[SURVEY] Writing Habits

[bury the year]

Yo. Rinne here. I've been thinking up a few ideas for a new story, and it got me to thinking on how the rest of YCM preps and writes their stuff out. Therefore, I wrote up a quick 14-piece questionnaire that address topics I see rather often in our little section of the forum. All the questions are freeform, so put down as much or as little as you like. You can expand on anything you like: these are just guidelines.

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]

[The Final Messenger]

1. A year or so
2. A combination of FanFics and Originals
3. Characters or Plot. They're equall. Difficult for me
4. ...
5. I base them off character tropes
6. Actual books and other works
7. Acting out scenes before writing them
8. Chunks
9. Psychotic, Memoryless, Shy, Funny or Energetic protaganists
10. Psychotic, insane, agressive, arrogant, high class, or anything like me
11. I abuse alot of them from TV tropes.com, I just can't remember them all
12. Advance
13. This is a hard question... I get bored and write okay? How about that?
14. Descriptions and grammer... Maybe spelling

[Yankee]

[quote name='Rinne' timestamp='1286590579' post='4689709']
Yo. Rinne here. I've been thinking up a few ideas for a new story, and it got me to thinking on how the rest of YCM preps and writes their stuff out. Therefore, I wrote up a quick 14-piece questionnaire that address topics I see rather often in our little section of the forum. All the questions are freeform, so put down as much or as little as you like. You can expand on anything you like: these are just guidelines.

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]

Uh, for a long time. I've started writing for stories and such about 3 years ago.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]

I truly don't know. I'll go with whatever I feel at the time. I seem to do fan works quite often however.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]

Well...To me, planning a story is incredibly easy. I don't have any issues with it. I think I might just have an issue with characters to begin with.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]

Sticking to the plot, explaining some of the things going on. I have an issue knowing everything (as I'm the writer), but writing knowing that the audience knows nothing.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]

I really don't know. They just kinda come to me. I ask people for characters, and have random ones of my own.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]

My brain? I don't often do much besides open M Word, and just start writing.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]

I listen to music the entire time.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]

I try to write it all at once, however I often have issues with time, so it ends up in chunks.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]

Stereo-typical. Not a fan of writing them, but they are easy.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]

Same as Protags.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]

I seem to abuse my characters travelling all over the world for one reason or another. I also like to have my story revolve around the MC being the bad guy, or working with the bad guys.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]

Loooong in advance. I'll plan a story out until the very end. I know what I'm doing however; I make the plot loose, so I can make up a plot for each individual chapter before I write it, in relation to the overall plot.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]

People enjoying the story. Nothing is more enjoyable to me than seeing good, supportive comments.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]

Show, not tell. I have an issue with that at times. Not too often anymore though...

I actually enjoy my writing style. You have to be okay with your style before you begin anything big.

[/quote]

[---------------]

1: How long have you been writing stories? [b]Haven't written anything recently, but I am preparing two fanfics, and am going to remake my old one soon.[/b]

2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between? [b]In between.[/b]

3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story? [b]Making sure there are no plot holes or contradictions.[/b]

4: How about writing a story? [b]Making your story not sound retarted.[/b]

5: How do you go about designing your characters? [b]Apps, if I don't think of them myself.[/b]

6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing? [b]Two: Wikis and meh brain.[/b]

7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? [b]Lieing down in meh bed whilst listening to a 7:30 min version of Dearly Beloved[/b]

8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks? [b]Chunks[/b]

9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise? [b]The 'strong sense of justice' type.[/b]

10: What about antagonists? [b]The ' I hate you all' type.[/b]

11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing? [b]Betrayal. And world travel.[/b]

12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants? [b]A mix of both. I try to get the main plot down before I start writing, then sketch in all the details later.[/b]

13: How do you get motivation to continue something? [b]<---My problem. I seem to be missing that. [/b]

14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be? [b]Transitions in dialogue between more than two people. I can't keep using the word 'said' all the time...[/b]

[CrystalCyae]

1: How long have you been writing stories?
A couple of years, I think. I lost my oldest stroy so I can't check.
2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?
Mainly original, but sometimes based on anime/mangas.
3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?
Preparing a plot. Sometimes, you have the best ideas, but you can't summarise them in a plot, and without one, your toast.
4: How about writing a story?
Getting it done. I suffer from non-motivation; Once I get bored with something I.....What was I talking about?
5: How do you go about designing your characters?
To be perfectly frank, I don't. I just think of them on the spot.
6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?
Mainly animes I see on T.V, and my imagination.
7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)
I eat while I write, though usually I play computer games and write. At school I talk while write.
8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?
The first chapter is usually done as a whole, but the rest is in chunks.
9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?
Buliied, for one. I know how they would feel. I also go for those low on the money chain. Usually my protagonists are shy, and usually come out and have a braveness rush. In 2 of those cases, I know how they feel.
10: What about antagonists?
Usually, my antagonists are the bullying type, mysterious, and, in one case, down right crazy.
11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?
None that I can think of.
12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?
Mainly off the top of my head, but in about 5 out of a hundred chance I plan it out for a while in advance.
13: How do you get motivation to continue something?
Hell no. If I continue an old story it's because I feel like it, not motivation. And if I weere to post it on YCM, I'd have it finished first.
14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?
Tough one......... Can't think of anything I want to change. I like my style.

