How things change... · 7:49pm Mar 1st, 2012
First, a quick update.
Apparently, I can block myself. Go figure.
As you might have noticed, on the left bar in my user page, TER is progressing nicely.
I am also working at the same time on TSC:F, which is roughly at 15-20% done.
For those that haven't yet, you might want to check out the story A NEW WORLD (Reeeeeeeed eeeeet! You want to! You know you can't get past the first chapter without wanting more! I DARE you to try it!) which I am co-writing with Magical Trevor
It includes characters created by: Me, Trevor, Understated Hyperbole, Fifth Alicorn, Ominous Brony and even Cardslafter! 
So be sure to check it out and leave a comment! 
You know I love those...
Anyway...
My fellow writers,
As I'm writing the new chapters for 'The Empty Room' and 'The Sweetie Chronicles' I've been thinking about how a story evolves as we write it.
It's interesting for me, because of the completely different approaches I have to writing each story.
'The Empty Room' was basically planned (for better or worse) from the beginning, or at least after chapter 2 marked the point where I developed the whole Meta Plot for it. I had the character ideas, the situations, the challenges, the betrayals, etc. in a sort of "Cloud Summary" in which I knew the order and how things would end, but left myself space for basically creative development of the story with a LOT of freedom... 
Whereas 'The Sweetie Chronicles' has each and ever single chapter summarized... and the summaries sometimes are about 2 pages long 
there is, in a way, less freedom to stray, but still, I find that sometimes a scene that was marked to be, lets say, a prank, suddenly develops into an interesting foreshadowing of things to come.
I discovered that even as well-rounded as a summary I write is, my instinct tells me to write it differently and the story turns either a bit darker, or a bit lighter, the characters are suddenly facing a situation that explores their thoughts and changes more thoroughly and although I am, in a way disappointed that I didn't get my original scene as I had intended, I am more... well, proud of the end result. 
So, how often does this happen to you?
I'm like Pinkie: My fics are random bursts of inspiration and must be made quickly otherwise I'll forget them.
Unfortunately I cannot give too much insight to your question. I do not have a knack for writing in general so I do not do too much of it. However when I do, I find that summary or plans go to the wayside for me not to far into my writing and I just go with whatever feels "right", you know? And that is about as far as I can go with advice, sorry.
Anyway, it is great to hear an update on my most anticipated to read story(and I am not just kissing ass. They are legit on the top of my most anticipated list). Can't wait for either SBC or TER. But take your time. Quality over quantity, yeah?
well well well, congrats are in order, it sounds like you masted a difficult lesson and not even know it.
-WW
Oh, I rarely plan out details. I just throw 'em out there as I type. For instance, Fun Foods from Science. I have quite a few people saying that it is good, and I wrote the entire first chapter between the hours of 12 AM and 2:30 AM. I'm pretty sure I was giggling madly from the lack of air, and the amount of ponies I'd watched prior to doing so, but the entire story started from me saying something that was a scientific word with, like, sandwich or something afterwards, and then replying to myself, "What would you eat with that, Primordial Soup?" And, I wrote that story thinking of that fifteen seconds. Stories come from strange places where words can pour forth like the essence of liquid gold, or run like diarrhea. There's no line between a shitfic, and a good fic, because it all depends on the opinion of the reader. If they can see merit where others cannot, then they see something good in the fic. I'm not sure how I got so many good people reading my little cranial flatulence, but if they like it, I shall create more. Hopefully, someone will like my more serious story. One can hope, heh heh.
Sometimes... I DREAM about CHEESE.
Hmm... well... I'll visit all points.
I'm up to date on both of your stories, and with the way that both are arranged, its hoenstly the same way that I would outline them. A structured plot that flows from one chapter to the other (like "The Empty Room") absolutely NEEDS (for me at least) an outline that covers, at least, most of the story. Now obviously the outline needs to be loose enough so that you have a lot of room to add in details, but the overall points of your story need to be written down, for me, to prevent me accidently contridicting myself somewhere, creating a plot hole accidently, or something else I have to "fix" in a later chapter with an explaination through dialogue (I hate it when authors have to do this). My example is that in my story, I'm in chapter 11 at this point, but I have up to (probably) chapter 25 or so outlined. Excessive? Maybe, but its what I personally have to do to make sure I don't say "the cave is 5ft wide", but then I have to bring in a huge battle in this cave... awkward.
