I find that if it is a one-shot, and I am inspired, it does not take all that long to write (rewrites and edits are another matter), but inspiration is often lacking for challenges. The deadline is just something I have given myself to keep me writing though - a little pressure to keep me writing works best for me.

Good for you, Rhea! Hope you will be able to pick up the story again. A year is a long time.

Thanks =) Yea, I had the craziest year at uni and just didn't find time to write. =(

Well, I've hit a roadblock with most of the stories I've written and posted because I've started falling out of love with the Inuyasha fandom. It was nice and all practically growing up worshipping it, but as I got older my tastes changed. The only story I currently have that I'd consider continueing is The Path of Supreme Conquest. That's mainly because it's a story that will be focused on strategy, adventure, and cool battle scenes. And Sesshoumaru is the main character. What gets me frustrated though is actually trying to map out the plot. The story is in theory going to be a systematic conquering of different regions with humor mixed in, a satire type of humor. I don't know, but yeah. I've got 4 chapters of it so far, 7,000+ words, but I've hit a roadblock, and I should probably go back and revamp the lastest chapters as well actually. It's an Inuyasha and YuYu Hakusho crossover by the way.

Title: The Path of Supreme Conquest

Summary: IYYYH. Sesshoumaru has found himself in a new world riddled with humans courtesy of Naraku. Once he finds where he has been sent exactly, will he try to find a way back, or try to conquer this new, unsuspecting land?

Anyone have any tricks they use to map out things? O any suggestions as to possible plots I could use? Lol.

did you outline the plot. complicated stories usualy need an outline.

I still haven't updated but I'm on 12 grade in the process of graduation and taking the ACT test again. I really want to update but...ugg

I'll second Ripdos on that: Complicated stories need and outline.

You could start out with a very broad an general outline to get you starting, and get in more details afterwards. A time-line could also be useful, and if you are dealing with troop-movements and battles, a time-line would probably be essential. I have a timeline (with dates and time) for the first part of my mulitchapter fic because my heroes are on a close schedule, and I needed to work out how much time they would need to be able to travel the distances they have to cover. So a lot of my work was finding out how lon it would take to get from point A to point B, and that is how I knew how many days the story would have to fill. It also gave me an outline of a sort: at day 1 these people would be at point A, at day 4 they reach point B etc.

I also outline some of the chapters, and have for one chapter made a time-line for all the people for that chapter - where they will be at what time, and how long they would be there, what they would do, etc. That was because the chapter had a lot of things going on, and people missing each other etc. For the plot to work, I need to know why this person was delayed, and that person looking for the third person at the wrong place and so on. Exactly what kind of plotting you need to do, will depend on your story, but an outline will help keep you focused.

Update on my story: I have finished the first draft of chapter 7 and begun writing on chap 8! And as soon as I hear back from my beta, I will be ready to post chapter 3. *very happy*

I absolutely love MS Excel for timelines. I've one story with an individual on a slower space craft with a head start being pursued by another individual in a faster spacecraft with a couple cuts scenes back and forth at different times - yeah, that figuring out who is where at what time and what is going on when isn't always easy, but a spreadsheet sure helps. Put the characters in Column 1 and your time or distance across the top in Row A (depending on what moves your story) and start plotting events. With Excel you can bring in fill colors, font colors and font styles which are all really helpful to me as well.

did you outline the plot. complicated stories usualy need an outline.

Agreed. I never used to outline my fics, and I often ran into roadblock because of it. Now my two main multi-chaps require it in order to stay on track because it gets so complicated and there are so many elements and sub-plots and ideas I need to throw in there. A timeline is a great idea, though! Must be a godsend for fics like that. ^^

For Guarding the Spark I have a chapter by chapter outline but it's very rough and I've already made a whole bunch of changes to it. An outline like that works if you have an end goal for each chapter- just write that out, and let the rest fall into place. I think outlining too rigidly is a problem as well because sometimes characters have a mind of their own.

Has anyone else ever had a character "take over" part of a fic, only you have no idea what to do with them?