[Makο]

1: Maybe a good year.

2: Original, baby!

3: Not procrastinating XD

4: See #3

5: I just make a shell, then develop Characters later.

6: SCI-FI

7: Music. And maybe Comedy.

8: All at once, I think.

9: Just think Noble 6, or the Main protagonist from ODST. Except more Talkative.

10: EVIL! Rash, Harsh, Smart, and Deadly.

11: Trope? Hmm...based on what I think that means...The Main Characters dyeing off. But thats only in my current book. (In stores soon XD)

12: Pants.

13: I play Halo! Its great inspiration!

14: Maybe a little more descriptive language...

[JG.]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
I dunno, about a 1½ years I think.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
I usually write fan works, but I have plenty of original ideas, I just never get around to writing them.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
I don't know, I don't really prepare except for the idea and some main characters.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
Getting started actually typing it out.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
I usually base them upon people I know IRL, or sometimes my mind makes them up for me.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
I don't really uses sources for anything =P

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
Sometimes listening to music, sometimes not.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
If all is going well, and I have an idea for the whole chapter, I try to write it all out at once.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
People like Kaij (for the people who have RP'ed with me), people who are very laid-back, yet still very serious and cool.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
I've never gotten far enough in a story to involve them T.T

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
Probably, but none that I know of.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
I plot out the start and the main events, but the fillings in between is usually made up as I go along. That's also why I never get far when I write.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
I don't.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be? [/b]
Not mixing up English and Danish grammar, definitly.

[Mysty]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]

I've been writing stories forever. When it comes to stories that I'm proud of, however, I'd say at least two years.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]

I don't usually write stories, but when I do, I write Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfics.
Stay wordy, my friends.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]

Setting up the spine. I'm not just talking about the skeletal backbone, but I'm talking about the details about how things move from one plot point to another, one arc to another, and how all the important events hook together to fill in plotholes.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]

Getting details down. I'm extremely used to reading Shakespeare and such and, while I've outgrown the script format, I still haven't outgrown the lack of detail.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]

I generally used the overused shell of characters:
• a relatively selfless hero male character (generally the main character)
• a secondary friend who at first clings on to the male character, but eventually proves their worth and rises next to the male character
• a rather parasitic friend who hurts more than helps but still remains a good friend
• an elaborately thought-out villain with a rather profitable plan that helps most everyone (but him/her the most) and an reason to fight that a reader can sympathize with and/or agree with (okay, I have to admit, that doesn't happen too often)
• a easily beatable villain with generic motives (sadly, this happens a lot because usually I'm too lazy to think of any real reason besides take over and/or destroy the world)
• mindless/brainwashed minions

All the others generally are generally too unimportant to be categorized.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]

I mainly use personal experience. If personal experience doesn't work, I use Wikipedia and a few websites specialized for the topic.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]

I do all my work on only one computer. Also, I follow all my computer habits, which include, but may or may not be limited to (it depends on how I feel at the time):
• Periodically getting up and pacing around my house
• Get onto Facebook, YCM, and whatever other websites I'd like to see.
• Take out a Yugioh or MtG deck and playtest it.
• Work on other work I should have had done by now.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]

• I generally try to write a chapter all at once. If I'm writing a story part of the chapter and I take a break, I usually lose the point of what I was trying to write and the chapter gets awkward. If it's in the middle of a duel, I lose the hand counts and have to review the entire duel again, which isn't fun.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]

Selfless incorruptible heroes, obviously. Besides those, the next easiest ones are selfless, incorruptible, dedicated heroes that have a reason to fight and never deviate from it.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]

Obviously generic villains that only thirst for power. Besides those, the next easiest ones would have to be sadistic villains with a personal grudge against the protagonist, or rather laid back villains that don't too much against the protagonist as much as work on their own plan, sort of like James Bond villains.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]

Just to name a few off the top of my head:
• Quite a few love tropes, including the saved person falling in love with their savior, a few Love Triangles, and Beta Couple
• Breaking many of the applicable rules on the Evil Overlord list
• Nobody passes the Moral Event Horizon. Anybody who was good at one point gets saved while all others are simply "discarded."

I'm sure I've used many others.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]

I generally have most of the arcs already planned out before I write the first. I sometimes think of another in the middle and fit it in soon after. I write the filler and duels completely on the moment, though sometimes I do have goals of what cards I need to use in the duel.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]

I need to really be writing it and have a reason to make it good. If somebody else s pretty much writing my story and the only thing I can do is add comedic points of characters that are off screen, I have no real reason to write.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]

I would like to intuitively add sufficient detail.

