hd_writers | Interview with dysonrules

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hd_writers

Our first

hd_writers interview is with

dysonrules author of Paradigm, In Pieces, Chains of Earth and many many other fabulous stories!

I hope you enjoy reading about Cheryl's writing methods! I know that I did!

If you have additional questions, she will be available to answer them in the comments!

She will also join us in chatzy tonight around 8:30pm PST to offer additional encouragement and support for writers. Join us then!

Approximately how many stories would you say you've written for fandom? Original work?
Over a hundred for fandom. Well over a million words, probably closer to two million by now. I've written (and posted) one original novel, one on-going original series, and a few short stories and one-shots. Fandom wins. XD

How long on average are your stories? Do you prefer to write shorter fics or longer? Why?
All lengths. LOL! I think the largest number of mine are between 12k and 30k. I prefer to write longer fics because I love plots and subplots and slow-building relationships. It's harder to do that with short fics.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere! Music provides a lot of inspiration for me, although it's pretty random which ones will give me that spark. I think music is meant to be visceral and evocative, so occasionally it will be nothing more than raw emotion and it gives me an image of one of the characters feeling a certain way and then I build a story around how and why he got there. Also, just talking to people or being around people give me ideas. Random comments have generated some amazing fics.

What's the first thing you do when an idea comes to you?
Strangely, I kick it around it my head. Sometimes I'll craft the bare bones of the entire story in my head before I ever put it on paper. With that said, I do try to open a doc and at least put down something quick about the story, in case I get busy and forget the idea completely. I have a million little notes like "Write Draco the Firefighter".

Do you have to be in the zone to write or is it more about consistency and dicipline?
I'm rarely in the zone. I'm too busy. It's more of writing whenever there is a moment of time. I park the car at the train station in the morning and pull out my mini notepad to write for FIVE MINUTES. I'm always excited to have that five minutes to write. XD But being in the zone is when the story really flows. The rest of the time it's more like "just get this paragraph done". I have no consistency and the word discipline makes me want to do the opposite thing, so I just try to keep focused on "get to the end".

How many fics do you typically work on at a time?
MANY. OMG I can't even. I have four open right this minute. XD Anywhere from four to ten. I never have any trouble keeping them straight, since they are all different, even if they are all H/D fics. If I get stuck on one fic, or five, I'll open an old WIP that I peck away at for a bit, just to get out of the rut. There is always SOMETHING I can write on. And if not, I start a new one.

How do you like to work? Quiet? Music? Where?
The only thing that really distracts me is music. It's weird, but I will listen to music any time it's on. I can't sleep with it playing for the same reason - it keeps me up all night listening to it. Everything else in the world I can tune out. I don't have a particular fav place to write, but I think I'm most productive in my own room with minimal distractions.

Do you have a writing schedule or routine? (Everyday? Certain time of day? Certain number of words? Number of minutes?
Nope. I am the least routine person in the world, I think. I write when I feel like writing (which is almost all the time, luckily) and I screw around on the internet when I don't.

What are your writing habits?
LOL. I open a .doc and I write. If I don't have a computer I rustle up some paper and a pen and write the old-fashioned way. My writing habit is to write. Oh wait, I do have one strange habit. Just before I go to sleep at night I’ll pick one of the fics I’m working on and I’ll mentally write the next scene. Sometimes this can be annoying because I’ll have the PERFECT dialog that I forget completely when I wake up, but the scene itself will still be clear in my mind, so it’s really easy to throw it on the page. I do this every single day, even if I’m going over and over the same scene. I tend to mentally write each scene before it ever becomes text. It’s also really relaxing and helps me sleep. :D

Do you force yourself to write even when you don't want to?
YES. The best way I've found to do that is to force 25 words. I try to open multiple fics and eke out 25 fricking words on each fic. Usually 25 words on one will crack open the gates and I can get a few hundred in, even when I don't want to. Even minimal progress is still progress.

Do you keep a handwritten journal?
Oh hell no. XD

Do you plan or outline your stories in any way? Can you describe your process?
This relates back to my complete lack of consistency. The answer is generally no. Most fics start in my head and stay in my head and I just sit down and write them. I usually outline the longer ones, although the amount of outlining depends on the fic. Chains of Earth had a chapter-by-chapter outline that I actually followed pretty closely. In Pieces required a spreadsheet, although it ended up a jumbled mess by the end due to massive plot changes. The Incredible Race had the sketchiest outline ever. XD I think it consisted of "Country Name- Challenge" and the rest just spewed out when I started writing.

What motivates you to keep writing?
I don't know! I think I would write no matter what. It's like a compulsion. If only one person read my fics I would still keep writing, just for them. And if they went away, I would probably write just for me. I can't seem to stop, really.

How do you stay excited about your writing?
LOVE. I love writing, I love making things and I really love the characters I write about, which is why fanfiction is so much fun. We already love these characters, so the ability to put them into situations of our own choosing is endlessly satisfying. I like original fic, because you fall in love with your own characters, but you have to create them from the ground up and make others love them, so it's harder.

