sooo... I just thought of and wrote a story in the space of only about five days. here's the formula I used:
brainstorm ideas.
sit down at computer to write and realize I never decided how to actually start the story. (but the rest of the storyline's good. I think.)
sit there staring stupidly at the computer screen for ten minutes, nearly self-inducing brainfreeze.
write the first one-third of the story! yay!!
go back and re-read it and plunge into an abyss of self-doubt wondering if it's a complete and total piece of crap.
re-do the plot and then wonder if that's total crap.
somehow manage to get another section of the story written, because even if it is a piece of crap, I'm too OCD to let it be an unfinished piece of crap.
am forced to go do some stuff with some people in the real world... it's all a blur.
near-disaster as my computer freezes and several hours work is nearly lost, but I manage to get my idiot computer to emerge from its catatonic state, thereby averting Digital Armageddon for my story.
convinced I have only a limited amount of time before my computer crashes just out of spite over having been outwitted the last time, I write a quickie ending and post the story.
convinced it now is a total piece of crap, I blame my mother.