[Weather Report - Stand]

[quote name='Rinne' timestamp='1286590579' post='4689709']
[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
Well, I began when I was three years old, way back in the 1900's. How exciting.
[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
I WOULD write more original works, but the internet isn't always the best place for that to me, so I write stories based upon existing media with major changes to the source material, in order to groom my own skills.
[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
The hardest thing isn't the beginning or end, since you should already have a clear picture of where you want the story to go when you begin. The hardest part is the middle, where you ave to pad out the story with development for events and characters. Sometimes I have a lot of a story thought out, and yet can't imagine the beginning portion well, and have to spend hours on the first few 'arcs'.
[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
The hardest part is... writing a boring portion. If I get excited, I can write 20 pages in a day. If not... more like one or two, if that much.
[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
I usually think up of traits first, or scribble designs down and link them to other ideas later. If I like a character design, I'll put a lot of effort into designing their personalities. If I don't, they either get designated to bit villain, or just get ignored completely. Also coming up with weapons or special powers always makes me want to make somebody to go with them, if that matters.
[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
I definitely use anime influences, mostly things such as Hunter X Hunter (for their creative use of special powers), GAINAX (their shows have incredible characters and fight scenes, and I couldn't possibly say that Gurren Lagann didn't have a hand in making my battles 4x better), and Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei (or arguably TVTropes.com as a whole, because I always love to come up with subversions for common tropes or stereotypes).
[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
I love listening to music while writing. If I'm working on an exciting scene, I listen to something hot-blooded. If there's something melancholy, I listen to something that matches. Etc.
[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
I usually do it in chunks due to time constraints, but if I'm on fire I do it all in one period.
[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
I think I do the 'kewl kid' best. When I write idiots, they aren't stupid enough. When I write serious characters, they always do something weird. So the 'kewl kid', meaning the 'crazy awesome' character, gets to be overly tough and oblivious, which is how I write kids best. If you've noticed, most characters in my stories suffer from this at one point or another.
[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
I LOVE WRITING ABSOLUTE MONSTERS. If I can make somebody literally terrifying for the reader, it'll feel so great to see them get pummeled. Ruthless guys are always popular, too, and I just can't stand the type of enemy who loses due to stupidity or because they decide to tie you up over an advancing tub of goo or something.
[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
Crazy awesome. Also I do have a habit of writing crack fics, but in terms of other plot tropes, I believe I employ the superpower lottery often, and I ALWAYS have loads and loads of characters. ALWAYS. And in addition, because of my utter hatred of damsels in distress, I employ action girls often.
[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
When I'm bored, I put thought into how I want my stories to develop. For instance, I decide at one point, "hey, I want a Mary Sue character, just to see what the audience will think of her when I kill her off", and it turns into "in the series finale, Syrus kills the devil." All thanks to several hours of thought.
[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
I think about the ending and get excited. That's how I force myself to go on.
[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]
I WISH I COULD WRITE SERIOUS THINGS, AND I WISH I COULD WRITE ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE PLACE IN A REALISTIC SETTING. It's likely a side-effect of always watching super robot shows, but now I can't have anything without superpowered characters punching buildings into outer space. It's my one true weakness...
[/quote]

[The True Ace Attorney]

[quote]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]

A year or so.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]

Original works. They give more freedom though fanfics are easier to write given that the setting is pretty much handed to you.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]

Preparing? To be honest, I make the entire thing up as I go along. At least that's how it starts, after a while I'll come up with a more distinct plot in free such as between classes or in classes...

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]

Making it believable and consistent. Superpowered characters are all fair and good but if they can do everything without giving anyone else a chance, the whole thing will get rewritten.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]

Visualise in head, then type onto a screen in as best detail as possible. First put down a basic overview of the character then see how they fit into the plot or the plot fits in with them.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]

I'll be honest, I have three kinds of books in my house. Harry Potter, anything by Darren Shan and the Doctor Who novels. None of them really contribute plot-wise but I do look to them for help with describing and the occasional total lack of grammar recollection.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]

Late night, lights off, music loud, video games on. I want to be able to write, play and listen at the same time. Though I've been listening to Harry Potter audiobooks, narrated by Stephen Fry because I'm cool like that, rather than listening to music.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]

I write a chapter all at once. I usually hope to get around four A4 pages using a size 11 font or a chapter as well.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]

Personality wise? I try to make them as believable as possible at the least. Generally though, they're usually somewhat gullible, take everything in their stride and have a positive outlook. I think RPG's have ruined my mind.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]

Calm, collected and calculating. They need to have the mindset to rule the world rather than some crazy clown psycho.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]

Downer Ending. Though to be fair I've only used it in two pieces of work I've finished and one of them was to make it seem realistic. Can't think of any others at the moment.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]

Go by the seat of my pants... I do like that phrase...

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]

It's generally something I enjoy and is something to distract me from doing other work and whatnot.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]

Okay, in reality it's be handwriting if that'd ever count as style but other than correcting that scrawl of ink, I've nothing against my writing. I'm perfectly happy with it.
[/quote]