How do you stay focused while working on longer fics?
I think it helps that I'm a novelist at heart. I've always been able to write long stories - it is VERY hard for me to write drabbles and short stories. I'll always be grateful to Lilith for forcing me into a drabble competition early in my fic writing days, because it taught me to pare a story down to the bare essence. Now I start with the bare essence and add things. I can ALWAYS add things. Anyway, focus is impossible for me, which is why I work on nineteen stories at once. I'm easily bored and have to step away for a bit to stay motivated on any project.

Do you find deadlines stressful or helpful?
Deadlines are a necessity in my universe. If you don't give me a deadline I will fritter away with something for eternity. It's one reason I'm such a fest-whore. I need that deadline. XD

What is your biggest challenge in writing and how do you overcome it?
Actually writing when I have the time. Focus is difficult when there is so much fun stuff to do online. Tumblr is a time-killer. I've wasted HOURS on there just looking at pretty pictures, and then I want to kick myself for not working on my WIPS. WRITING is the biggest challenge.

Do you have a system for organizing your story ideas and notes?
I have an abysmal sense of organization, not gonna lie. I consider the fact that I have one folder on my laptop labelled "FICS" as being organized. The fuckton of stuff in there has very little organization.

Do you write in a linear form from beginning to end or do you jump around as the muse strikes?
100% linear. I start at the beginning and write to the end. Timing is everything and if I jump around the story never seems to fit together quite properly and that annoys me. So I write and then re-read and re-read and re-read to keep the "flow" going as I write.

Do you have your story planned from start to finish or do you just start writing and let the rest work itself out?
It depends on the fic, but 90% of the time I have no idea how it's going to end up. I usually start with a random idea and throw words on the page to see what happens.

What are your tips to overcoming writer's block/slump?
Keep fucking writing. Even if it's only that 25 words a day, then at least get those 25 words out. If it takes six months, that's still quite a few words that wouldn't be there. Just do it. LOL, Nike ad, but they are words to live by.

What do you do if you lose interest in a fic? Especially if you are writing for a deadline?
I cry a lot. That is the WORST THING EVER. It happened to me last year during Hols. I couldn't get the plotline to work the way I envisioned it and I was not happy with it at all. Partway through I wanted to abandon the fic completely, but every idea I came up with seemed worse than the original. Eventually I ran out of time to come up with anything new, so I just powered through it, knowing I was going to hate it by the end. It's my second most-hated fic. I despise it, but I put on my big-girl pants and finished it. I ranted to my betas a lot, but they had no pity and said, "Just finish it." So I did.

What sources or websites do you find helpful for writing tips and information?
ALL OF THEM. I am a massive research-whore. I think one reason The Incredible Race turned out so well is because I was in research paradise while writing it. I literally immersed myself in everything I could find about each place they went. I studied travel blogs, watched videos, trolled for photos, and followed random link after random link. It was awesome. I don’t really use general writing tips or information.

Do you share your writing process along the way with a support group of friends, betas or cheerleaders?
Sometimes. Usually I prefer to write the entire fic and then throw it at my beta, but when I get stuck I'll send it off and say "THIS ISN'T WORKING. HELP ME." And she'll give me six new ideas, which generally causes me to delete the last five pages and send it off in a new direction. It’s really nice to have someone you can brainstorm with.

Have you ever co-written a story with someone?
Yes. It's hard because you have to give up your own conception of how the characters will behave. You co-writer's viewpoint will never coincide 100% with yours. Although I co-wrote Ministry Ordered Exile with

byaghro and we have so much "samebrain" that neither of us can remember who wrote which characters. We have two other fics in the works that we NEED TO FINISH. XD

what's it like to co-write?
It sort of depends on how you do it. I like it, but if you’re super-invested in the story it can be hard to let someone else take the reins. For some reason, it seems to work best with humour or crackfic.

How does your process differ when co-writing?
I'm less invested in the characters. You have to be able to say, "That's not how I would have done that” or “My Harry would never say that”, but let it go and give your co-writer the freedom to do it her (or his) way. They have equal say, but it’s nice to have the sort of relationship where you can ask, “Do you really think he would do that?” and vice-versa (giving them the freedom to question your choices while writing).

How do you split the workload? Who does what?
That should be hammered out before you start. In some fics we each have different characters, so it's almost like role-playing. In others, I write one section and she continues it, so you never know where the story is going (except that we've got a general outline of where it will end up). I co-wrote a script with one friend and I basically wrote the entire story and then she went in and added scenes and changed things I had written. It depends on which process works for you, but you really have to be able to LET GO and validate your co-writer's work.

Is one person's style more prevalent, or does it depend on the character, plot etc?
I tend to work with people whose styles are very similar to my own, so it's pretty seamless.

How have you evolved as a writer over time?
I've evolved from a POV-swapping badficcer to someone who can write stories that are generally readable. XD *crosses fingers*

What is your favorite fic you've written and why is it your favorite?
This changes frequently, but at the moment it's The Incredible Race. Every word of this fic was bliss to write. I loved researching it, and I really enjoyed the slow building relationship between the boys, plus the fact that it did not contain that big breakup/misunderstanding/dramatic scene. The whole fic maintained a nice pace and the plotline carried the growth of their relationship along. It's the only fic I've written that does not have scenes I want to go back and change.

Thank you again

dysonrules for taking the time to share with us!