Do you have a crazy writing habit?

D.M.Drake

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It is just like it sounds. Crazy things you do while writing. I will start, don't judge me!

I listen to the same song on repeat for the duration of the novel, start to finish.

So "Eden" I listened to 'Remedy' by Seether for the entire 90,000 word novel

"Edens Equal" I listened to "Little Lion Man" By Mumford and Sons

"Harmakhis" I am listening to "Boulevard of Broken dreams" by Green Day.

Am I the only one with a crazy habit like this? :D
 

Caitlin Black

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Erm, I can't say I've listened to the same song over and over while writing...

But for one novel, I created a playlist. It was this dark, gothic, pro-women fantasy, so I listened to just 2 bands for the entire time.

Cradle Of Filth - dark and gothic.
Chalice - gothic with female singer.

Actually, that novel isn't quite finished yet, so when I get back to it I'll be using the same playlist, plus the following:

Astarte - an oversight by myself to not include them initially.
The Agonist - my new favourite band.
Arch Enemy (but only the later albums) - quite nice.

All of these have female singers who sing with a metal voice.

Oh, and that entire novel has a theme song - Gabrielle by Cradle Of Filth.

It's partly the lyrics, but mostly because I was struggling to come up with a name for my 3rd character, who is quite pivotal, and then one day I was walking home listening to this song, and I just thought - "Gabrielle! That's the PERFECT name!"

...

Another writing habit I have is that I always have to have a drink with caffeine in it on my desk while I'm writing (usually coffee, sometimes Red Bull) and I take a smoke break every hour or so.

But I don't really have any really weird habits, as far as I know.

Except standing on my head when writing action scenes... :tongue
 

Paul

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It is just like it sounds. Crazy things you do while writing. I will start, don't judge me!

I listen to the same song on repeat for the duration of the novel, start to finish.

So "Eden" I listened to 'Remedy' by Seether for the entire 90,000 word novel

"Edens Equal" I listened to "Little Lion Man" By Mumford and Sons

"Harmakhis" I am listening to "Boulevard of Broken dreams" by Green Day.

Am I the only one with a crazy habit like this? :D

Wow. That's fascinating. I assume the message of the song is in line with your novel's theme? fab if it works. as for myself, no.

But there are no rules baby. (except maybe referring to someone as 'baby' :D )
 

D.M.Drake

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Wow. That's fascinating. I assume the message of the song is in line with your novel's theme? fab if it works. as for myself, no.

But there are no rules baby. (except maybe referring to someone as 'baby' :D )

Actually I don't listen to the words, its the repetitive music that makes me focus and the comfortable feeling of knowing it well relaxes me and the words flow. Strange: yes, crazy: most likely. The song really (to me) has nothing to do with the work at hand though, for example the green day song is about being alone but the character has a silent 'sidekick' through the entire book. :D

A writer friend confided she cant work unless she puts a snickers bar next to her computer and eats one every 10k words. Not to odd I think, she seems to reward herself of hard work. :)
 
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Paul

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Actually I don't listen to the words, its the repetitive music that makes me focus and the comfortable feeling of knowing it well relaxes me and the words flow. Strange: yes, crazy: most likely. The song really (to me) has nothing to do with the work at hand though, for example the green day song is about being alone but the character has a silent 'sidekick' through the entire book. :D

A writer friend confided she cant work unless she puts a snickers bar next to her computer and eats one every 10k words. Not to odd I think, she seems to reward herself of hard work. :)
lol. whatever twists your biscuit. :)

every 10k? at that rate my snickers would be way outta date by the time i got to it...
 

D.M.Drake

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She did admit to deleting large segments after eating the candy bar. lol

How am I the only crazy one here? sheesh. Even the snickers bar thing isn't weird.
 

Jehhillenberg

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It is just like it sounds. Crazy things you do while writing. I will start, don't judge me!

I listen to the same song on repeat for the duration of the novel, start to finish.

So "Eden" I listened to 'Remedy' by Seether for the entire 90,000 word novel

"Edens Equal" I listened to "Little Lion Man" By Mumford and Sons

"Harmakhis" I am listening to "Boulevard of Broken dreams" by Green Day.