[Hydra of Ages]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
On my own conviction, and for my own personal amusement? Since I was around ten years old or so, though I didn't actually enjoy writing until it was noted that I had a knack for it. I writ my first serious story of my own conviction -outside of school assignments and the like- around the age of thirteen, maybe fourteen, though I'd been involved in co-operative storytelling (IE, Rps) for a while prior to that.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
It depends on the story in question, as the two methods are radically different. Someone reading a fanwork probably has a background seated in the fandom of question, and as such they already have expectations and already have a firm foundation; that allows you to define your work about how it [i]builds[/i] on its basis. Originality is determined by how well you manipulate existing canon, fill in gaps the source material lift with intriguing details, and put your unique artistic mark on what was created by someone entirely different. On the other hand, original ideas start with an entirely blank slate. Anything you want the reader to feel, you will first need to make the foundation for yourself. You can't rely on existing emotional bonds that readers have attributed to their characters, and you will first have to fight for your audience attention and patience while you attempt to convey to them the basics of the world you have created.
To answer your question, I prefer fan works when I can think of a new innovation to append to an existing series, which can't work or doesn't work well when exported, and I prefer original works when it comes to more thought-intensive ideas that require a good deal of prior customization.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
Remembering all your ideas and how they fit together. You'd be shocked at how many awesome concepts I've come up with that I've had to scrap because I either forgot, or didn't write down properly, how all the elements intersected and made them special. The complete whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, and it's a sad fact that you can't convey your thoughts properly enough to make detailed enough notes to preserve the whole. The best you can do is scrounge together as many elements of your idea as you possible can, preferably in the form of a short story, and hope to god that the idea doesn't seem stupid to you in the morning.
Planning details while simultaneously trying to figure out how to make them natural is also a chore, considering the basic structure of a story is constructed of contrived coincidences, but contrived coincidences are also very very cliche. Therefor, you have to find some way to pull them off without the audience noticing, or if they do notice, not focus as much on the 'contrived' aspect of it.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
Making it past the first paragraph. Those initial sentences color everything your reader will ever think about your story, and if they're an initial stumbling block, it's almost impossible to gather up the effort to continue- for the author and the reader. What makes it worse is that, by definition, the opening line will [i]not[/i] be essentially the same as the rest of the story, and its almost impossible to make it so for that reason- you almost need to find a way to make your first chapter interesting, entirely separate from what makes the actual book itself interesting. Trying to write the first step in what you believe is an epic story with thrilling details and twists is an exercise in frustration, as all the elements that made you eager to start writing can't actually come into play until much later.
This applies, on a smaller scale, to even the beginning of new installments. While some come more naturally than others, the simple fact remains that what you actually want to write is always at the heart or end of chapter, and the beginning is almost always the weakest part narrative-wise.


[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
I start off with an idea, be that an idea for a physical appearance, their biography, a noticeable tic or element they display, or their role as a plot device. Once I have one of these solid in my hand, I expand on that, and as I do, everything blurs together. I dive into their biography in order to explain their physical appearance, their personalities and tics tie themselves to their histories, and everything else comes out naturally when I put them in a scenario with other characters. If, for whatever, I find a character is too bland or unfinished, I wait until I have a second flash of inspiration, and weave that together with the initial one. Finding ways to ask the question 'why' is probably the best way; every time you can ask that question, you can flesh out detail.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
Other elements of fiction, or with a narrative. If I find something I like, then I steal from it; obviously, not big things like characters, or settings, or main plot threads, but little bits, like shoplifting. I'll steal small character flaws, the basic idea behind plot twists, creative uses or aversions of tropes, snippets of description and very basic elements, then synthesize these elements with any of the massive amount of clippings I store in my head. The result from merging two of them is an idea; a different idea than both of them, which acts like the seed I can use to generate other concepts from.
The idea is not to plagiarize, but to recognize the elements of storytelling used in each and every single narrative, and break them down to use as components for your own purposes, much like a chef steals and modifies recipes to his specifications until it only vaguely resembles the original once he's done with it.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
I always listen to music while writing; what happens to be playing depends on whatever I'm trying to write, and how seriously I'm trying to focus on it; fast tracks for tense scenes, sad ones for tragic ones, etc. etc.
I'm also incapable of writing a good copy of anything on physical paper. I can only write final drafts digitally, and anything I use a pen and paper for inevitably becomes an extended brainstorming session with massive chunks of text crossed out and arranged haphazardly.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
All at once. If I divvy it up, then I forget the initial thread of thought I had in mind while writing it, which often leads to a very obvious disconnect from what the chapter started as and what it ended as. That said, sometimes doing it chunks works out better, as the new chain of thought is superior to the old one, but often times it does not.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
Insane, carefree ones who spend half their time talking in nonsensical one-liners. You don't have to worry about being out of character, you rarely have to make justifications for anything they do, and more often than not they draw the audience attention simply because they wonder what kind of crazy s*** they'll pull off next. Audiences will easily swallow any sort of character development they may have, no matter how ludicrous it sounds, and the only real pitfall you have to avoid is not making them annoying rather than funny.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
Non-sentient ones, such as the weather or a natural obstacle the characters must avoid. Even ones that are evil simply because they don't think like we do (such as Cosmic Horrors and the like) are fairly easy to write as, once again, you rarely need to make justifications for what they do. Any other sort of antagonist is a b**** and a half to write; in my method, making an antagonist is the final step of character development. You make a faceless mook, then with one idea, you make a minor character. Add another character and a bit of depth, and you've got a protagonist. Add far more depth, complexity, and a slew of new ideas, and you've got an antagonist.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
I have a thing for having poorly-disguised coincidences, which while generally not leading to [i]Deus Ex Machina[/i] and the like, do seem to make it seem like the plot would have fallen into disrepair had one small thing gone wrong. Doubly annoying when using cunning antagonists, as it has the effect of making all of their machinations, complex or not, seem like Batman Gambits.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
Both. I generally have a long, complex and detailed set of notes about how I'll write a particular story, arch, chapter, paragraph, etc; however, when I actually get down to those small units, I'll either make rapid revisions to my planning before continuing or I'll ignore them completely and go with what seems interesting at the time. Often, I try to compromise between the two and weave them together.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
Often, I don't. Coming up with a new idea and tying it to an old one is a good way to reinvigorate me, but that's hardly likely to happen on a regular basis; often, it comes down to sitting down in a chair and forcing myself to type until it becomes natural and I fall into a groove again.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]
I'd stop filling dead space with borderline purple prose or unrelated plot threads that confuse readers.

