Tag: how does a Dets write?

Hi Dets! Sorry for bother you and if you don’t want to answer is okay, but I noticed that you post one chapter per month, right? Just curious, do you just sit and write a lot or you write bit by bit? When I try to write I always end up trying to write and edit the same time and all becomes a mess. So how is your process (more or less) to edit Sansûkh chapters? Omg sorry about the awkward question *hides*

Hey Nonnie! Not a bother at all, thank you for being so polite, and no need to hide! *hugs*

Well, I don’t have a schedule, I’m afraid. Sometimes I get two chapters out in a month, sometimes one. *shrug* They get posted as they get finished.

I normally write in big floods! I can pump out a LOT of words at one sitting. Anywhere between 1 – 6K is usual. 

Then I keep going – I write another scene, I try to build on the momentum I’ve gathered. It doesn’t always work! Interruptions are constant. But once I have the first scene/moment pinned to the page, I can sort of ‘feel’ the shape of the chapter ahead of me. Mostly!

I’ve said before that I generally have a shortlist of events that I want to put into each chapter – it can usually be summed up in four or five bullet-points. Once the first scene has knocked over ONE of those events/plot points/character notes etc, then I am a lot more confident about how and where to add the others. I am able to mentally ‘arrange’ them into a rough structure that may or may not get altered as I write, but provides the guideline and the destination for the remainder of the chapter.

Once I have run out of momentum (interruptions can be really annoying gdi) then when I get the chance I come back to what I have with an editor’s eye. I sometimes edit as I go, but tbh it’s a continual process. I edit as I write, sure – and I edit afterwards, and I edit as I modify sections, and I edit as I format it for publishing. I even edit AFTER publishing. I edit constantly. 

My best editing happens after I come back to it after a break, sit down, and read it, though. Fresh eyes are good! And it can be helpful to step back from the scene you’ve created. Part of writing is learning to inhabit your characters like an actor, and seeing through their eyes. But ALSO part of writing is stepping away from one viewpoint to see the whole picture, like a director. And it can be super tricky to do both simultaneously – particularly after you’ve been sunk up to the eyebrows in one character’s brain. 

Stepping back also helps point me in the direction of some juicy little tangents or character notes I hadn’t considered, or identifies moments that need further work in order to come across smoothly to a reader. Sometimes the actions or whatever in my head don’t translate to words very easily!

Once I’ve come back to it after a short break (tends to be a day or two, depending) it takes less time to sink back into the rhythm and the character’s mindsets. Sometimes using book-canon moments can throw me off my stride (I adore the dear Professor’s work, but he takes a HELL of a long time to get to the point), but sometimes not. 

The above is usual for me, but there have been exceptions in Sansukh, oh god yes. Chapter 36 felt like dental surgery, it was so difficult to write. I was juggling SO many viewpoints and important moments and areas of concern (BATTLES I HATE BATTLES) that it was difficult to find the shape of the chapter. I was inching ahead bit by bit. Editing it felt like swimming in mud. 

I normally take a little while to think after I have posted a chapter. Just to let the ideas have a chance to stew, to give myself a break, to assimilate the new information and think of logical progressions and developments for everyone involved. 

Okay, that’s a really REALLY involved answer, Nonnie – I do hope it helps you, though! *hugs* Best wishes to you in your writing!

Hello! I love everything you have written, and I am obsessed with Sansukh (silently. But intensely. I’m not a great artist or writer, but I appreciate it all the same!) I was just wondering, do you have anywhere that you post your chapter progress? Would it stress you out to do that? I would never want to ask you to do something stressful, but I thought if you already had one, I could ask so maybe you could point me to it! I love the anticipation of such things!

Hey Nonnie! Oh gosh, ahh, you are so so kind. Thank you!

Well, I usually post updates on my progress here on tumblr. Once I have gotten a feel for where the chapter wants to go/how it intends to shape itself, I begin writing it… and when I take a break or stop for the day, sometimes I post a little thingie like this one here, to tell people how I’m travelling.

They always look the same (text first, then gif) and are tagged with ‘sansukh’. 

But here’s an update just for you, Nonnie! 😉

Chapter 38 wordcount update: 2K

Hey-o, I have a question, but I’m not sure if you’ve answered it already. If you have, sorry sorry! Anyway, when you started writing Sansukh what did you expect? Did you realize how long it would be? Did you know you’d have even half the awesome OCs you do? I can’t imagine you thought you’d have a following of fans so in love they’re making an epic auditory version of the story (unless you have super powers you’re keeping secret!)?

Heya Nonnie! Sadly, no superpowers here darnit.

God, no – I had no idea. When I posted the first chapter I said something along the lines of ‘it’s shaping up to be a monster.’ Little did I know.

I’ve blabbed a little bit about some of this upon separate occasions (you can check my writing tag: how does a Dets write? for more if you’re curious!). But here’s an additional short blab for you, Nonnie!

Nope, had NO idea it would get so long! I thought it would be 200K, max? And I never thought it would take so long to write, either. The level of detail has just gone through the roof: each chapter is an exercise in memory skills as well as writing, now! 😀

Nope, I honestly didn’t think I’d have half the population of Middle Earth identified, lolol! I’ve talked a bit about this here. Basically, I desperately wanted to populate all those empty family trees with awesome, awesome ladies. And then somebody asked about ace characters, and then nb characters, then neuroatypical characters, and so on and so on. The answer always boiled down to: “WHY NOT? Why can’t that exist in Middle Earth?” 

