Is it okay to start writing a story without planning anything?

I've started writing very short (one paragraph) stories, posting some on Reddit. I haven't ever written for fun before though, so I don't know if I'm developing a bad habit or if it really doesn't matter.

My inspiration for writing these short stories are usually just an emotion. I don't know what I will write about until I just do it, and I start putting words down and create a story on the fly.

I feel like if I continue doing this and transition into longer pieces - just writing and not planning ahead - my stories won't make any sense.

Am I just being stupid, or should I start organizing my thoughts before writing?

EDIT: Thanks for the advice guys, I appreciate it :)

Anyone have a degree in Communication Studies?

I have a student in high school who asked about University and writing careers/programs. My gut response was start with a degree in English and then move onto a post-grad program after (editing, copywriting, technical writing, what have you), but then I wondered if there was maybe a better route, did some digging, and came across Communication Studies.

On appearance (since I don't have a degree in Com Studies), it seems like a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies might actually be more useful than an English degree if someone wanted to pursue a career in writing. I'm not sure, though.

This student doesn't exactly know what job she wants in writing, which is understandable considering she's 16, so off the top of my head, I'm thinking of Journalism, Editing, Copywriting, and Technical Writing. I'm not sure how many other "writing careers" there are that aren't in some way tied to those four, but if anyone has any input on any other careers and the path she should take to get there, I would very much appreciate it.

I'm writing a book about creating, running, and fulfilling a great Kickstarter campaign. I've been involved with 4 successful ones myself. What info do you want to see?

I've run or been directly involved with four successful Kickstarter campaigns for various projects, and have advised other people on their campaigns. It was suggested to me that I should put my experiences and advice into a book, which I'm now working on. I've seen a number of people in r/entrepreneur running or considering running their own project - for those who want to learn more, what sort of information would you like to see in such a book?

So far, I'm including (or plan to include):

• Pros and cons of crowdfunding vs. self-funding
• When you should and shouldn't run a Kickstarter
• Building a fan base and leveraging it for initial momentum
• Projects ideal for crowdfunding
• Picking a funding level
• Picking rewards and dealing with fulfillment
• Managing expenses and scope
• Writing and organizing compelling descriptions / backstory
• General copywriting
• Creating a great video
• Managing and promoting the campaign
• Communicating with backers
• Following through with your project + distribution

I had my first kiss today!

And thus, as of this glorious Saturday afternoon, I am no longer oblivious to the feeling of my mouth being on another mouth that's not someone in my family's. Now, I would ramble on and describe in full detail all the events of the afternoon, but since writing a wall of text is just as boring as it is reading it, I'll just say that it was one of the most awkwardly lovely experiences I've ever had.Seriously, it took like two hours to build up the courage for both of us, and even then the other person initialized it. There wasn't a singing angel chorus in the background either, just Mythbusters.Do you guys have any awkward teenage first kiss stories?

Overwhelming Inexplicable Fatigue

Greetings fellow writers,

I'm writing this post today because I don't know who else to ask. I have this problem that I hope somebody can explain or solve for me. Whenever I head out of the house to work on my book, I am stricken with this incredible and instantaneous exhaustion.

When I work on my days off from work, I wake up excited to get to work, get dressed, eat a very quick breakfast, and drive 15 minutes into town to a coffee shop. I grab a coffee and down it quickly, but the SECOND I sit down to work, I start yawning and getting sleepy. I'm lucky if I get 2 hours of work before I need to drive home and nap. It sounds really silly, but this is a legitimate problem I can't get rid of.

It's not excuse making, it's not really laziness, it's just a psychological problem that I have no idea how to fix. I've read certain things like 'holding your breath' for a few minutes to get the blood flowing to your head. I also get up from my seat and stretch. I'll occasionally take a walk for a last ditched effort.

I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem, and if so, how did you fix it?

There are a few things I can think of that might be contributing, but I've never had this problem before.

1) I work a very strange part time work schedule. 5 am - 9:30 am. When I'm done work, I come home to nap for 2-4 hours and when I get up I'm ready to write immediately. Unfortunately, the second I get into town I'm ready to go back to bed. X__x

2) I have a semi-crappy diet. I eat lots of veggies at night, but I rarely eat fruits. I also only really get exercise at my dodgeball nights once a week and while I work my ass off shelving books at work.

3) I'm just a psycho and I've somehow trained my brain to shut off when I want to work. I'm 27, single for over 5 years, I live at home with my parents and I'm dirt poor. I've suffered with depression in the past. Am I going through some sort of depression again? I don't feel unhappy. :S

Am I crazy? Are there other ways to wake myself up? Is it my poor diet? Is my sleeping schedule out of whack?

Somebody help me!

Make sure you subscribe to a writing group on Facebook, etc

Or a mailserv group of some kind. This is so useful--I don't have to go out and search for contests to submit pieces to, I just go to the Facebook page for this writing group and people are always posting random contests. Because of this I was able to find a perfect contest for my novel. I had that manuscript laying around forever, just didn't know who to send it to so when someone said this contest was looking for challenging or experimental manuscripts I knew that was what I had been waiting for.

