On Writing.

I've always wanted to title something "On Writing" and now I have. That's exciting!

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot lately on the different ways to write a novel... or anything, really.  I wrote for a newspaper for two years in college (for my A.S.) and I was always interested in how all of us wrote in different ways.  Some of us liked the office, some went home to write, most of us wrote in between classes on campus. (The staff was young... our editor was in her mid-twenties.  We were shaking things up in a very small town!) One of my best friends to this day was on staff with me and he would plan and plan until his article was perfect.  I, on the other hand, would pick out the best quotes and figure it out as I went.

I've noticed that a lot of authors also write in different ways as well, and it's become even more apparent since I joined Twitter.  People write at home, out in public and many different places and of course there are plotters and pantsers.  Some people keep their plots top secret, others blog about their stories as they write.  On top of that, there are critique partners, word challenges and writing groups. Tons of ways to write!

I find that I write the best at home and late at night.  My need for some sort of normalcy keeps me from writing until 4am every night.  I've stepped out of my box a lot lately and have written as much as I can during the day.  I even go to Panera sometimes to get out amongst the people!  I'm totally growing as a writer and a person, I think. 

I write pretty quickly and I'm also a pantser.  I wrote KC in a month by only scribbling down what I wanted to write about the next day.  I had no clue how the book would end, even though I did know who was responsible for everything.  I'm doing the same thing with my current WIP.  I have a friend who likes to read as I write, so she gets really bummed when she asks me questions and I don't have the answers.  I enjoy it though.  I wrote my first novel by planning out every last detail.  I was new to the whole fiction thing and tried every writing technique I came across.  I had planning boards, notebooks of character backgrounds and color coded post-its.  It was nuts.  I think I planned so much that I was tired of the book and that's what took me so long.  I should have known I would be a pantser since I don't even like figuring out what I'm going to have for dinner when I make a grocery list.

I've considered trying to find a critique partner but I'm kind of clueless on the process, so I don't know.

What about the four of you?  How do you write?  Also, what info can you give a girl on critique partners?

-Brandy