[evilfusion]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]

Hmm...I'd have to say roughly thirteen to fifteen years. I don't really remember too clearly, but definitely around grades 1 and 2. It was one of primary pastimes.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]

That's...a difficult thing to say. I suppose I lean more towards fanworks because I have trouble with "original ideas". It's usually in-between, heavily inspired from something and then mingled with my own spin or style on it. This leads to original stories with original characters, but some element so heavily borrowed from something that it could be considered a ripoff or a homage, depending on how lenient the scale is. These are usually just stories I wrote on my free time and aren't for show to others.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]

I'd have to say getting that solid idea, or making the idea solid. I could easily whip up half a dozen plots or ideas or so, create characters to fit the roles I want, but unless I can create a solid grasp of the story or plot, it will die away or be seen before long to have been as solid as a whisp of smoke. Alternatively, I'll want to put so many features or ideas into one setting and they might either conflict wth one another or prove to be otherwise incompatible or excessive. This leads to the death of two or more elements or ideas, rather than just one.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]

Establishing a setting gives me hell. I don't get inspiration from nature and to try to describe something scenic and non-generic can be exceptionally difficult. This continues from chapter to chapter, where I don't want to leave a reader lost, so I feel obligated to re-establish some elements of the setting that carried over from the last point.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]

I always start with the personality I want. Or, if it's somewhat fantastical, the species. Often I mix the two designing aspects, finding the right species to fit the personality or the personality that DOES NOT fit the species' stereotype. This can become a problem if I haven't put enough planning into the story concepts, because personality traits can be generic. I then try to expand from that, wanting to know how they rank in terms of strength, or whether the character will have some sort of ability or trait. My character developments can be a bit disorganized and I often change multiple aspects of their character before being satisfied with the product. Occasionally I'll go into the backstory for a while, analyzing them bit by bit, but other times I find that tedious. I like to give characters room to breathe. How they interact with other characters and scenarios is not something I like to have spelled out. I want to see how things flow, and then take notes on the results.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]

Usually whatever I've been fixated on recently. Some music, but that's rare. TV shows or movies I enjoyed, dramatic moments in said shows and movies. I've been keeping too small of a reference pool lately so I'm not convinced that I draw much from other sources these days. The good thing is, by drawing some inspiration, you can revisit the source to get refueled, so to speak.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]

I will usually play some sort of music I enjoy, and I very frequently drink something, like soda.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]

I TRY to write all at once. Inevitably, it does not usually happen. Once a writing mood strikes, it may be hours before it dies, or minutes. But I made it a general rule of thumb to never accept results done "all at once". I will get inspiration later for edits, and I usually will not be fully satisfied with my first finished draft.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]

I have an odd obsession with sarcastic protagonists. If they are not sarcastic, they are quiet and thoughtful, with a fondness for commenting on the scenario. Also, if they are not directly sarcastic, they are moody or pessimistic. They usually will only have one or two close friends and consider most others to be nuisances or acquaintances.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]

Antagonists will almost invariably be intelligent schemers, eager to tear their opposition to pieces by superior tactic as well as power. They have no qualms ever about directly engaging the protagonist, but maintain a 'behind the scenes' demeanor, ordering underlings to attend to a foe first. They will usually witness the struggles and use the information to claim victory for themselves. My antagonists will never be content with sitting in a castle, waiting for the hero to come to them. For this reason, many antagonists have a philosophy about taking initiative, and the heroes are often reactive-forces, rather than proactive.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]

I have a history of protagonists changing sides. I HATE an antagonist switching sides, but protagonists succumbing to their thirst for victory to the point of at last accepting their inner darkness for what it is, and embracing the nature that could make them so much more formidable and dangerous if they only had the 'guts' to use it. This bottled hatred, jealousy, anger, or fear, learning how to tap into desperation and use it combined with their already formidable strength. What the villain finds pathetically predictable, the protagonist sheds, adopting a new image and persona and tearing the competition to shreds.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]

I've done both, but I try to have a (very) rough outline and then let my pants do the rest. With my earliest writing, I made sh*t up every other chapter, but as I evolved as a writer, I make rough plots and still try to have them fit together, but it is inevitable that a lot is done by pseudo-improv. It helps that I let characters breathe, but this can lead to corners where my protagonist needs to do SOMETHING but that something is not something they'd ever consider doing without severe convincing.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]

Unfortunately, I'm not sure. Usually I'm driven by a desire to complete something, to make my efforts pay off. This can backfire and I do something half-way, but other times it's very successful and if I put the effort in, I can accomplish what I want to accomplish. The trick is to find something that will drive me as such.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be? [/b]

I wish I had a better hold on description than I do.

[Kaisu]

1: Got serious about 2 years ago, but I wrote stupid stories before then.

