#(I tried to condense my thoughts on these because I could've easily rambled on)

[morethanaprincess-a]

@ahogedetective​ said:  1, 4, and 12!

Asks for Writers

1.) Is there a specific environment you prefer to write in?

Yes! And it’s entirely based on what time of day it is, actually.

Daytime/sun is still up: At the dining table, with a spotify playlist, and with water, hot tea, or a light meal. I take periodic breaks to wash dishes and turn on the kettle, and when I’m being a bit delinquent, I’ll write during work breaks or general lulls in my workflow, too. Sometimes I can write when others are in the room but I don’t prefer it, and I know I can’t when others are speaking to me directly.

Nighttime/after sundown: In pajamas, on a sofa, with a thermos of tea and either a spotify playlist or something streaming/playing on TV in the background. Sometimes it’s inspo for a muse or just a comfort movie or playlist, but I need something going on to temporarily distract me when I’m either stumped on ideas or just can’t fit the right words together.

I used to write over larger meals and alcohol, but I haven’t done that for months now due to health reasons.

In general though, I like being full, hydrated/caffeinated, and in comfortable clothes when I write. Sometimes with various beauty treatments. It feels almost like a spa and an office combined when I’m doing a multi-step skincare regimen and I’m waiting for a serum to set or a sheet mask to work while working on a draft.

4.) Do you like to plan something out, or just wing it?

I try to work with what my writing partners are comfortable with most of the time. Some muns really like to plot and are open to conversation about it (sometimes chatting all night about plans!) and others are very much hands-off, preferring to see how the thread spontaneously evolves. Personally, I’m a bigger fan of the former but it relies upon having a good rapport with a writing partner to make it work. 

I will say for many of my romantic ships, especially ones with a lot of AUs and various threads, I’m plotting quite a bit with the muns of those muses. I prefer to do that for those sorts of interactions because I’m not an auto-ship sort of writer and I like seeing how that sort of intimate relationship can and will evolve over time and many threads.

I tend to have more confidence in my writing when some of a story is planned out, too. That’s also a perk, and helps me reply to threads and interactions far more easily. And when I’ve hit a writer’s block or have a question for the other mun regarding their muse and/or verse (especially when it comes to crossovers and OCs I’m not familiar with), it’s far easier to reach out and ask if I’m already plotting with them.

12.) What’s your best advice for someone struggling with their writing right now?

First and foremost, take a break. Sleep, eat a good meal, indulge in another hobby, see family and/or friends. Step away from tumblr and possibly the computer in general. You’re not getting paid to RP. Take some of the pressure off you. Any writing partner worth writing with will understand and will be eager to welcome you back when you’re ready.

Otherwise, I try to follow this advice: write what you want to read. And in order to do that, read the sort of content you want to write. I find that there’s plenty that can inspire writers in their work, their characters, their plots, their content: TV, movies, video games, comics, podcasts, blogs, etc. However, RP is very much a writing hobby. It’s just as much about the actual writing, putting ideas and words to paper or a digital document, as it is reading. 

I don’t necessarily mean sticking to the ‘great novels’ or ‘great poems’ or what have you, the sort of thing you may have analyzed in classes in school. But I do mean seeking out the sorts of stories, characters, even general writing styles that inspire you and that you really enjoy reading. 

For me, that’s a mix of all sorts of writers, from those who penned some of the worldwide ‘classics’ that have been discussed in plenty of schools and made and remade into plenty of films to contemporary offerings and even some things that...ahem...I’d never admit I read in a public setting (and am glad I can purchase secondhand online!). I like to write about royals/aristocrats/rich people problems, luxury, class divides, romance, thriller, horror, and history the most, so I focus on titles about those topics. I’m less interested in writing fantasy, science fiction, and battles/war/fighting scenes, so I don’t usually choose those to read for fun or inspiration.