Writers are generally peculiar creatures.
This isn’t our fault! THE MUSE CONTROLS US. And if you argue with the muse it gets offended and flings glitter in your eyes and leaves you in the middle of a puddle of disastrous creativity with only a popsicle stick to use as a life-raft. Which is awkward. Dooooon’t offend the muse.
Since we writers all have our oddball habits, I thought, “Well, why not LIST THEM DOWN? Wouldn’t that be fun?” Then we can compare various peculiarities and confessions and feel strengthened that we’re all super strange * together.
* “Super strange” is kind of like “normal strange” except you get to wear a cape and a very comfortable mask and all the cool kids are doing it. And it’s strange.
- I ALWAYS WRITE IN 3RD PERSON & PRESENT TENSE.
Always. My brain doesn’t even configure in any other format. And I didn’t actually consider that this was a peculiar habit to be so inflexible about — until someone mentioned they couldn’t read my book because they couldn’t stand 3rd person/present. I was surprised. Apparently this isn’t a much loved combination??? And yet here I am. BEING UNIQUEAND FABULOUSAS ALWAYS.
- I MOSTLY WRITE THE POV OF BOYS.
I am not a boy, just in case you weren’t sure. I also harbour a secret suspicion that boys are alien creatures (I have a brother, so I have evidence) and they are not born with intelligence but rather have to collect it as they go along. AND YET I WRITE BY THEM??? I make no sense, honestly. But somehow narrating characters always appear as boys and I go with it. I even calculated of the 19 books I’ve written = 8 were by boys; 3 were by girls; and 8 were by both. I haven’t written an exclusive girl POV since 2014. Well then. IT JUST HAPPENS THIS WAY. I DON’T EVEN KNOW.
- I AM A BINGE WRITER.
You all think I’m amazingly productive for writing 100K in 5 days. But. I then don’t write anything for the next 4 months. SO am I productive or am I secretly slackbut adorablewriting potato? Hmm? (I’m going to go with both, but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions too.) There are definitely drawbacks to binge writing…#1 being you usually forget WUT R WERDS between books and spend a lot of time crying and thinking of pursuing a career in soap making. But if you do binge-write, you don’t forget what you’re doing OR have a chance to get sick of the project OR have to interact with other mortals for 5 days. SO THAT’S DEFINITELY WORTH IT. (So long as your dog delivers sandwiches??? Mine is terrible at this but in training.)
- I NEVER WRITE TO MUSIC.
I used to always have a movie-soundtrack humming in the background. With the volume suuuuuuper low. Actually it was SO LOW I COULDN’T REALLY HEAR IT. So eventually I asked myself WHY I had on music if I didn’t want to hear it? Answer: that’s what writers do??? NO. WRITERS DO WHATEVER THEY WANT. I put on my fabulous Loki crown and turned off my music. Now I plot to music, but nary do I write to it. Aren’t I incredibly intelligent?? So much.
- I HAVE NAME CRUSHES.
It’s perfectly normal, I’m sure, to just have names that you LOVE for no particularly reason and wish to use on all your characters. Unfortunately it’s not acceptable to name all my characters the same. WHY IS LIFE SO FULL OF PECULIAR RULES OH DEAR. Some of my name crushes are Thomas; Peetey; Atticus; August; Valentine; Patrick and Thibault. THERE IS NO REASONING. THEY JUST ARE WHAT I LOVE. The reason I write so many books is so I can use up all my name crushes.
- I RITUALLY COMPLAIN ABOUT EDITING.
Sometimes editing isn’t even that bad. (SHHH. DON’T TELL TWITTER. I COMPLAIN THERE SO MUCH.) Yet I’m always howling about it. HABIT, FOLKS. Don’t get me wrong: editing it is torturous. I lose braincells. I weep over unfixable plot holes. I delete characters because I’m 1000% tired of their faces. But once I get started, editing goes quite well…BUT WHO WOULD I BE WITHOUT SPENDING 90% COMPLAINING ABOUT IT???
- I CHANGE EVENTS IN 2ND DRAFTS BECAUSE I’M BORED.
When I’m re-writing, I absolutely change things for NO REASON except that I wrote this book already and I’m booooooooored. My brain will look at a chapter and say, “BUT WHAT IF THIS GUY DIED RIGHT HERE. THAT’D BE FUN AND WE HAVEN’T TRIED IT BEFORE. HUH? HUH??” And I inevitably give in. Because I am weak probably.
- I IMAGINE MOST OF MY SCENES BEFORE I WRITE THEM.
