How do you write?

I do everything on the computer unless I have to be away for a reason. I've never really planned anything out, maybe a vauge notion but no details. I use write or die in little hundred spurts. I do have occasional gems that I think about. Those are easiest to write about.

I write everything on the computer. I have index cards with major plot points so I don't lose my way, but most of it just flows as I type. I use maybe 20 cards for a 50K word project.

As imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown, the poet's pen turns them to shapes and gives airy nothing a local habitation and a name.
- A Mid-Summer Night's Dream

ROFL. I don't think I've had a plan the entire time I've written other than the fact I wanted a fantasy novel with a quest for a cup of tea! I just got on Write or Die and do it in 2000 word intervals so about 45 minutes at a time and hope that whatever ends up on the page works.

My NaNo Blog

I write up a plan, character personality/descriptions, setting and all that before I start.

Then I open up a blank word document and write whatever pops into my head.

Haha, a story is born.

I get my main characters, protagonists and antagonists alike, in my head before I start, just the broad strokes. I usually have a setting in mind, and the main conflict.

I tend to daydream one scene ahead, so I usually know where I'm going next. Usually. And when I daydream up the scene, I try to find one little bit in that scene that I think is especially cool, something cinematic that I can watch over and over in my head. That then becomes a strong impetus to write the scene, to get to the cool bit. When I'm done writing for the day, it's time to start daydreaming about the next scene.

I write each book differently.

For this one I have a general outline of the plot but it's more in the way of places the characters need to go and the complications they'll run into there. My antagonist is barely sketched out even though I'm 1/4 the way through the story - but that's not bothering me as he/she/it's not yet appeared on stage seeing as the characters are more dealing with a force or conspiracy than an individual.

Scarily, I have no idea what's going ao appear on the screen until my fingers start moving! I have a vague notion of where I want to end up, about four lines of general outline and no idea of how I'm going to get there!

Seems to be working so far, though. Having taken part in an online write-in, I have also discovered that a good way to improve my word count is to write as much as I can in fifteeen minutes, then go back and correct all the typos. This generally means I'm writing around 600 words at a time before reviewing what I've written.

It's good to discover what other people find works for them.