2: All three =/ Most are rips of real stories though..

3: Names, plot introduction and character development. Oh, and keeping away from Mary Sue. Either they're pwnz0ring or they suck =/

4: I just start. Ditch it, go 'oh look' and rewrite. Never actually finished a story =/

5: Random inspiration.

6: Myself, existing movies.

7: Flossing, gibberish, random clucking noises. Flushing the toilet, jumping over the couch, spinning on my chair. I once went through a whole carton of juice =/

8: I write the chapter in chunks. In 'one sitting', but I have about a split hour's break in a 3 hour period =/

9: Mary-Sue. Kind killer. etc.

10: Hmm... Not sure.

11: Hmm... Holy krux! We have a traitor? Mysterious entity that goes down in one hit?

12: I think up a bunch of plot moments, then try to link them.

I always fail.

13: I don't.. ;=;

14: I could do with some dedication.

[MortalKombatSmoke]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
A few years now.
[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
I like Fan works but with an original story. Ex: A fan fic based off a series but with it's own plot and characters and what not.
[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
Thinking of a good plot XD
[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
Trying to project my characters smoothly.
[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
I usually draw them out first as I like to draw so I get a visual of what I'm putting into a story.
[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
my mind, mythology, video games and anime for fan fictions.
[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
Listening to music that fits the mood of what I'm writing.
[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
chunks, although I do like it when I have time to write out a whole chapter.
[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
Smart, intelligent, but can't do quiet too well
[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
Someone who is pure evil, just all out evil.
[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
plot twists XD
[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
plan out a story first.
[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
Force myself to write half of it. After I do half of something I have to finish it for some reason.
[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]
being more descriptive and getting my ideas out better.

[Phantom Roxas]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
Ever since I joined the forum, so I'd say two years.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
Usually, I'll just take an established franchise and just about all characters will be original, with ideas for plots that I came up with.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
What's the best way to open the story? What will happen?

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
I'll have important bits planned out, but minor things that drive the story forward while being both casual and interesting can be difficult.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
I base them off of what their abilities are or what they can do. I usually base the main character on one-note personalities, either as moody or cheerful. If I can get some enjoyable moments based off of character interaction, I'll have characters with opposing personalities.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
Slight mythological concepts and things I've seen in anime, manga, literature, or video games. I take inspiration and change them to fit my story. Zodiac Cross is mainly the Percy Jackson concept, but with the Western Zodiac at Duel Academy.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
I'll have some music playing in the background on my computer.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
I prefer to write them all at once.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
TouAs said earlier, I go with both cheerful and moody. In Hopeless Paradise, Alex was basically a joking, but eccentric guy, meant to be a very typical shonen Idiot Hero. Zodiac Cross' Blake, however, I thought would be best to portray as an uncertain, kind of shy guy.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
I want to give antagonists some motivation for acting as they do, but otherwise I have antagonists basically be brutes who are just out for the kill.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
No. If anything, I abuse character tropes more, like Five Man Band tropes.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
In advance, but I need to come up with the connections as I go along.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
I simply get motivated by my desire to actually see a series to the end.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]
Give readers a better understanding of the setting, and not have dialogue take up so much of the story.

[Jolta]

Boy, when was the last time I wrote a story!

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
I started in June I guess... Old School Jolta sure was [u]norrible[/u].

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
The only things I read are usually fan works, short ones. In between I guess.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
Thinking about a good plot.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
If its writing, then its definitely vocabulary.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
Based on their powers, or maybe I just use the design of an old character of mine. Its always artificial hair/eye colour, hardly natural.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
The Internet, TV Tropes, TV Shows I watch, not books apart from Comics.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
I just write straight, no distractions.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
Chunks by chunks since I can't write a whole chapter at one go but want people to see them really badly.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
Those that are like me (or the old me) - Shy, silent, but easily go berserk when provoked.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
One motive - World Domination

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
Tropes? I use the notsoimportant tropes like "Attack of the 50 foot whatever" or "Aliens Speaking English". Yes, they can be abused.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
I plan in my head, I think some more as I write.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
When someone actually comments on my Fics...

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be? [/b]
To make others understand my writing better.

[DL]

1: How long have you been writing stories? A few years, at least. I´d say 4 or so.

2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between? Original stories, or fanfics, I like both. Of course, I prefer original stories, as they are theones who may actually pay off in the end, and are more fun to write, because you have to tink up original characters.

3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story? I´d have to say knowing where to take off. After the take-off, the story flows smoothly.

4: How about writing a story? Getting the motivation and keeping with ideas to continue writing until the end.

5: How do you go about designing your characters? I first think what kind of characters would create interesting dialogue in certain situations, and try to think of how they would act, then match their looks to that.

6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing? Experience from watching anime.

7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.) I like listenin to music while I write, makes it more interesting to me.

8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks? Usually I write most of it one day, and finish up the next, but it usually depends on the time I have to write.

9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise? For me, the easiest protagonists are the slightly silent, and cool types. They know the right thing to say to others, about what is right, but they themeselves have confilcting thoughts on what is right.

10: What about antagonists? Easiest antagonists are those that plot behind the scenes, and always have an ace up their sleeve, so they´re never defeated easily.

