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In my case, it’s less about the relevance to the story, just unlocks the neurons, that’s all. I can’t have it too stimulating either, or it’s a distraction. Of course, I’ve got big enough monitors that’s it’s easy to have multiple pictures up along with my text editor (I generally don’t use an office-software to write). Occasionally, if a picture might be relevant for the story, then that’ll be up as well. Maybe these pictures are why my characters tend to like to be nudists…. maybe not, because these traits existed in my characters prior to this picture habit.

You’re definitely weird AF. That’s what’s so great about you.

Thanks for pointing out Focuswriter! I’m downloading it. I burn my retinas writing in Word since I tend to write in compulsive, 8 hour long fits fueled by caffeine and mental imbalance. Music is also great fodder for setting a mood. That can really spark more creative illustration of events.

I don’t often use photos to help my stories. The images I have in my mind’s eye are usually not close enough to a real image to help the story, they frustrate. A photo can be both too close and too far and this cognitive dissonance is like chalk on a backboard. Most canon characters and events in fanfiction have plenty of images. There are two exceptions that come up in maybe 1 in 12 stories. A fan art can and has triggered a story or a scene. Or when I was trying to build up a cover art illustration for a story, I dug out a bunch of photo references. I went so far as to scrounge enough to pay for an illustration from an artist who paired representational and impression in that fandom whose style I like and had open commissions. They requested refs and then backed out. The money went to another bill then. My art skills are more photoshop than Michael Whelan. That image is very clear in my head. But only in my head. I see enough of my scenes that I forget to include important details. So looking for photos that match that is mostly a way to use the time I could be writing.

Sadly, I lost all my stories and all my reviews. I do have many reviews copied over onto the review replies threads, so that’s good. I also keep several forms of backup for anything I write, so I still have the stories themselves. But my issues shouldn’t be indicative of anything wrong with the site itself. I just think it was a glitch with mine, and now that my anon reviews are working again, we’re all good! My biggest regret from the snafu is that reviews I’d left over the years are all now marked as from Anon, so I hope those people I reviewed remember that I did love their work.

DG hasn’t has to run the script for a while now, not since the more recent code updates. I had some issues with my account recently, which might have resulted in my settings going back to the new account defaults, and it never occurred to me to check the anonymous reviews setting. It read “yes” but wasn’t allowing anon reviews. Selecting “yes” and updating seems to have set it properly to accept anon reviews.

Had to dig with google…. http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/topic/35318-anonymous-reviews-and-email-notification-of-reviews/ IIRC, this hasn’t changed, because DG either runs the script (or it’s automated) to flip the settings one way or the other.

I’ll certainly use other pictures where needed. It’s just weird that my mind can only freely write when I’ve got an explicit picture up … it doesn’t have to be related, more like it just unlocks the mind. Maybe I’m just weird….

I do this too. Pictures for mood. Usually something setting related, I use focuswriter, which lets me put a picture as a background to write on. If I write a scene that takes place in winter, I’ll put in a wintery cityscape as the background. Or an angsty scene will get an angsty picture.

I will say my visual aids are largely not explicit. I find I like to collect images that feed a mood, or a facet of the world I’m building. For the Tales of the Seaborn Crown ‘verse, I collect steampunk images, mostly objects, Carnivale masks, costumes, and other things that flesh out the little details. I might save various bits of armor, or weapons that amuse. The explicit stuff doesn’t need visual aids, other than perhaps a pretty toy here and there. I like chastity cages lately...

I am definitely a pantser as well. As long as I have a spark of inspiration and some vague idea of what the main conflict might be, I'm usually good to go. Though I've done stories with less. I reverse outline. Once I have a couple chapters written, I go back and outline what happened in them and note down important details to keep things consistent. Then, if it's feeling aimless or something doesn't flow right, I'll jot down more specific things that could happen if the characters are kind enough to oblige.

Mayhaps I will… just in what capacity… eh, I’ll figure it out.

Creating stories can be a perplexing/confusing topic since everybody seems to have a slightly different way of going about it. For trivial details, I’ll use random generators/pickers, to get a list and see “what fits”. I’ve got a database which is close to the “lore bible” for my originals. I’ve written small programs to help my writing (date generator, that random picker from a file, database management, map aids, etc). I’ve drawn crude maps, both on paper and in drawing programs. I’ve experimented with 3D programs, mainly for layout of major locations, just to give an idea. I’ve got a bunch of spiral notebooks for my potter universe – which has turned out to be highly useful when returning from a decade “on-hiatus”. I’ve got a myriad of small text files for my potter universe, with backstory (also useful after that long on-hiatus). A three-ring binder with loose paper for the original universe. As to actual writing, I don’t write a super-fine outline, just a crude one. Write a few key scenes, if needed – just so I’ve got an idea of where I’m heading. Bring up the “inspirational” pictures, and start writing. I’ll write notes which I’m about to end for the day, so I can pick up where I left off. I’ll jot down a bit of an outline for a chapter, when it’s important. And I’m not afraid to cut/cull material or alter the outline if the characters aren’t agreeing with it. I also try to keep a spiral notebook handy for that occasion when I hear something, or come up with something, or even after a talk with a coworker – I’ll jot those ideas down, which gives things a better chance of being remembered. And I’ll typically find my brain the *most* creative, coming up with the *best* ideas as I’m trying to get ready for work after a long weekend….

The happiest of birthdays to our very own @DemonGoddess! I hope you at least get the day off today, or get to go home on time so you can celebrate!

Normally it’s inspirational, unclogs my neurons (so usually explicit pictures … use your imagination ) However, I have done some 3D-modeling, drawing, etc, when it comes to figuring out layouts to places, or even a family tree. I’m a bit more toward a pantser when I write, but I do tend to have some rough idea already. However, I will let the characters surprise me … heck, had a “surprise” blow job in the story the other day, I wasn’t planning on, but it just spontaneously happened. My balance of pantsing vs outline depends on the complexity of what’s happening – a chapter that’s essentially smut is nearly always pants, while more intricate plot or action, would have an outline, or even blow-by-blow (depends on the timing required). My general outline is “stuff happened”, and I’ll refine the stuff in between beginning and end as I write. One thing I will try to do is to write the key scenes, just a draft, so I know what I’m headed for.

Yeah, most writers are pantsers or outliners at base. If you have trouble with outlines you are probably a pantser. It is a continuum so there’s no hard edge. I think I have the most problem if I try to plan character behavior or feeling stuff ahead of time. I’ve done detailed grids and flow charts for action sections or to keep track of cast locations when multiplots are at a climax. Background and culture I don’t plan enough, but I do record bits in a separate file/location for later reference. My notes file makes for interesting reading in its own right. My notes mentioned someone wanting to shave someone’s beard as payback in chapter two, it finally happened in chapter 28. That wasn’t planning from before I started writing, but more like weaving in loose threads and plot hooks I left behind me. Often my Maguffins like the beard threat aren’t planned consciously, but my muse makes very good use while my ego is pleasantly surprised. One character got threatened in what I thought was a throwaway chapter ending, but is making an interesting subplot now… It’s not always ME doing the planning, but my muse. Recording the mass means I can weave the story back into itself and look much cleverer by not being totally episodic that ignores earlier changes. Continuity errors make ya look bad.

Just the setting. Once you build a world and continuity as long as you don't violate the rules of the world and the guidelines everything else is easier to let it happen more organically. Only outlined a whole story once. Hated everything about it and deleted it wholesale.

Given the normal rate of reviews I get, (just about rare to none), I can’t say I would’ve noticed one way or the other.