So it’s like a constant movie in my head. I go for walks and piece together the book with epic action sequences and witty dialogue — ALTHOUGH IT NEVER WORKS OUT AS GOOD ON PAPER AS IT DID IN MY HEAD DANGIT. But I rarely write a scene I didn’t imagine copiously beforehand. I actually think this helps me write fast. Because I always know where I’m going. (Also I was listening to the author’s note in The Scorpio Races and apparently Maggie Stiefvater does this too. SO HA! I’M 90% ON THE ROAD TO FAME AND GENIUS ALREADY.)
- MY 1ST DRAFT CHAPTERS ARE HORRORS.
One will be 3,000-words, the next will be 10,000 words. THERE IS NO REASON TO THE MADNESS. I just keep going until the scene/thought is finished and then hate myself when I go to edit. Honestly I make it SO HARD on my editing self. Someone should talk to me about this.
- I HAVE MORE IDEAS THAN SENSE.
I have more ideas then cents too, but someday a publisher will notice how dastardly BRILLIANT I am and will buy every book I ever write. And I will be RICH. Clearly going to happen. Any minute now. But anyway — I add at least one new book idea per month. January was rubbish with 4 book ideas. May was sensible with only 1. But least to say I have no time to write these. ONLY TIME TO MAKE PINTEREST BOARDS BECAUSE #PRIORITIES.
ALL MY BOOK IDEAS I’VE CREATED THIS YEAR. HELP ME. MOST OF THEM HAVE ENTIRE PLOTS TOO.
- MY OUTLINES ARE 89% JOKES TO MYSELF.
I find myself staggeringly amusing, so isn’t that fun? My outlines are 50% actual useful direction for where the book is going, and 50% sarcastic commentary on how dumb my characters’ decision making abilities are. Do I look like I have regrets? Because I do not.
THIS IS FROM MY GLORIOUS DYSTOPIAN DRAGON NOVEL THAT IS SUCH A MESS OH DEAR. #SORUDE
I ALWAYS write in first person, past tense! It is probably one of my biggest writerly quirks! I don’t even know why.. I do know, though, that I’m not the biggest fan ever of third person. To me it feels to distant from the character. Might want to point out now that you are one of the VERY few writers that I read that pulls off third person in a way that stops it from feeling too distant! So huzzah to Cait! However, almost always I write poetry in second person; to me, poetry has a lot more meaning, and so should make you feel like YOU are the person. Not some rando Bob. Anyway, I’ll cut off my ramblings now. Great post!
Omg thank you for that compliment, Trisha! <3 :') I actually really like close-personal-third-person. IT'S MY FAVOURITE TO READ so I think that's why I enjoy writing it? I actually kind of like the small amount of distance you do get though? Because sometimes I feel like 1st person just limit things? IDEK WHY IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN. I still enjoy reading in 1st though!! 😀
Not some random Bob.😂 YES. Omg you're hilarious and yes! That sounds like a wonderful way to write poetry. :')
THIS IS SO ME. Well, most of it anyway. I actually have to write with music, because I become too intrigued in other people’s conversations (no, I’m not a stalker, just get distracted easily). I love music when I write. I’m also quite flexible with whether I write in 1st or 3rd though lately I’ve been moving more toward 3rd because of epic fantasy ideas.
Most of my ideas end up with at least one guy POV, and majority of them have one guy and one girl. And the sarcastic comments=me all day, everyday. Sarcasm is life.
Another ritual includes plotting the entire thing only to throw that plot in the trash halfway through…but I won’t dwell on those scarring memories. XD
That is awesome that you do music while you write!! I find that most authors do?!? I’m the weirdo in my music-less-ness here.😂 AND AHHHH 3RD IS JUST SO GENERALLY AWESOME. And more flexible for multiple POV I definitely think. *nods* And yes! If I do dual-POV I prefer to go via one boy and one girl. Although the last one I did had 2 boys and 1 girl. *facepalm* I need to work on my women representation. I’M A DISGRACE. Sarcasm is life though. ALL THE SARCASM.
I tend to write in first person mostly, helps me get inside the characters heads more I guess, I can write in 3rd person but I have to be really careful because I tend to accidentally slip back into 1st person when I’m meant to be writing in 3rd! I do the imagining scenes before I write them though, a lot!
I always slip if I try to change things up too!! Like I’ve tried to go back to past tense? BUT NOOOOPE. I’ll realise I’m back into old habits like 3 paragraphs later.😂
I know right!
Yes to the name crushes, and I ALWAYS WRITE from boy POVs too. NO IDEA WHY.
WE ARE LIKE WEIRD BOOKISH CREATURE TWINS HERE, TARA. *hi fives*
So I have eighteen pages left to edit and then I will be done with Entreaty’s second draft. And then I will have glorious time to plot the next thing, which is tentatively called keeper about an innkeeper who keeps secrets and maybe promises too. We’ll see. But ugh editing. I like readng about your writer quirks. For novel sized things (I only have one but still…) I write and edit by havng a very specific goal and not stopping until I’ve reached that goal and not going on afterwards. Like, 9 pages of editing a day. I also like to write short stories in the world that are slightly related before writing the actual thing 9but again I’ve only done this write). Short stories are just like whatever/whenever. I’m not good at writing funny though. I like first person present tense– becuase it’s how I think I guess– but I like to read third person and past tense just as much, so that’s something that changes between drafts.