11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing? Not really, I don´t think, unless yu count the fact I make people switch sides a lot. A LOT. Or jsut simply go from neutral to either one of the two >.>

12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants? I start off by winging it, and soon enough I get a plot goin, and more pops into my head before I write it, and suddeny I know how the story´s gonna end, I just have to get there.

13: How do you get motivation to continue something? When I get inspiration, I write. When I ruin out, I take a break, talk to my readers, and discuss the story. I find doing this motivates me to continue writing.

14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be? Description. I would make myself better at describing things. Because honestly I can´t seem to get more than a couple sentences of description for anything.

[~British Soul~]

1: How long have you been writing stories?
i guess for about a few months or so

2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?
i like to do fan-works, but i have tried to do an original idea, but i kinda failed to do so, so i just continue with fan work

3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?
the plot definately

4: How about writing a story?
making sure that the vocabulary is correct and that it is not boring

5: How do you go about designing your characters?
firstly i think of a name for the characters then i draw them out and think of a personality for them based on the drawing

6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?
Games, TV shows, and then i add in my little twist to make them original

7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)
i listen to music while i'm writing, but sometimes i write without music

8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?
all at once, otherwise i lose my train of thought

9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?
people who are like me, or if not, people who are laid back and think they're cool

10: What about antagonists?
antagonists with one intention in mind

11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?
i'm not sure really to be honest

12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?
i plan the story in advance, so i know what to write in each chapter

13: How do you get motivation to continue something?
when people ask me to complete my story or other things

14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?
to make my chapters longer and maybe write in a different format

[Ghoulish]

1: How long have you been writing stories?
Not long since i joined the forum really i've tried to make a couple

2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?
i like original ideas, i like to think "i came up with that and people like it."

3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?
What will make people want to read it, what makes it unique when compared to other stories

4: How about writing a story?
descriptions and making sure people can visualize the scene

5: How do you go about designing your characters?
I struggle with this, but i often look at manga character drawing vids for guiddelines, i think that once you are able to phisically see your character it keeps you motivated.

6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?
often other stories to gain a perspective on how things should be done.

7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)
just writing really or watching tv in the mean time

8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?
Normally all at once, once i gets started and it works i like to get ina role.

9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?
mostly the typical "calm and cool" type, i try not to but it always ends up that way

10: What about antagonists?
Wearing black robes, i hate giving away the vilains appearances early in the story

11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?
not really

12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?
plot out, i plot out the characters, their history, relationsip with other characters, beliefs and intentions, sames goes with the plot, how this will happen and for what reason.

13: How do you get motivation to continue something?
gainign an idea that works and seeing appreciation for my work

14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?
just in general better at writing being able to be more descriptive while in the mean time being able to continue the stories interest to the readers

[Umbra]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
At least three years, but probably more.
[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
My stories are usually fan works with original ideas implemented; I'd take the third option.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
Coming up with a concept that I find interesting. Finding a story where I want to see how it ends. Once I've done that, the rest usually comes by itself.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
Definitely having enough motivation to go through with it. I - and everyone else - usually lose interest in my stories around chapter four or so.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
I mostly go by stock characters, but add some sort of twist to them. More often than not, a concept comes to me and then I build on from that.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
Mostly my own memories and other stories I've written. If it's a fan work, I browse through the original work's wiki and pick up some minor and unexplored detail and expand on that.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
[s]Procrastinating[/s] Doing other things whilst writing; browsing the web and looking at Facebook for instance.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
Chunks, in most cases. It gives me time to ponder the chapter and possibly think of something that I wouldn't have imagined if I wrote the whole chapter in one go.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
The tragic heroes that start out as depressed or otherwise sad, but end up being content with their lives. Those who've had to cope with a tragedy at some point in their life. Villain Protagonists being close seconds.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
Definitely the cunning, planning kind. Villains who always have a second plan in mind, should their first one collapse.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
I'd say that The Man Behind The Man, Anti Hero, and Villain Protagonist are my worst offenses. During later stories, I've found that I invoke Grey and Gray Morality.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
I plan out my stories in advance - the central conflict, the actors, and the eventual ending - but as stated above, I usually come up with ideas mid-chapter that sometimes alter the course of the story.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
Receiving someone else's opinion on my work. Be it good, be it bad, I don't care; the fact that I have readers who care is enough for me to continue working.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]
I'd like to be able to give info dumps more naturally, without them being obvious.

[Dr. Cakey]

[quote name='Rinne' timestamp='1286590579' post='4689709']
[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
Hm...a while actually, at least five or six years.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
Depends, really. I like writing fan fiction, but I don't like writing writing fan fiction. Make sense?

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
Hm. Understanding the characters, I guess.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
Sticking to the plot, not getting sidetracked.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
I go on a ten-day vision quest in the middle of the desert, drinking the blood of a six-legged salamander.

Wouldn't that be awesome? They just come. Sometimes I suspect a mild case of multiple personality disorder.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
Plenty of anime. Drawing inspiration from games never turned out well for me. Most movies and such tend to be either self-contained or bad. Usually just bad.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
Sometimes I listen to music, but it tends to hinder me more than help.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
Generally in chunks.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
I'm not sure, really. Usually a liberal dash of cynicism keeps things lively for me.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
I prefer intelligence, wit. My antagonists are often better than the protagonist in almost every way. I think they're often characterized by a certain detachment or dispassion.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
Unlike most cool people, I don't patrol TVTropes, so I can't say.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
My pants do all the writing.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
I don't. That's why I find it helpful to write in school.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]
One thing to change...well, I'm not entirely sure what I do well, so I'm not sure what I do badly. My paragraphs do tend to be a bit choppy, I guess.

