So what do you do

for your stories, how far do you go when you invest in a story? I know some people actually draw their characters, some compile a reference enyclopedia and some make soundtracks and then give them to the readers...what do you guys do?

I write and draw for a living, so I never let a story go unfinished or ever leave a piece of art half-done. I'm a firm believer in finishing what you start.

yep yep, i do that, alot people think that i leave stuff unfinished, but it's just hard to update sometimes, i always try to finish though

As for me, it depends. Sometimes I finish a story, other times I leave certain stories alone for a while and come back to them. As for investing into my stories, normally if I don't know something that I want to incorporate in it, I research whatever I might need to know. I try to stay in the realm of realistic probabilities. I tend to want my stories to be realistic/ believable as much as possible while also sticking true to the characters I create or form like in fanfiction. Depending on my feel of the story, I will jump right into it and start writing. Other times I write down character profiles, plot outlines or random ideas and go from there. Music does help to write but isn't necessary for me. I feel that as a writer, being able to constantly think of new ideas is a gift. I only wish that I could finish writing all those ideas down and not procrastinate so much

Currently I am really only working on ONE story, so I invest a lot. I make floor plans for houses and other locations, character profiles, and time lines. Unfortunately I can't do all of this and finish in one sitting because I will be writing and then all of a sudden I will do a scene change and need to outline and draft new areas or people. I am constantly switching gears. Research, write, outline, profile manage, write some more. . . its all very spazzy.

EDIT: I don't draw because my drawing skill is pretty bad, but often I will try to sucker my close artist friends into drawing for me. Some of my characters they have actually remodeled a bit because they remember things slightly differently or forget some of the smaller details. My main character, Maxwell, has gone through 3 different shades of hair as well as 2 lengths due to my mind seeing him differently than my friend did. lol

Usually start by doodling something/someone and that doodle may inspire me to start a story. If I draw them/it more I get more used to it and begin to develop it. So I usually have something drawn before I even start writing.

Depending on the type of story, I may put a lot of effort or not very much at all. My current one has a historical element to it, so I put a lot of effort into researching and such to make it believable.

I do a lot of research. For example, if I'm writing something set in the Victorian era I'll look into what types of clothes they would wear (not just going off what I think I already know) what was proper or improper in society, language, culture of the area even things like hygiene. How did their toilets work, what did they brush their teeth with. It all seems small and trite, but I think the small details help lend to the story. Even if you don't use them, knowing helps keep from writing something down that doesn't fit.
Besides that I like to sketch out my character's look and clothing and tack it to the wall above my monitor, it helps inspire me.
If the setting is somewhere complicated, like a mansion or a ship, I'll draw a basic floor plan but that's mostly to help me from getting confused. It also helps, I think, when describing the areas and helps the reader from getting turned around.
I usually have a notebook to keep notes and little ideas in.

Now here's the part people think I'm crazy for. >.>

I don't write on whim. When I get an idea I like to flesh it out. I write down the plotline of the entire story, go over it a few times and change or write possible alternate plotlines I might feel like changing it to later on. Once I've decided how I want it to go I write out a very basic summery/timeline for each chapter, highlighting the main points I want to cover in that particular chapter.
This helps me figure how long my story will, roughly how many chapters (always leaving room for changes) and I can easily control the pacing of the story. Plus, I like lists. Order is my friend <3

so yeah, that's about it.

I do a character page, character profiles, summary, plot notes, and sometimes a chapter outline.

I can't draw at all, so I usually make my characters on The Sims 2. I also make soundtracks sometimes since music is what usually inspires me in the first place.

i have a lot of ideas in my head. I write down the plotline in point form, I write the character profiles and backstory. Since I can draw, I also do concept sketches. I also do a lot of research on mythology if I'm writing supernatural or fantasy genre. For fantasy I also draw out the maps on locations my characters are bound to travel to, while considering the geographical details. This helps with the storytelling (since i gotta describe the directions and all). also do a lot of reading about weapons, armour, costumes etc.

unfortunately I lack the dedication to write until its really complete, so I have stories that are 'abandoned' thanks to writers block. Or the fact that as I grow older I realized how lame the plot is XD;;

I go to sleep with an idea and my mind creates the rest I wake up with a 100 page story XD...I illustrate my own books so somtimes i start off by just drawing random people and seeing which one needs a bio about them, and then that character is turned into a main character...