Ugh editing = MY LIFE’S MOTTO BASICALLY.
I think that’s awesome that you do goals!! I do that for 1st drafts?….but editing is like ANYONE’S GUESS.😂 I tell myself I have to do a chapter a day, but hahahah more like a chapter ever 9 years. *sobs* That’s awesome that you’re flexible about your tenses/person though! I tried to write in past once and I think I did 3 paragraphs before I realised I was back in old habits. #fail 😂
I cant think of any quirky confessions. I dream alot, in the literal sense too. And I see things like a movie. But most of the time my mind is blank in front of a paper and when I am doing somethng else it is a colorful muddle, Had fun reading through yours
Seeing things like a movie is best AND worst, right?!?😂 Like I just WANT IT TO COME OUT ON PAPER THAT GOOD AGHHHHHH. Ahem. *composes self* My mind is generally not blank when I write BUT I always struggle with the first sentence!
Well… all I write is non fiction and mostly blog posts… for the long(er) format articles, I tend to write on paper first… I kown it’s dumb… I mean… it’s 2016 you know… there’s a time and place for being old fashioned…
Anyhow, on changing things around in the second draft… you see, my favorite author Haruki Murakami does that like… all the time… apparently. In his case, he says that for the most part he doesn’t kown how a story would evolve. So initially he just writes and let the characters take shape on their own and decide their own course of actions. So after the first draft he has a better idea of what is happening… in his own story… weird… ehh? Anyhow… that’s why he says his second draft usually turns out to be significantly different than his initial, because only then he knows the whole story and is able to write in a way that flows better with the storyline… or something like that …
When I first read this, I was so surprised! But well… I guess writers are in fact weird creatures… and I mean that in a good way 🙂
It’s not dumb!! When it comes to the creative process one must do what ONE MUST DO! WE CANNOT DISRUPT THE MUSE. *nods sagely*
Omg, so I am like your favourite author? I’M GONNA CLAIM THAT ANYWAY.😂 Even though I actually am a very very intense plotter. Like I 100% know what’s going to happen in the first draft, but the 2nd draft I just start changing things because…bored. Ahem. But I’m hoping I change things to make them better. STILL. GONNA CLAIM THAT RELATION TO FAME THERE.
We are weird creatures.😂
I LOVE all of these. I usually get super bored of my ideas and projects but I’ve been working on and off on my current WIP for just over a year now and I still like it. SHOCK HORROR! Hahaha.
I’m a very irregular writer. No binge writing for me and if I do it’ll be 5-10k max. I do always imagine the scenes in detail beforehand but I do happen upon some surprises now and then (like yesterday when a character decided to come play ball in the scene without me planning it).
THAT IS AWESOME THOUGH!! I really admire you for being so dedicated!😂 I’m like 1000% sick of my book after writing it for 4 days. HONEST. Once I finished a book like halfway through the climax because I was just bored with the whole thing. ahhahaha. (Okay, but that book was really rather bad and I am permanently burning it. Ahem.)
Surprises can be exciting, right?! 😀
Oh my goodness why is this so relatable AHHHH
yes to the binge writing. Sometimes I do like 2000 in a half hour and others i’m staring at the screen for centuries.
Name crushes!!!! Ack I love so many.
AND OHAJDJAJSJAUDBS YES TO THE SCENES IN MY HEAD
I am practically a walking movie and my mom is constantly reminding me of what I should be doing like a chore. I wish I could take my minds ‘movie’ out cause for my book, it’s pretty cool
AHHH WE ARE BINGE WRITING TWINS. *hi fives* I actually admire people who can write slowly and not forget everything. My memory is just SO BAD omg.😂
OH I wiiiiish there was a better way to transfer the movie-in-one’s-head onto paper. IT NEVER WORKS OUT QUITE AS COOL, RIGHt?!?
I literally cannot write if I don’t have a cup of tea. I do realize this is a problem, as I drink on average about 10 cups of tea per writing session, and that means I run out tea to often. Also having to get up every hour to make another cup is sooo annoying. I think I may possibly have an addicted. PFFT. WHO CARES.
I also need music when writing, and the louder, the better. Instead of doing what everyone else does, and create pinterest boards, I create music playlists. Most of these playlists are like 50 million songs long. I’m currently putting together the playlist for the #secretsummerwritingproject and it’s going to be the best playlist of ever. I guess making music playlists is part of plotting for me lol.
