Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I have a love hate relationship with being a writer. i hate having to do it, but I love doing it when I am in it. Every part, the turn of a phrase, the build of a character, the setting of the pacing feels like it is being discovered anew in each project.

Recently I have been marveling at the way unforeseen themes emerge unbidden from the unfolding chapters.

My hardest lesson was that a complete first draft was just raw material, fodder even, for what was to come next.

I've heard people say that they hate writing but love having written. I wouldn't say I hate it, but I find it really difficult. I love having a finished work even though it's always really tough to get there.

My hardest lesson was slowing down.

My favorite part is creating and the sense of accomplishment when a book is finished and it's GOOD. I love creating new characters. It's kind of like giving birth, but painful in a whole different way.

The hardest lesson is finding out that just because I've typed The End, doesn't mean it's done. This is harder once you have a contract and a deadline. You still need to take the time to revise and edit.

Favorite part has to be watching the characters develop and take on a life of their own. They often turn out much different than I expect--and often for the better!

The thrill of completion certainly is something, even if it's only a rough chapter.

I suppose my favorite part is finally seeing the things wedged in the back of my head make it into text, and watching the transformation they undergo along the way. That nothing ever winds up the way it started fascinates me. This perhaps references the earlier comment about themes simply emerging...

I suspect I haven't learned the hardest lesson yet. The most useful/valuable one I've picked up so far is that you (or me at least) just have to keep writing. Even if it sucks, I just need to "write through it", keep writing until eventually my brain gets to the place it needs to be. Which is, of course, rarely where I expected it to be.

I think my favorite part of writing is when I share my work with others. I love getting feedback of any sort. As for the hardest lesson, so far at least, is being diligent about writing. The internet is too distracting, and I miss out on time that could be spent writing.

My favorite part is planning a story out. Discovering characters, setting, how the ideas all fold in together.

So far, the hardest part has been letting those planned out characters thumb their noses at me and do whatever they want. They do wind up being more intriguing but it goes against my nature to toss perfectly suitable plans.

My favorite part is easy - character creation. I love detailing each characters idiosyncracies and developing them as fully as I can. The hardest lesson I had to learn was that I almost always have time to write. I let too much time pass without writing much because I always thought I was too busy. But then I learned that I can squeeze it into lunch hours and children nap times, etc. If you care, you'll make time.

Great questions - thanks.

I hate the initial part - where you sit down and write, hoping that something will come out of it. That part scares me, and the voices scream at me, telling me that I can't do it and have nothing to say. I procrastinate that part, which really sucks.

My favorite part is editing. I like to edit. It's fun to tweak things. So, if I can get out the initial draft, then I usually enjoy the rest of the process.

I also like having written something, especially if other people like it. That's very satisfying.

I love when I suddenly think of a good idea or a good sentence while writing. I hate when I look at it the next day and realise it's awful. Also, I enjoy spending time thinking about reading/editing my finished manuscript. Unfortunately this is usually instead of writing it.

My favorite part is revising.
The part I hate most: revising.

I burn through my first draft in about a month usually (Nano is kind of my normal writing speed...). It's the next year I spend revising the book that is fun and painful...

Fun, because during my revisions is when the really good stuff starts to come out. I get to know the characters, think of things for them to say (that I usually want to say to other people...) Painful, because I struggle with the demon of perfectionism. I read books and think, "I will NEVER write something like this..." And at times in my writing, this desire to keep changing things has hurt my book.

Favorite part: The writing itself. The raw creative power of it is thrilling.

Hardest part: Letting go - letting the writing sit, lay fallow and get some distance from it, so I can do a proper job of editing when I come back. I usually have to write something else in-between, just to stay happy.

My favorite part of writing is when I'm creating initial scenes. I can picture it in my head first, then flesh it out with setting and narrative, but I must first visualize. I also enjoy editing and just do it in blocks so I don't get overwhelmed. It's the one thing I remember from a course on time management -- cut the large jobs in chunks so it seems more manageable.

My hardest lesson is in trusting my muse and my first impressions when writing. They are usually the best before I start second-guessing. Leaving it alone is hard, too, so I keep a few other writing projects on the go to distract me.

This forum looks promising.

Fun question!

Favorite part... Despite being difficult, writing is one of the only things that can completely absorb my attention. I can sit with my laptop and plug my earbuds into my ears and zone out into my own little world. As an adult who got in trouble for daydreaming a lot as a kid, it's kind of cool to just get lost without anyone telling me to quit being so distracted.

Hardest part... It's been an uphill battle for me to get the second draft of my WIP finished. I love the story, but it's always tempting to move on to a first draft of something new and different and fresh. Over the past few months, I've learned about this little thing called "patience." :)

My favorite part is when the story takes on a life of it's own, surprising me as I am writing. The hardest part is making myself sit down and write every single day. If I miss days in the midst of a story, I lose some of the flow and it takes longer to get back to.