That's a problem in a multi chap of mine at the moment- Darling, I Want to Destroy You.

It's supposed to focus on South Dakota, Washington, York and Delta. But when I was writing it, Sigma suddenly jumped to the front of the stage, and I honestly have no plan for her. I don;t know what to do with her, or how she's going to fit into this fic because it's supposed to be all about South and Delta.

I;m actually trying to get into the habbit of outlining. It;s a good method to fall back on, but I just can;t seem to write alot for my plot outline. I usually number my points.

1. This happens

2. That happens.

I must admit that sometimes I have characters that I think I only introduce for a few brief moments and they seem to last a lot longer than I intend them to do! It seems to happen a lot for me, that characters change in my tales different from the way that I wanted. Some might say that they create a life of there own. Or maybe I just think of different ways to use them!

My plotlines are not all that structured yet that I can number them, though it might be a little similar to what I do with time-lines. My plots usually takes the form of summaries.

Has anyone else ever had a character "take over" part of a fic, only you have no idea what to do with them?

One of my OCs did something like that. I made him because I needed someone to fill the role of a chief-scout and relay a message. Now he is one of the better developed characters and have taken a much bigger part than I had intended. He simply demanded to have his story told. I am an getting an idea of what to do with him though, and I am not sure he is very happy with it. Too bad for him, he was the one butting in ;) But I have come to like him a lot, so now I am getting torn...

I have one technique that I used to structure stories, but I have only ever used it on finished stories; stories that are already written down that I am adapting. It might work for plotting as well: You take the main events of your story and make chapter-titles for them (they don't have to follow the actual chapters), sub-titles and a short summary. Easiest to give an example I think, so: The story is the death of Balder, from Norse Mythology (it does not matter if you know the story or not).

Chapter 1: The Beloved

The story of the only completely good god

Where we are told about the fairness and beauty of he of the white eyebrows

So, it has three parts: the title, then what the story is about, and a short summary telling us about the most important points to be made. The text hidden behind this, reads something like:

"It was Balder the beloved, Balder the beautiful, Balder the pure and fair; he with eyebrows as white as snow. Balder the only completely good god."

It can be used for longer parts that this, it was just what I had on hand.

I might try that idea, if that's alright? It sounds really helpful. So you write a title (can you use it all in the same document?) then what its about and then the summary? (admitting) I'm a little confused about the last two points. Love the idea:d

Do it however you find it works best;). I like to have one document for each story - or one piece of paper since I often do it by hand.

The 'formula' is a chapter title, then you use the formulation "The story of (insert theme or topic)", and then the summary. The summary should start with the words: "In which we hear about/are told about (insert main plot)"

"In Wich we hear about" is a good idea. So say for chapter one of my Tutankhamun novel, I could say:

Chapter 1 (is titles important?) In which we see that King Tutankhamun is buried in Valley of the Kings.

Summary: Chapter one discusses the funary rights that are performed for the pharaoh and how he is rested in his tomb. It discusses the way that Tuts family feel about the loss of Pharaoh...?

I must admit that sometimes I have characters that I think I only introduce for a few brief moments and they seem to last a lot longer than I intend them to do! It seems to happen a lot for me, that characters change in my tales different from the way that I wanted. Some might say that they create a life of there own. Or maybe I just think of different ways to use them!

Exactly! I just have no idea what to do with her because so far all she has served is a bit of comic relief in the story, but that doesn't do justice to her as a character because she is so much more than that. She is in canon, but I've messed around canon quite a bit in this story, as she was originally an AI and I have made her human.

One of my OCs did something like that. I made him because I needed someone to fill the role of a chief-scout and relay a message. Now he is one of the better developed characters and have taken a much bigger part than I had intended. He simply demanded to have his story told. I am an getting an idea of what to do with him though, and I am not sure he is very happy with it. Too bad for him, he was the one butting in ;) But I have come to like him a lot, so now I am getting torn...