I cannot wait until I get a prescription for my adhd because once I get that I know I'll be sending off hundreds of poems and stories.

Writing without the intent to publish?

I really, really enjoy reading novels of pretty much any kind.

I also have a good imagination, and I've considered writing for personal enjoyment.

Is it weird to write novel-style without the intent of ever publishing the work? Are there any benefits to writing for writing's sake?

If anyone has experience doing this I would appreciate if you could explain why, and if you have any thoughts.

Can someone help me figure out how to write this sentence?

Im writing a short story about a kid in 1880 who gets kidnapped by Native Americans. My problem is, Im trying to write without thought verbs and I can't figure out how to say, "Jack remembered the knife he always kept in his boot."

Im getting kind of frustrated at this point and I was wondering if fresh eyes could help me out. Any suggestions would help.

[–]BiffHardCheeseAcquiring Editor / Literary

Depends on the surrounding prose, but maybe something like:

Jack always kept a knife in his boot.

or perhaps use sense to indicate recollection.

Jack felt the hilt of the knife he always kept in his boot press against his shin.

or you could establish the existence of the knife earlier and just have him reach for it later in the story.

Jack pulled the knife he always kept hidden in his boot.

[–]doogal007

The second option is exactly what I was looking for. You just saved my sanity, thank you so much.

[–]BiffHardCheeseAcquiring Editor / Literary Editor 3 points 8 hours ago

NP, broheim. When in doubt, sensory detail <---> action.

[–]doogal007

I love you, Biff.

[–]BiffHardCheeseAcquiring Editor / Literary Editor 2 points 8 hours ago

xoxo

[–]SinfulCogitations

You could also focus on the knife and the feeling instead of "jack felt".

"The bone handle of the short skinning knife in Jack's boot pressed against his calf. The panic subsiding Jack remembered the knife and hoped they didn't see it."

... or at least my 2₵ worth....

[–]doogal007

Thanks, thats also pretty good.

[–]inkedexistence

The problem is not with the sentence formulation, but with the introduction of the knife.

You can't have someone get attacked and then say "Oh, by the way, he has a knife."

You have to introduce the knife earlier.

Then, when the attack finally does come, you can just say something like

As the man pushed Jack to the ground, he felt the press of his boot knife (yes, that is a thing) against his ankle.

That's a bit rough, but you get the idea.

[–]pocketcowboys88Freelance

The knife in Jack's boot pressed against his ankle, reminding him it was there.

[–]oh_my_god_brunette_a

Just the way I would do it: An itch arises on his ankle. Almost in a daze, he reaches down and scratches it, craving a sense of normalcy. His nails brush against the warm metal handle of his knife, almost caressing it. His eyes go wide.

[–]doogal007 

A little too descriptive than what I was looking for, but thank you for your input.

Tip of the Tongue Can't Remember the Word Phenomenon!

I need help Reddit.

I have a word I know that I always seem to forget even though I know what it means. It sits at the very tip on my tongue and taunts me until I remember it, and I need to end this battle for good! It means:

A specific element of something; something that requires very thorough knowledge of that which it is a part of. I might use it to say: "No, I wouldn't read, 'A Rhetorical Analysis of the Literary Analysis of Plato's Analysis of Logical Analysis,' it's too _______ for an undergrad." Meaning: this book is way to specific and involved for someone who doesn't understand the intricacies of the subject.

Please help! This word is keeping me from finishing a paper.

[–]turdbeast

Abtruse? Inscrutable?



[–]xheist

abstruse



[–]Inquisitive

esoteric?



[–]Captain_Sock

Alas, no!



[–]Inceptagon

http://m.dictionary.com/synonym/Specialized/?linkId=ibc5yn

It's caused by a glitched train of thought. Best way to cure this is to just crawl through the thesaurus as hard as you can with as many related words as you can.

Second best way to cure this is to pretend it's "the game" and to stop thinking about it for a while. When you come back to it later, it will usually just pop right into your head.



[–]Captain_Sock

Alright, I'm down for forgetting it. There's just a wall in my mind that won't let me access it. I'll leave it alone for a few.



[–]ididntsaynothing

Complex? Complicated?


[–]Captain_Sock

Not those.



[–]DangerousBillPublished

specialized



[–]Captain_Sock

No...



[–]CrazyHand

Verbose? Elaborate? Convoluted?



[–]Antiochli

Pedantic? Serpentine? Rococoesque? Specificity?



[–]nahui

No, I wouldn't read, 'A Rhetorical Analysis of the Literary Analysis of Plato's Analysis of Logical Analysis,' it's too rococoesque for an undergrad.


[–]IAmTheMrGuy

Obfuscated, cryptic?



[–]primadonna68

Tenebrous? Acute? It's a pity it's not esoteric because that word seems perfect for your purpose.


[–]Captain_Sock

None of these so far. Should the word ever be dropped into my mind I'll put it up here.



[–]xheist

Arcane