Am I the only one with a crazy habit like this? :D

Oh my gah! Awesome songs up there! I don't think it's crazy. I need NOISE to write, and in the dark. I gotta move around and act things out...so my folks think I talk to myself. hehe
"Who are you in here talking to?"
Me: "Nobody."
*shock* "Oh my goodness."
My music and writing correlates so I might listen to a song on repeat for a portion of my story for that emotional build.
 

D.M.Drake

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Oh my gah! Awesome songs up there! I don't think it's crazy. I need NOISE to write, and in the dark. I gotta move around and act things out...so my folks think I talk to myself. hehe
"Who are you in here talking to?"
Me: "Nobody."
*shock* "Oh my goodness."
My music and writing correlates so I might listen to a song on repeat for a portion of my story for that emotional build.

Awesome! I talk to myself (and turn the music off) while I research. Since I have serious science models in my writing and take pride in Edens scientific probability I have to do a ton of research, and I have to talk out the formulas in quiet.

There is nothing crazy about talking to yourself, most people (even if they wont admit it) do better when talking things out, there are tons of statistics about better scores on tests if children are aloud to read aloud and figure things out. :) the 'acting it out' though... that might be crazy! lol, just kidding :D
 

KellyAssauer

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I can't listen to anything when I write. No I take that back, I can listen to anything when I write, but only as background noise. It's in editing that I must have complete silence as I sit and verbalize each sentence, each inner beat and syllabic up and down... that can drive me sane.
 

Jehhillenberg

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Awesome! I talk to myself (and turn the music off) while I research. Since I have serious science models in my writing and take pride in Edens scientific probability I have to do a ton of research, and I have to talk out the formulas in quiet.

There is nothing crazy about talking to yourself, most people (even if they wont admit it) do better when talking things out, there are tons of statistics about better scores on tests if children are aloud to read aloud and figure things out. :) the 'acting it out' though... that might be crazy! lol, just kidding :D

Hey! that's how I do my work -- my method, I'm talking full-blown acting out scenes. Hehehe. Yeah, you may be right after all. It's okay. :D
 

Caitlin Black

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I can only write when there's music playing. It seems so weird to sit at my computer and not have music playing. I did that the other day for some reason, and I just could NOT think to save a damn.
 

benbradley

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For me to write I have to be in the aw chat on IRC and it has to be 9PM on Sunday Night. Recently I've been running more than I've been writing, which is having an excellent effect on my cardiovascular system, but isn't doing much for my writing.

Actually, I've written substantially more fiction in recent years during the month of November. Not sure what that has to do with anything...
 

D.M.Drake

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For me to write I have to be in the aw chat on IRC and it has to be 9PM on Sunday Night. Recently I've been running more than I've been writing, which is having an excellent effect on my cardiovascular system, but isn't doing much for my writing.

Actually, I've written substantially more fiction in recent years during the month of November. Not sure what that has to do with anything...

This is amazing! Congrats on better health and hats off to November almost being upon us!
 

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I research without worries (my family looked a bit concerned when i was researching things for my transsexual character -giggles-) and I need music as well. I always have itunes or listen to my ipod when writing.
 

Snitchcat

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Nothing really crazy. But I guess I talk to myself, talk to my characters and occasionally look in a mirror to figure out facial expressions or poses (this mirror thing especially holds true if I'm trying to sketch).

Other than that, it's play my favourite English animated film over and over. I've discovered that my favourite native-language series is a complete distraction. Lol! Second language win! Hehehe. (^_^)
 

Anninyn

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I have a writing outfit. To maintain my mystique, I WANT to say it;s something really stunning and amazing- but it's not.

It's a fleece onesie/footie ojama set. It's cow print, and it has a little hood with horns and big eyes on.

In order to write, I dress like a six year old.
 

D.M.Drake

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I have a writing outfit. To maintain my mystique, I WANT to say it;s something really stunning and amazing- but it's not.

It's a fleece onesie/footie ojama set. It's cow print, and it has a little hood with horns and big eyes on.

In order to write, I dress like a six year old.

I love this! You're my hero! o:
 

Jehhillenberg

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^ this would be true for me if I didn't get distracted so in the great conversations that go on here. But it does inspire me.
 

D.M.Drake

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So... based on the issues I keep getting messages about in QLH I have another crazy habit... I write the novel three or four times times. Rough draft one is bones, around 10k-50k words, then I flesh it out

Then I revise sentences structure and flow/word use

Then grammar

Then combine these

Then have an editor re-read.

I am crazy. :p