here I haven't had too much of a plan, only a vague end point and the first steps of getting there, and that has probably worked against me. But right now, because I'm trying for shorter, contained narratives, I'm making an extremely rough outline of every post from start to finish. As in:
Post 1: Basic plot point
- Scene 1 (3-5 word description)
- Scene 2 (again)
- Scene 3 (again)
Post 2: etc.
When I'm writing for real I don't outline, or try not to. I usually just start by writing the characters, or letting the characters write themselves, for several pages. I have a general idea of a story or setting, but I'm more concerned about capturing experience. More about characters, less about plots. But that's what I tend to read anyway. As for editing, I try not to touch anything for at least a week. I find when I re-read something too soon, I don't pick up on things that I may have done "wrong" (dumb idioms, useless adverbs, over "telling") -- things that I don't like to read -- because I'm still reading it in the voice that I used to write it. I need to wander from it for a time.
I also write poetry, but I think of that as a terrible habit. I spend pretty much no time on that. Usually one-shot, write something over a couple hours, never tweak. It's a quick fix for having a "finished" work.
My favorite books are Europe Central, Shadow Country, and House of Leaves, though I'm currently working my way through Gravity's Rainbow and, while confusing, Pynchon's style is mesmerizing and brilliant and hilarious once you get into the rhythm.
But I still make room for junk food, like the Stormlight Archives, The Expanse novels, and the X-Wing series, which I never read during my sprint through the EU novels.
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I guess my point is, I write what I like to read, and I avoid writing what I don't like to read. And I write in a way that pleases me and makes me feel like I'm communicating effectively to other human beings. I've found that I've changed a lot. Sometimes I barely recognize serious writings of mine from a few years ago. My focus might or might not be different from Sy's, and yet these methods work for us, so it comes down to trial and error.
If you're having any trouble writing, read more, but do it 3/4 for pleasure and 1/4 for research. Pay attention to things that bother you and things that excite you. Make sure part of your mind is being critical while the rest is being entertained.
