I have been a fan of reading and writing fiction for as long as I can remember. Quickly, writing became an enjoyable pastime for me if I wasn't reading or guessing the next move in a movie. For a long time, I bounced back and forth between excitedly sharing my writing with others to writing my stories for my eyes only. I was very sensitive about the potential misunderstanding or rejection of my stories. I had a lot of ambition that caused me to think of very elaborate plots. The thought that I could hear that my stories were unclear was terrifying for me because they always felt well planned to me.
I didn't truly begin to conquer this internal struggle until I was in my second half of high school. Taking my AP English courses and my first Creative Writing course were major turning points in teaching me the value of criticism, talking through ideas and generating new ideas with writers of different styles. I have dedicated my college time so far to embracing all of the steps apart of the writing process and learning how to refine my creative and analytical writing techniques. I've been able to reestablish the pleasure in writing creatively, working in writer workshops and experimenting with my style. Now I'm willing to start writing before I've thought of any plotline. I can't promise that I won't spend ten minutes picking the "perfect" adjective or verb from the many on the tip of my tongue because I'm a work in progress.
It's very important that I get all of my thoughts down whether I'm writing on paper or typing. I keep very messy outlines/bullet points that track my thoughts.
I lose track of time too often. It really depends on how the writing is going and how I'm feeling. If I'm on a roll, everything else must wait. Unless it's a requirement for an assignment, I will rarely determine my writing time by page numbers or word count.
Normally, I try to give myself a couple of days in between finishing a first draft and editing a story. That helps me edit with fresh eyes and possibly think of anything else to add to the writing.