As for "Sweetie Chronicles", while it is a large story, I honestly don't see it that way. It is merely a series of one-shots that are linked together with a common theme (like Stargate, Avatar: TLA, and most other TV shows). For these, planning ahead is something I personally would do only for the very very important stuff (like your Sweetie Belle jumping rule). As for the plot to each chapter, I would do what you do as well: a much more detailed outline that encompases most of the story, filling in the gaps and expanding on it. When I wrote my one shot (still in the works
), I made a huge outline compared to my larger story, but the story itself was only about as long as one of the larger story's chapters. Continuality isn't needed as much, but detail is much more important, because you have less "time" to explain everything.
As for your final question: I tend to do the same, but not as extreme as you make it sound at least. For example, when I wrote my one shot, my outline (making this up) said that "Pony X and Pony Y walk through town, eat at a diner, then walk to the park". Yet, when I wrote it, it seemed much MUCH more natural to have "Pony X and Pony Y walk through town, PICK UP LUNCH, then eat at the park". From there, the next scene is different, but it ended up in a better place. But also, I never actually edit my outline except in rare occasions, so that if I have to, I can go back to what I intended, and also so I never actually stray too far from the story I meant to write
TL:DNR: For stories like TER, I tend to have 5-10 lines of outline per chapter
For stories like TSC, I [would] tend to have 2 PAGES of outline for each CHAPTER
Yes, I do deviate from the outline, but always keep the main theme of the scene the same.
This comment is brought to you by my work, which, because I am on the clock as I write this, basically paid me to talk to you!
22283 Last night I dreamt all my toes fell off.
(+1 Internet for everyone that knows the ref)
Disclaimer: This is coming from an incompetent writer who has never written a story I've been satisfied with to the point of publishing, although I've published some of my informational works on the Runescape forums.
I find that my biggest weakness in writing is precisely that I have trouble changing like that. I'm good at writing out scenes which I've already plotted out in my outline, but it's very hard for me to connect them in any way that satisfies me. It's not too much of a problem in my informational writing since for that there's no real reason to connect the dots rather than just jumping from point to point, but it leads me to serious trouble if I actually try to write something with a plot, lol.
My writing is always spontaneous. Though I need to be comfortable writing it; thus far I haven't been inspired to write anything for submission to this site.
I'l be honest and say I plan pretty much nothing. I should really make a "layout" chapter that never gets published and just type up the general order of events for a chapter eventually, but meh. Whatever.
I think my biggest problem when writing is that sometimes a specific scene or event will come into mind, and I'll end up forcing it to happen when it doesn't feel write. Then my extreme procrastinating powers will stop me from going back and re-writing it. I used to love being lazy, until it made it hard to thoroughly edit and go through drafts of my chapters and make sure they are quality work. It doesn't help that I'm fourteen and have the patience to match.
>.> technically I don't write... however, I do tend to lose my focus into a blur of story my brain makes up
makes for good entertainment, but I never can remember enough of it by the time I start typing, so I normally only get things like poems and lyrics
to other peeps' songs.
no matter what the course taken to the finished story, if you're proud of the way it turned out, then you win. and hey, if others like it too, you get a bonus
I wish I had the whole outline of a story before writing idea.
For O:IH I have a general idea what will happen, but every chapter runs through my head a ton of different ways before I just type it and move on.
I'm jealous you can even layout ideas prior to writing a chapter :)
no comment. this kind of helps me for some reason. may be because of timing.
22277 So how long does it take you on average to write a short story?
22278
Eeyup! But I'll still try to go faster, no need to make people wait needlessly, right?
22280
Yes! Inspiration is weird like that but sometimes the best stories come from there!
22288 Deviating from a planned scene can be annoying but rewarding
You'll have to ask how big the planning doc is from one of the editors or participating authors to tell you if you don't believe me 
22363
yeah, I've found that that can be a real problem when you write by scenes, especially if you decide to write them in a different order than they will appear in at the end. This happens to me with TER, sometimes I write the scene and I have to move it around because of dramatic tension or some other excuse I make in my head 
but at times that means that I have to change the scene a bit for it to make sense 
22472
Eventually, right?
22537 Oh, I know the feeling about forcing a scene
Thankfully I have editors that will drop a note saying how it really doesn't work! 
22926 So it's like watching TV in your mind?
22959 Like I said, layouts that are so reliable my editors are still surprised at times at what happens in a story
even when they have read the summary
When I write, I just know a vague idea of what I want the plot to me, it's more like a feeling that pops in my head and commands me to write blindly as I leap into the unknown.
And... that's pretty much it, all of my work has been done completely improvised, like water flowing through a river, the words, the sentences, the phrases, the sudden (and even for me) twists that I take... I love it.
Too bad I'm in a school-induced writer's block
My entire fic is basically me having a general idea of how the chapter will go, I tried doing notes where I felt a good idea coming on, but over all, little planning. it's been alot of fun.