I'm participating in the 10 Day Writing Blogger Challenge that was created over at Hunting Down Writing.
Day 8: Post
about your writing rituals/habits/quirks
Quirks? Gee, it's like this challenge knows me. I frequently practice writing habits you don't see in "do this and succeed" articles on the craft. Allow me to bare my soul on a few highlights.
1. Frequent distraction is good for my word count.
You may have thought there was a typo in there, but there's not. I, like many I've commiserated with, am distracted by the internet, music, and the need for tea frequently and without warning. My short attention span had been a source of increasing alarm for me in the past few years-- until I moved. We had no internet access for over a month, and since I was off the distraction grid I had all sorts of grandiose ideas about how my productivity would soar. Nope. My writing completely flatlined. Seems that I NEED to stop, drop, and roll at the bidding of my flitting mind. So now I embrace the madness and skip off to Pinterest or YouTube when the mood strikes.
2. Two words: tribal drumming.
Drumming gets people moving, usually on their feet to sway to the rhythm. Me, it lights my creative urges. I can't count the number of scenes, from the naughtiest bits to deadly chases or wolves howling through the trees, that have been fueled solely by the power of wild pagan drums. Said drum music ideally has no lyrics, for otherwise I often find myself singing along in my head instead of "hearing" the words I'm supposed to write. There are exceptions, of course. Hymn to Herne by S.J. Tucker is a favorite, as is just about anything from Dragon Ritual Drummers or C.G. Ryche. And if I happen to hop up and dance around the imaginary fire for a minute to stretch my legs and get the blood flowing, so be it.
3. Teacher, teach thyself
I've had plenty of occasions over the years to share tidbits about craft, and whenever I do it reminds me that I'm the one still learning. My "student" will have a new idea I'm excited to try, or else a technique I'm recommending to someone else is one I realize I should be applying to a project on my own back (or front) burner. So I've come to believe that while there's a time to learn by reading/listening and a time to learn by doing, there's also a time to learn by teaching.
Quirks? Gee, it's like this challenge knows me. I frequently practice writing habits you don't see in "do this and succeed" articles on the craft. Allow me to bare my soul on a few highlights.
1. Frequent distraction is good for my word count.
You may have thought there was a typo in there, but there's not. I, like many I've commiserated with, am distracted by the internet, music, and the need for tea frequently and without warning. My short attention span had been a source of increasing alarm for me in the past few years-- until I moved. We had no internet access for over a month, and since I was off the distraction grid I had all sorts of grandiose ideas about how my productivity would soar. Nope. My writing completely flatlined. Seems that I NEED to stop, drop, and roll at the bidding of my flitting mind. So now I embrace the madness and skip off to Pinterest or YouTube when the mood strikes.
2. Two words: tribal drumming.
Drumming gets people moving, usually on their feet to sway to the rhythm. Me, it lights my creative urges. I can't count the number of scenes, from the naughtiest bits to deadly chases or wolves howling through the trees, that have been fueled solely by the power of wild pagan drums. Said drum music ideally has no lyrics, for otherwise I often find myself singing along in my head instead of "hearing" the words I'm supposed to write. There are exceptions, of course. Hymn to Herne by S.J. Tucker is a favorite, as is just about anything from Dragon Ritual Drummers or C.G. Ryche. And if I happen to hop up and dance around the imaginary fire for a minute to stretch my legs and get the blood flowing, so be it.
3. Teacher, teach thyself
I've had plenty of occasions over the years to share tidbits about craft, and whenever I do it reminds me that I'm the one still learning. My "student" will have a new idea I'm excited to try, or else a technique I'm recommending to someone else is one I realize I should be applying to a project on my own back (or front) burner. So I've come to believe that while there's a time to learn by reading/listening and a time to learn by doing, there's also a time to learn by teaching.
~~~
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