Writing, such an amazing thing

Today, I kicked around an old short story that I had written ages ago. It's amazing how you can go back and read old things that you wrote and wonder, "did I really write this?" At least in this instance it was in a good way, it's way worse when it's in a bad way.

This story has a cool end, but the beginning needs some reworking. I just hope as I tinker with it, it stays a short story. I always seem to want to go overboard. Mostly because I have a hard time finding where the story wants to end. I'm hoping having an end I already like will help the rest fall in line as it should.

Reading some author comments on Goodreads today, there was the discussion of how do you go about your own writing. It was cool to see the wide variety of approaches that each author used. For me, I tend to dive into a story and let the characters steer where things are going. After a few chapters, I might sketch out an very rough outline, but it hardly ever goes the way I've planned.

For me, my characters always surprise me with things that they do that I hadn't envisioned in the beginning. It's like watching a movie of the book in my mind and all I try and do is keep up with the action.

Reading how other authors have things all planned out and stick to outlines is amazing. My style seems completely random and all over the map. Then I always scribble notes, thoughts and ideas out on paper even while I'm writing. It's cool to hear that other people also keep a notebook beside the bed to jot down the ideas that come to them as they're falling asleep or if they have a dream. I've had some of my best ideas while thinking about my story just as I'm falling asleep.

For as many writers as there are, there are just that many approaches to reaching the final product. Yet there are so many similarities. Writing is such a funny thing so personal and yet still appeals to so many people on the same level.

I always feel so lucky that I can write down the things that I experience, the characters that ramble around in my mind and share them with others.