Awwww. It sucks when you have to do that with a character, but can't fight the muse. ;)

It happens with my OTP, too. I so want Wash and South to have a fluffy moment, a few bits of happiness in my other multi-chap but it just won't ever work out that way, largely due to their nature. But also because of the plot. :K

A friend's fic is similar. She has an OC and a canon character who are in love, and one desperately looking for the other to fix what went wrong between the two of them. But he dies before they get to, and the final time they speak is at the moments before his death, where she finds him again.

She wrote a prequel to that fic which has him looking for her, and I sit there reading it going, "Godamn it, York, find her already!!!" even though I know it will never happen.

What fandom do you write for, Ragnelle?

Ariana: The chapter-title is important the way I use it - but then I use it mainly as a memorization and interpretation technique. It does help you focus what the at part of the story is about, so it can be helpful to do it that way. Following the scheme, the first chapter of your story would go something like:

Chapter 1: No Dust.

The story of a dead pharaoh

In which we see how King Tutankhamun is buried in the Valley of the Kings and how his family deals with the loss.

I don't know the chapter other than what you put there, so I just made something up that I thought might fit. I thought first of using "Dust to dust" for a title - from the traditional Christian burial ceremony - because that to me gives the image of a funeral. I usually try to find short tittles that gives me an instant image of what is going on. It does not have to be directly related to the story since it is about your association, and will never reach your readers unless you want it to. But since this was a pharaoh that is embalmed, the image does not fit, and the "no Dust" that I used, was to put a contrast to my first association.

'The story of'is the same thing, another way of focusing on the most important issues but more directly tied to the action of the story. If there is a conflict between the family-members about the funeral, and that is the main focus,I would use something like: The story of a split family

One reason I use 'In which we hear/ see' as the beginning of the summary, is because that puts us in the storytelling mode, it makes the summary a little story, and that makes it more easy to tell the events of the chapter. Summaries tend to become drier and more of a technical discussion. For instance you use the term 'discuss' twice in your short summary, which makes it read more like a summary for a archaeological paper than a a story.

Of course this is something meant to help the author, so what works best for you is the right way to do it ;) But I thought it was good to explain how it was intended to work.

PFC Simmons: I write for Lord of the Rings (well, some Silmarillion too, but I consider all of Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium the same fandom). I'm working on my first real mulit-chapter story now, and I find out all kinds of fun stuff. I also have an OC who has turned out to be completely different from what I first intended. She has suddenly made my plot (and the heroes' situation) a lot more complicated.

It happens with my OTP, too. I so want Wash and South to have a fluffy moment, a few bits of happiness in my other multi-chap but it just won't ever work out that way, largely due to their nature. But also because of the plot. :K

I sit there reading it going, "Godamn it, York, find her already!!!" even though I know it will never happen.

Ragnelle: I like "No Dust," actually. It makes me think of long years ahead of silence for the pharaoh. I think I'll do chaptered titles for the story outline and see how it goes and if I ant to use titles (for chapters) in the published version. Usually on Fictionpress/Fanfiction (my two main writing sites) I don't write a title for the chapter. I have "Chapter One". I might try the suggestion. I like the summary idea, because it keeps you focused as well:)

I think I have titles for all my chaptered fics, but since only one of them is really a chaptered story rather than a collection of related stories that can stand alone, that does not say much. Published books differ too on this: some will have titles, some will not.

I like "No Dust," actually. It makes me think of long years ahead of silence for the pharaoh.

Feel free to steal it ;)

I posted the third chapter of my WIP yesterday! It got lots of hits, a few more alerts and one new review. *happy*

Thanks Ragnelle, I have the first chapter summarised:

"

The Prologue of Queen of Time sees the pharaoh (the boy King) Tutankhamun being buried in the Valley of the Kings. His tomb is lavishly (?) decorated and his life possetions are with him and they will be cealed in the tomb. The women who are involved in the ceremoney pull their hair (sign of mourning) and wail. The sun blazes over Thebes and the pharaoh's sarcofagus is placed in its tomb. Ankasanamun the pharaoh's wife, returns to Thebes to await her fate (explain about the letters she writes to the Hitite King). Chapter one of the story sees Howard Carter, travelling through Thebes, talking about how he came to be where he is now. He meets Evie and Lord Carnarvon at a hotel (find details about hotels) and they discuss their plans."

