The Stages of Writing a Story

[marycrawford]

I could add some disclaimer like "for me" but I suspect this experience is near-universal. Even though it always feels like everyone else has no problems with writing, I know they do, and I sure do.

Stage 1: yay story writing is fun!

Stage 2: NO IT IS NOT THAT WAS WRONG INFORMATION

Stage 3: everything is terrible

Stage 4: okay the first half is fine but the second half is GARBAGE

Stage 5: is it the end yet, even if nobody undressed or talked or had a feeling (that's good enough right)

Stage 6: is it the end NOW

Stage 7: now?

Stage 8: welp wtf even is this? Is it a story or a scarf for elephants?

Stage 9: (story goes out to a kind beta friend, with apologies for inflicting such trauma)

There are other stages after that, to do with beta and fixing and "oh hey actually maybe this is okay after all" and then finally posting the story and getting reader feedback (this is the GOLDEN HOUR), but this first cycle is just me alone.

And if you were guessing, yes, you were right, I'm currently in stage 3. :X

Comments

[frith_in_thorns]

I tend to be extremely happy and obsessed with stories I'm writing until I hit about 80% done (it seems to happen consistently at that point EVEN WHEN I DON'T KNOW HOW CLOSE TO DONE THEY ARE) and then I transition into the everything is terrible stage and need to be talked out of it. Then I finish it, quite like it, get beta feedback, post, and crash again into MY STORY IS TERRIBLE AND EVERYONE WILL HATE IT. I've learned to post immediately before going to bed or doing another activity which will take me firmly off my computer so I'm not just sat refreshing AO3 and stressing.

Generally the point where I finally start liking it again for good is after I've posted the NEXT story. (Actually I've been doing well right now where I post one in chapters at the same time as I'm already writing my next long-fic. Then I've been focused on the one I'm writing and it's taken the stress off the one I've been posting as that's already gone into the "prev story" box in my head!)

[extrapenguin]

Yeah, I suspect some variant of this is universal for any sort of longer project, though the precise order and timing of ARGHs is individual. I'm currently in "But wheeeeeen will this ever eeeeeend????" angst with a WIP and I relate so hard. (Answer: it will end in four scenes, penguin. Get off your butt and write them.) I wish you a speedy transition into actual completion, or at least stage 4.

[dorinda]

Yes, this feels entirely accurate!

There are other stages after that

There sure are. Some including a sternly rolled-up newspaper.

Also, what's the matter with a scarf for elephants anyway? Wouldn't an elephant taking a vacation in a cooler climate appreciate a nice jaunty scarf?

[umadoshi]

All of this is so horribly true.

[trobadora]

This feels very true, except there's a stage missing shortly before the end that goes approximately like, "this is the worst thing I ever wrote; I need to ditch it all and start from scratch." *g*

[sakana17]

Oh, this is tooo true! I'm sort of in stages 2-8 all at once...

I love the planes on a runway analogy. I'd never seen that before, and it's a very helpful way to look at it!

[yantantether]

Sorry to hear you've currently hit a stage three moment! *cheers you on*