All the reasons why not

[cupiscent]

So here's an interesting sidenote to start with: My work internet blocks absolutely no websites or web apps except LiveJournal. Baffling as this lone exception is, it's also tremendously annoying, since the only time I have to journal and comment-respond is in five-minute gaps between work things, and then I can't respond to LJ comments. I have

Comments

[lobelia321]

Honey if you're on so rarely I fear to lose touch. I'll send you my real details in IM for backup. Also I got an iphone last birthday and it *does* give you tons more internet flexibility for "those moments between". But yay for writing and thx for superhero link: great advice. *smooches*

[cupiscent]

I certainly wouldn't want to lose touch with you. :) I am about far less than I used to be, but I don't change or discard email addresses, so that will probably always be a good way to get hold of me if need be. <3

[incandescent]

I have to say, I'm currently stuck in the planning phase. How much planning do you do? A full plot outline, or something more general? I know that I've tried to start without an outline before, but been bogged down almost immediately by the feeling of "I don't know what to do with these characters!" It's scary and frustrating. Yet I know that if I work everything out in the outline, I'll be spending ten years on that aspect alone. And I want to write something. :(

[incandescent]

Oh, yes, and lobelia is right. Should I send contact details? Would you be comfortable with... I dunno, a facebook connection or writing emails or chatting sometimes? Not sure what would be easiest.

[cupiscent]

I plan quite a lot, because otherwise, just like you, I sooner or later (usually sooner) find myself sitting there lost, or writing meaningless nonsense about what they're eating, because I'm not sure where the story goes next. So I plan out pretty thoroughly - write an outline of the whole story, and then plan out the next couple of chapters in more detail as I'm going. I find this still gives me space to shift and twist with the story as it develops in prose, but I still have reference to the points that it has to hit, so I can make sure that I'm still thinking about how this story on my pen ends up hitting those points in my head. But I definitely think you don't need to work everything out or solve everything in plan/outline, because half the time things DO twist and shift in the writing, and you get to that point and your feverishly-sorted-out plan things are no longer valid and you have to reinvent the wheel anyway

[incandescent]

That's great to hear. I mean, I wanted to work with a plan, but wasn't sure how much of a good idea it was. Obviously that was a silly thought.

I will try to get to DW more often! I have an account, I just don't use it very much. I might bounce some ideas off you, if that's okay.