That's what I wrote. I find it actually helps and I make side notes in the brackets to say "look this up."

I can't find much information about the description of Egypt (preferably word description as I can't see the pictures) and I need information about modern hotells and that kind of thing. I have two eras to work with.

And congratulations on the chapter:)

Ragnelle, congrats on the posting and review!

Ariana, first chapter looking good. Are you still doing research before you write it?

I've yet to continue my multi-chap. I finished my one-shot but am leaving it aside for a few days before rereading and editing. I am most definitely aiming to get a new chapter for my multi-chap out before the end of July, though. I'll be so very disappointed in myself if I don't XD

Hi, is there anything you'd like to be called? I'm still doing research; is it better to do it while writing or before?

I personally try and do research before I write because then I know what I'm writing about. I can't really describe a city, or go through a legal procedure, unless I've learnt all about it first.

PFC Simmons: I write for Lord of the Rings (well, some Silmarillion too, but I consider all of Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium the same fandom). I'm working on my first real mulit-chapter story now, and I find out all kinds of fun stuff. I also have an OC who has turned out to be completely different from what I first intended. She has suddenly made my plot (and the heroes' situation) a lot more complicated.

Ohh, I see. That's pretty awesome. Don't know much about LOTR, though besides the fact that the fandom is plagued with Legolas fangirls. :P

I personally try and do research before I write because then I know what I'm writing about. I can't really describe a city, or go through a legal procedure, unless I've learnt all about it first.

Yep. I've found that's the best way when you write something that requires a lot of research. I generally don't do so in my fandom, however. RvB is set in the Halo verse and I cannot play Halo to save my life, so I just keep the Halo wiki on hand for when I need to make myself familiar with weapons/locations not mentioned in RvB itself.

Some degree of research is key no matter what the fandom, though. I can't tell you how many fics I've seen where the authors had no idea what they were talking about- if you go into HP you see fics that mention things that are current now, whereas Harry and the gang were at Hogwarts in the 90's, if I recall correctly. ^^

Sounds like you and I are on the same page in a way. I do research/homework on certain things prior to writing about them same goes with characters, settings and the like. One thing though, I know I asked this before but has anyone tried working on multiple stories before?

I've tried to do before where I work on one story and then when I'm not writing a chapter for that one I pick up where I left off on another. Also, last year I started paticipating in writing challenges which was a nice change of pace.

One thing though, I know I asked this before but has anyone tried working on multiple stories before?

Yep. I've discovered through trial and error that the max I can work on at one time would be two different multi-chaps, which is what I am doing at the moment. It is helpful in that if I get stuck on Guarding the Spark I can switch over to Darling I Want to Destroy You until I get unblocked- it's a nice way to get my brain to focus on something else.

I've tried to do before where I work on one story and then when I'm not writing a chapter for that one I pick up where I left off on another.

Did it work out for you? :)

PFC Simmons, what is RvB?

Oh, man...every time I write I'm researching something from my fandom, from what minor characters look like to names of spells (I write for Harry Potter), and looking up instances of them speaking in the books to get an idea of their speech pattern...I could not write without the Internet or my copy of the books. Otherwise I just get stuck. The Internet is essential for me because there's a website called the Harry Potter Lexicon that is like an encyclopedia of the wizarding world...it gives biographies of characters (what they look like, what their wands are made out of if mentioned in the books, etc.) as well as a list of known spells. My lifesaver XD

Has anyone tried working on multiple stories before?

Yep. I think I failed in the past when I tried juggling to multi-chapter stories. I'm sort of working on multiple stories now, though...I'm alternating between writing my multi-chap and a series of one-shots. The one-shots are sort of based on the same theme, but each chapter is about different characters at completely different points in time. I've just finished the first one-shot in the series, so I'll be moving onto my multi-chapter story. I can't juggle two multi-chapters because I mix up facts...hmm, unless I was writing two multi-chaps that were both completely canonical and in the same 'universe'...see, the one-shots I'm writing now are missing scenes from canon, so I just need canon info to write them, and my multi-chap fic is about the Weasley twins' years at Hogwarts, and I'm writing that following canon events...so it's just like a biiig missing scenes story.

