For a variety of reasons mostly having to do with dissertation work, the Sunday Linkdump is on hold, though I anticipate being back to it by next Sunday. I’ve recently completed the final draft of my dissertation proposal (I defend on the 14th) and I gave myself the weekend off on account of the brain needing a recharge.

But today I’m back on the writing horse, so of course I’m putting off doing any actual work on anything with a blog post.

I’ve talked a lot about my writing philosophy, and even some about how my personal stages of novel-writing work, but I’m not sure that I’ve really outlined the details of my particular process. So, to that end, here’s how I usually do what I do.

1. Open up current project and stare at it for a while.
2. Wander off to mess around on [Tumblr/Facebook/Twitter/current pan-fandom RP game]
3. Go back to project and stare at it some more.
4. Write a few sentences. Maybe a paragraph or two.
5. Scroll back up to where I mentioned some esoteric detail that I need in order to continue but which of course I can’t remember because I refuse to make in-depth notes on worldbuilding/plot/characterization because I’m not all that bright.
6. A few more sentences.
7. More staring.
8. Vanity Google search.
9. Become irritated with book blogs that refuse to give any space to my currently available books.
10. Do nails.
11. Sudden massive output that brings me up to about half of my minimum wordcount for the day.
12. Reward self with more messing around on [Tumblr/Facebook/Twitter/current pan-fandom RP game]
13. Check time and become anxious.
14. Frown at nothing in particular.
15. A few more sentences.
16. Jump at excuse to look something up.
17. Get distracted and stroll through Google.
18. Vanity Google search.
19. Drag self out of Google and back to project.
20. Make use of thing just looked up.
21. Worry about whether it’s being used correctly and whether anyone will notice and/or care if it isn’t.
22. Decide that probably no one will and even if they do I’m not all that sure that I care very much.
23. Check Amazon rankings for my currently available books because I refuse to internalize everything anyone has ever told me about how meaningless Amazon rankings are because, again, not that bright.
24. Check Goodreads reviews.
25. Become annoyed at Goodreads reviews that are stupid and written by people who are clearly correspondingly too stupid to appreciate my work.
26. Check [Tumblr/Facebook/Twitter/current pan-fandom RP game]
27. Vanity Google search.
28. Write a few more sentences.
29. Be struck by inspiration for a fantastic blog post. Spend about twenty minutes writing it.
30. Vanity Google search.
31. Check time again and become very anxious about how many other things need to get done today.
32. Tear through remaining wordcount.
33. Forget everything I’ve just written.
34. Reward self with lunch and/or [Tomb Raider/Skyrim/Dishonored/whatever other game has currently eaten my brain]
35. Spend rest of the afternoon on [Tomb Raider/Skyrim/Dishonored/whatever other game has currently eaten my brain]
36. Engage in period of self-hatred regarding everything that didn’t get done today.
37. Repeat the next day, ad infinitum.

So that’s it. It works fabulously. Truly it does.