I never even heard about people making written lists of their sins.
As for the ways priests behave during the Holy Mystery of Confession, - I saw both of the above-descibed fashions in Ukrainian Orthodox churches this past summer, when I traveled there. In the St. Michael Golden-Domed monastery (in Kyiv), the priest simply stands near the penitent, facing the icon and the table where there is a book of Gospels and a cross. He speaks very little, actually letting the penitent say whatever is on the penitent's mind, and then offers a very short spiritual advice (something like, "you know what to do to fight this, just ask God every day to help you in your struggle, and if you happen to repeat this sin, just run here again that same day, as fast as you can, and see me"). In the St. Andrew's church (also in Kyiv), the priest behaves differently: he is much more pro-active, he actually asks the penitent, whether the penitent recalls committing this and this and that. The concluding part of the confession, of course, is identical in both churches, like it is (I assume) in every Orthodox parish or monastery.