(On a completely off-topic note, does anyone know the maximum number of posts in a topic?)

I often work on two tales at once, and think about others! I did once write a very long for me crosover tale, but it wasn't well recieved. Though it did have Harry Potter in it. And Doctor Who! One of my few failures I suppose. Oh, and I think for some reason that the maximum number of posts in a topic is 5000. Not sure how I know that, but I believe I do!

RvB is short for Red vs Blue, and it's an online show which uses the games Halo as the setting, etc. It's actually pretty funny. XD *loves Caboose and Church*

The maximum number of posts is 5000. :D 100 pages. I know for sure, because in one forum I'm on and moderate we finish threads often~

On an on-topic note, I've been juggling multiple multi-chaptered stories along with writing oneshots for a while now. I tend to work on the oneshots more often, though, because they're usually just bursts of inspiration that I write out, edit, and post. Plus they give me something to do when I'm stuck on everything. XD;

I think I have three multi-chap fics in the works along with multiple ideas I've just written down so I could remember. My muse likes to come up with ideas, but never actually write and finish them... XD;

PFC Simmons, what is RvB?

Oh dear, you're going to get me on a tangent now. As Kitsune said, it is a series filmed in the Halo game engine, in multi-player. It about two teams, Red and Blue, who are in a box canyon in the middle of nowhere called Blood Gulch. They have no idea why they are there or what purpose fighting each other, and they pretty much fail at fighting altogether. They get into some pretty ridiculous (albeit hilarious) scenarios. There is a third "team" so to speak- Freelancers, who are neither Red or Blue but guns for hire. I mostly write Freelancer fics. ^^

*loves Caboose and Church*

I love Church, too. 8D

That HP Lexicon sounds amazing, Rhea- I'll have to check it out. ^^

I think I have three multi-chap fics in the works along with multiple ideas I've just written down so I could remember.

How do you manage to balance three? Do you write them all out beforehand, stay a few chapters ahead, or post as you write?

And what fandom do you write for, Kitsune?

How do you manage to balance three? Do you write them all out beforehand, stay a few chapters ahead, or post as you write?

Well, I'm writing three at a time, but only one is being posted currently, and I'm a few chapters ahead of what is posted in that one. I tend to write two or three chapters at a time and then lose inspiration, so I'll move to the other stories and write a few chapters for those. I generally don't start posting until I've got like... eight or so chapters done so I'm not taking months and months to update.

And if I'm stuck on those three or I get a random idea stuck in my head I write oneshots. :D

And what fandom do you write for, Kitsune?

Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon and Axis Powers: Hetalia, at the moment.

I have to do research in my fandom. Tolkien has quite a large background worked out, and complicated metaphysical concepts as well, so even when writing a short vignette, you need to know your canon or mess it up. And if you mess up, there are plenty of people that will tell you (I am one of them). My WIP is AU, but deeply rooted in canon, so I had to do a lot of research to figure out how the changes would affect the characters and the world. And then there is stuff like how much food does one man need every day, how much can a horse carry, how long does it take to get from point A to point B etc. And even though I am pretty well-versed in canon by now, there is always something I have forgotten, or something that comes up when I write and I have to research before I can go on. But to me the research is sometimes more fun that the writing itself...

I usually check in the primary sources (the books themselves), but I also use online resources if there is something quick I have to check. I do not trust the online encyclopedias on Tolkien 100%, but there are two that are quite reliable that I use for quick searches.

I am in awe of people that can write on multiple stories at the same time. I have, at the moment, some three or four other stories that I have some idea about, but I have found that I have to concentrate on one at the time, so I am not doing anything with the others. I am simply not able to find enough time to dedicate to get more than one story out there at a time.

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