I figured a good first article would be on how I write, since that seems to be the most commonly asked question to writers in most interviews. At least, in the ones I've seen.
...Though, this question might be a little too vague to be meaningful by itself. I'd split it into a few other questions, like:
With this division in mind, I'll answer all of these below. I hope this helps someone; or, at the very least, makes for a good read for any fans of mine who may be reading this!
I write most of my drafts fully digitally. Occasionally, I'll dabble in longhand. Mostly at school with a spare notebook I have. Sometimes I just need to write something out physically to get inspired though.
I write most of my stuff on my phone. Yes, my thumbs do hurt. Yes, it's worth it. I mostly use my computer for music--I ought to write a version of this article for my music, now that I think about it--and games. I'll sometimes use it for writing, but I never start a project on it. There's no real reason why, it's just tradition. I get more in the mood to write when I'm on my phone. Though, that might because I mostly write during the madrugada*, and since my brothers are hikkiNEET losers who use the PC around the same time, I'm forced to settle for my phone as the writing device. Not that I mind, though. Writing on mobile is fun.
I write exclusively on Ellipsus. I wrote all of my fanfic on Google Docs--back when I still wrote fanfic--but ditched it because of AI bullshits. Ellipsus has as its main selling point the fact it has zero affiliation with AI of any kind. I'll link a link to it below. It's free and requires minimal sign-up.
For my screenwriting misadventures I use Trelby. Not much to be said. It's a desktop exclusive though. It forces me to only write during the afternoon, which is fantastic for my overall grammar ability. The number one thing that differentiates a draft and final work for my projects are just basic SPAG correction.
I get ideas from a couple sources. The main one are just conversations. Sometimes, I'll be talking to a friend of mine--be it online or IRL--and we'll start discussing a theme.
Themes can be as specific as 'Huh. Those tales about telling apart 'regular folk' from 'paranormal human impersonators' by distinct, yet subtle physical traits sounds a lot like transvestigating' or sometimes 'Huh. Isn't it fucked up misogyny is still a thing?'. Whenever one of these come up, I usually get a minuscule smidgen of a logline** for a story. After that, I usually grab my phone or notebook, whichever is closest to me.
Sometimes, I'll see a youtube vid or the like where someone will say "Oh, so-and-so would make for a good movie/book!" and I just get to work. Often, the idea will deviate so far from the original concept the person proposed that it's unrecognizable unless I actually divulge the source and explain my own thought process. Which I often do to my friends. Once my zine is officially out I'll likely make whole articles about its stories and there I'll 'spill the beans' on the inspirations, so to speak.
The way I handle writing first drafts is that I envision a scene--oftentimes the ending, but not always!--and I just... start writing. No outlines. No character sheets. No nothing. I'll just start writing! I'll try to aim at that scene, but I'll not force it. I don't always reach the envisioned scene early on, if ever and that's just part of it. Sometimes the unexpected surprises are far more entertaining than the more generic flashes I get at first.
Often, the main issue I run into with first draft is having characters be too unestablished. The reader needs to know the character so they get worried for them whenever Act 2*** rolls around. Otherwise, they'll feel nothing for them. This likely comes from my previous endeavours in fanfiction, since there you don't really need to estabilish character.
I usually only do one or two passes for major structural/plot revisions. Most of the major issues on my drafts come from SPAG or inconsistent character voice/actions. I often find myself revising the same work five or more times just to iron out all the kinks I find.
I'd say the timespan from 'plot bunny' to 'finished work' is roughly ten or so days for short stories**** and like, an actual month for the lengthier novelettes*****. People have often remarked that I'm a very fast writer, and I don't really know why. I just write when I'm bored. I barely have any free time these days.
I stay focused. Sorry if this is frustrating for anyone who was seeking advice. I can't say anything. I just focus on my writing. Sometimes, I catch myself being incredibly hungry/thirsty because I distracted myself writing the whole afternoon/evening.
First drafts are supposed to be bad. Repeat after me. First drafts are supposed to be bad. You can't expect to have publishable****** work on the first, second or even third drafts! Writing is supposed to take a while. Deal with it. I'll often bash out a shoddy-reading first draft during the night, revise it once during the afternoon and then again the following night. Then, revise it through some more nights until I'm satisfied.
I often write during the middle of the night. I acknowledge that it's not really achievable for most fellow writers, but due to my current conditions it's the most achievable schedule I got. I have school during the afternoon and work for my mom during the early evening hours. Both of my parents are nightshifters and thus are often dead asleep during the late night and early morning periods. My brothers often are also fast asleep during the latter period, which makes for great peace and quiet. Perfect for writing!
Having said all that, I'll say that my writing style is very much an idiosyncracy. I do not expect or hope that anyone else will replicate my schedule. If some of what I've discussed seems enticing to you, then do it! But don't force yourself to match my insane sleep schedule or output. We're all different as authors and we should embrace our own schedules and styles. What works for you works for you and what works for me works for me.
Before I forget, here's Ellipsus' link. Feel free to check them out and give them some love! I'm not sponsored or anything, just a mildly enthusiastic enjoyer.
As of writing this, it's Christmas Eve. If you celebrate, I wish you a merry Christmas!
Now, excuse me as I'll log out and go feast upon the lovely Christmas dinner that's awaiting me. See you next article!
*Portuguese term for 'period between night and morning'. Often used to mean the time between midnight and sunrise.
**Screenwriting parlance for a short, snappy summary. Often used in the context of spec scripts, as there writing a catchy summary is often crucial for getting your script sold.
***'Act 2' here serves as shorthand for 'rising action'. I don't often write my stuff consciously mapping it to structure, though the main non-SPAG revision I do is taking a messy first draft and trying to fix it up into a somewhat rudimentary 'inciting incident --> rising action --> climax --> ending' setup.
****I define 'short story' as any work below 7.5k words.
*****I define 'novelette' as any work between 7.5k and 20k words.
******As of 24/12/2025, I haven't been formally published in a literary magazine. I use publishable as shorthand for 'anything that I want associated with my moniker and my work as a whole'. Basically anything that isn't raw fucking dogshit.