[/quote]

[Headmaster Monokuma]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
Not long. About five months, and only the prologue of something has been shown on the forum.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
Something in between. With that, I have an idea of what I'm going to go about, but I can introduce my own ideas and interpretations more freely.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
Deciding on how the characters will act and whatnot.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
Getting started. I'm the worst procrastinator, so I have trouble starting the story well.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
I take characters from other medias and break them down. Then, I use certain elements from them and others to make a character as I wish.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
Video games and books. The first one is just from a bunch of characters in video ages who I can't forget, and the second is mostly resource stuff.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
I go to Youtube and go to a couple forums. Sometimes I work on my Super Mario World hack.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
In chunks.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
The Gentleman. Think Professor Layton if you can't easily think of one.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
The string-pulling control freak. The one who knows everything that will happen, and can alter it as he/she wishes. Or that wonderfully insane fellow, like Sheogorath.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
I don't explore TVTropes, but I do know one I have a habit of using. A God Am I.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
A mixture. I have the base idea of what happens, but how I'll get it to happen is just winged.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
By people telling me it isn't as terrible as I make it out to be.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]
I wish I could have more confidence in what I write. That's what keeps more from writing more, and from posting anything.

[Limited Edition KING]

[center][b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]

I've been writing stories since I started school.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]

I prefer to write fan works, as the concept of the story is already there such as Pokemon, Yugioh etc.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]

Making a bunch of new characters, it's quite hard to make characters that are unique in their own way.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]

I usually just make random names and think of personalities or traits that would work best with the name.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have?[/b]

I tend to listen to music while writing and I tend to eat when I'm hungry.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]

I find it easier to write it all at once and then make any changes after I've written it.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]

Comic relief character, laid-back character you know the typical good guy(s)/girl(s).

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]

By enjoying the story and wanting to continue on with it.
[/center]

[ThatPhantomGuy]

[quote name='Rinne' timestamp='1286590579' post='4689709']
[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]
I think about 3 years.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]
A little bit of both, but mostly fan works.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]
Having a good plot that will keep not only you, but your readers interested.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]
Just sitting down and actually writing. Aha ha ha! I'm a very busy guy, so I do not write as much as I would like too.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]
Just by randomly thinking. I'd start by thinking of a trait from someone I know or myself and keep adding to that.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]
Books from authors I look up to, and whichever fan work I'm writing.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]
Music. I always have a theme music for whatever I'm writing. Plus having some fast-pasted action music is great when writing a battle scene.

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]
In chunks, it's easier for me.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]
The quite, polite kid, like a gentleman.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]
The guy who has all the answers, but never thinks of himself as a villain, he believes he is right.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]
Uh, no.

[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]
I tend to just go with the flow, but I try to make the story in advance.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]
Popularity, the more I have for a story, the more I'll write. And if I just really love the story I'm telling, I'll keep writing.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]
Most likely my dialogue and where to actually have it.

[/quote]

[Kōsuke Ueki]

[b]1: How long have you been writing stories?[/b]

I'm not entirely sure, but if I must estimate, I would say about 2-3 years.

[b]2: Do you prefer to write fan works, original ideas, or something in between?[/b]

Basically, I like to write all 3 in different orders every time.

[b]3: In your personal opinion, what is the hardest thing about preparing a story?[/b]

What to use to begin the story.

[b]4: How about writing a story?[/b]

Inspiration, since it comes in random.

[b]5: How do you go about designing your characters?[/b]

I always have my characters try to be the main protagonist that will end the story with a bang, if you know what I mean.

[b]6: What sources do you draw upon the most for your writing?[/b]

My sources are based on other YCM users with more RPing experience than me so I can learn from their literature.

[b]7: What kinds of writing habits do you have? (Listening to music, eating snacks during, etc.)[/b]

None. sometimes I need complete silence, or, I take 3-minute intervals of watching TV for any extra ideas for a plot

[b]8: Do you write a chapter all at once, or in chunks?[/b]

I used to write in chunks and posting them bit by bit when I was only able to use my Wii. But now I can just save what I've written on to Notepad if I can't finish amd get back to it later.

[b]9: What kinds of protagonists do you write the easiest, personality-wise?[/b]

Ones who aren't caring just for himself. They would make the ultimate sacrifice to save friends if necessary.

[b]10: What about antagonists?[/b]

Not sure.

[b]11: Any plot tropes that you have a habit of abusing?[/b]



[b]12: Do you plot a story out long in advance, or go by the seat of your pants?[/b]

There are some times I do plot in advance, but sometimes I just wing a story to see the outcome. i.e: #of replies, # of applications, etc.

[b]13: How do you get motivation to continue something?[/b]

It's always different, but what's mainly done is my RPs continuing right before they die.

[b]14: If you could change one and only one thing about your style of writing, what would it be?[/b]

My style in literature, which even I don't know is.