I absolutely DID NOT want to write a story in which a character only existed in order to ‘fill a quota’ or ‘tick a box’ etc etc, and so I looked rather more carefully at the existing cast and adjusted things as I went. Each character is rather more complicated than one or two traits anyway. Thorin is himself an example of this: he has depressive episodes and he is bisexual. Another example: Bifur has Foreign Language Syndrome and is demisexual. Orla is a warrior AND a mother of three, and she is black. Jeri is nb and has dyscalculia. They are not ‘token characters’ – they are much more than that.

Oh my GOD, the podfic was (and is!) a HUGE surprise! It is an incredible source of joy and awe: Ricky had made a few podfics of the Appendices and had done a test version of Chapter One… but I had no idea something was in the works, only that there was a treat in store for me. WHAT A SURPRISE, HOLY HECK!!!!

I continue to be overjoyed and surprised and incredibly, hugely, inexpressibly thankful. Every day. 

You should do a test online on how many wpm you write Dets I’m curious

Uh, okay! I’m probably not all that fast when it comes to tests though. 

I have never done one of these…. I’m choosing the first one in the results of my Google search – this one here.

Okie doke, my result is 50 words per minute. That’s not bad for a tired lady punching out random Shakespeare quotes. I know I get a lot faster when I’m in the zone – though editing is a sloooooow process!

Hey Dets! I really want to start writing a story but I’m extremely terrible at starting them ;~; Do you have any tips for starting? <3

Hey Nonnie!

Ahhh, sure thing – bear in mind though, this is what works for me. It may not work for you. But even if it doesn’t work for you, it may lead you in the direction of what does!

Sooo, here’s a few things that work for me when starting out:

1. Start the scene immediately. I find it dull to read through pages and pages of backstory before getting to the actual meat of the matter. Blocks of text are intimidating and do not invite your reader to fall into your world. Infodumps can be exhausting to read, also! So – Drop the character/s right in the middle of their predicament straight away. Tension = interest. Finding out what is going on is just as interesting for your reader as it is for your character.

2. Having everyone standing around and talking at each other makes for a very flat read! It’s a tendency in openings to have everyone expounding to each other, having the backstory in the dialogue rather than in the description. Unfortunately, it means that the characters feel as though they are declaiming at each other rather than talking naturally! A way around this can be movement, or at least liveliness, in your characters. I try to evisage them moving around as though they are actors on a stage or on a screen: that way I can pan back for broad focus, or zoom in on small moments. It also means I have an idea of how dialogue will flow between them. Natural dialogue that references your backstory will also create interest, rather than having the characters relate everything all at once in a great big speech 🙂

3. Once you’ve got your opening scene, EDIT. It’s my favourite word 🙂 Edit like a maniac. Be ruthless with your red pen. The problem with openings is that they tend to be overstuffed with information. Don’t give it away all at once! Hold onto some of it, wait till the stakes have been lowered somewhat. 

Okay, that’s sort of what I have! I hope that helps you. Good luck with your story, Nonnie!

holy shit i looked up tolkien wordcounts and sansukh? is longer than actual books in the lotr series. the fellowship of the ring is only like 188k. the entire trilogy is 481k. first of all thank the valar for impeccably written longfic, second of all are you a wizard

*hides pointy hat* Uh. No? PUFF PRIDE REPRESENT 

Ahhh, thank you! Yes, I have a sneaking suspicion it may end up longer than the trilogy… not sure, but it sure is creeping up there!

Hey so I just wondered if you have any base plan as far as how long you think sansukh is going to end up being?

Basically, Nonnie – I have no idea! I know in a general idea where I want it to end. It will see out the War of the Ring (including the Scouring of the Shire) – ahhh, getting so close now! I am beginning to tie all these disparate themes together now, and phew phew phew it’s all coming to a head!!

It’ll take however long it takes to get to that point I suppose. I don’t intend to drag it on longer than it needs to, though. I really don’t want it to get bogged down and tedious simply because I love it and will miss it. 

I will definitely be expanding upon several things in the Appendices. And once the main fic is finished I will clean up all my character notes and publish them in the Appendices as well!

May I ask a question about your writing? I’ve noticed that you post your word count for the new chapters, and usually when you hit a certain number you will talk about being close to ready to post. Does the word count have anything to do with when you end a chapter, or is it just about where you think it would be the best place to stop that particular chapter?

Hi Nonnie! Absolutely you may, and thank you for asking so nicely!! *hugs*

Well, mostly I finish the chapter where it feels like it wants to end.

I generally have a shortlist of events that should get finished in the chapter, but on occasion a scene may get so long that one or two events get bumped back to the next chapter.

My chapters have grown in size so much since I began this behemoth! They have at least doubled in length. Whoops.

I aim (ish? It’s not set in stone!) for around 13-15K per chapter these days, including my glossary and endnotes (lol Chapter One was around 4.5K hahahaha). Both Ch29 & Ch30 are around 16K long.

(SORRY fuckthisimgoingtoerebor​ and heuristicdevice​ I AM SO SORRY BOUT THAT SORRYYYYYY)