I’m definitely a binge writer. I think I once wrote 4k words in one hour.
I think my weirdest habit is that I act out scenes from my book(yes tears, death and all) before I write them, especially if it’s a particularly hard scene.
But hey, who cares if these are in any weird. *flips hair*
Great post, Cait!
IF YOU NEED TEA TO BE A GENIUS WRITER. THEN YOU NEED TEA. *nods* I am fully in favour of weird writerly quirks. Whatever makes it work for us right?!? Writing is HARD.😂
Ahhhh playlists is SUCH a cool idea though!! I sometimes see authors sharing playlists for their books?!? AND IT MAKES ME CURIOUS. I think a song can say a lot about the tone of a book. :’)
DUDE. 4K IN AN HOUR IS AMAZING. THAT TEA IS WORKING WELL FOR YOU. My record is 22K in a day but I wrote literally ALL DAY.😂 So I’m not sure how fast it was particularly. Just…obsessed… ahem.
This was a wonderful post, but I must admit my favourite parts were the Black Books gifs! That show is so good, I watch it over and over and I still laugh my head off every time.
Ahem. One of my strange writer habits is coming up with the names I want to use for all the secondary characters before I actually create the characters themselves.
I also pretty much always write in the past tense, and I used to use first person, but now I prefer third. My most loathed POV is first person, present tense, for no reason other than that it’s in way too many bad YA books. (“Bad” is subjective, but I’m sure you know what I mean.)
But I’m the same as you when it comes to imagining the scenes before writing them – it’s like a movie in my head, which changes slightly ever time I play it, and then when I write it, it’s nowhere near as good as it was in my head. Writers’ woes.
Oh I’m JEALOUS of your naming abilities then.😂 I should’ve put this one on my list too, but omg, I NEVER CAN THINK UP NAMES. It’s like the LAST thing I get when I’m plotting. Gahhhh. I used to write in 1st person and now it’s only ever 3rd. *hi fives* (And I do know what you mean by “bad” yup. It is subjective. but yeah, I feel like a LOT OF books have used 1st and the non-good ones have botched it a bit?)
That IS the biggest writer woe honestly. *weeps* It’s just SO MUCH BETTER IN MY HEAD.
I usually have far too many characters, I tend to overcomplicate things, and my plans are also full of in-jokes to myself and references (what? Planning is BORING.) Then again, my stories are also like that – full of shout-outs to things I’ve written before. 😉
Shout outs to things you’ve written before are actually quite COOL. I wish I had the brains to do that, honestly.😂 I’m lucky if I just remember my characters names. tHIS IS WHY I KILL THEM OFF SEE?? LESS TO KEEP TRACK OF.
Ahhh I wish I was a speedy binge writer! And of course I have to agree with you on having zillions of ideas. I just had two ideas for characters I want to write about and that’s being added to my mental list of 739181617 ideas differing from plot to genre to character.
Hmm I always pick out a theme song for my story and around 10 other songs to make a playlist I write to before writing a book. It helps me to flesh out my story I guess ?? And even though I’m 110% ready to write a story the names of characters always stump me. It takes me forever to figure out names for characters because I’m so picky with names… yet so forgetful. Like I can barely remember the names of characters of the last book I wrote even though I spent so long matching them! 😂😝
THE STRUGGLE OF 2 GAZILLION IDEAS IS SO HUGE. AHHH STAND WITH ME ANDREA. WE SHALL SUPPORT EACH OTHER WITH CAKE. *nods*
OHhh theme songs are so cool! I’d not ever done that until this last book I edited…and somehow it got a theme song and it made everything 1000% more cool. It kind of makes it feel more like a movie in my head.😂 OMG ME TOO WITH NAMES THOUGH. Names are the last thing I decide on because they’re so darn hard. I was trying to write a list of my characters names today and ACTUALLY GENUINELY FAILED.
Yes, Andrea, on theme songs!
Yes, Cait, these songs help to create an internal movie.
Each of my books bring songs and rhythms to mind.
Happy Reading and Writing!
~Icky. 🙂
I almost always imagine my scenes as movies scenes before writing them. And no, they never turn out as well as I picture in my mine. Well, except that one time… *coughs*
Confession: I want my books made into movies so I can see some of the settings I’ve made up.
Also, I write in various persons and various tenses, but when I talk to myself or think, I switch between first, second, and sometimes even third person. *glances furtively to either side and wonders who else does the same thing*
Ohhh, I can’t decide if I’d like my books to be hypothetical movies or not.😂 I MEAN YES???? But then AHHHHHGH what if it’s nothing like how I pictured it?! *gnashes teeth*
Do you talk out loud to yourself? My sister used to do that. I HAVEN’T FALLEN TO THAT ONE YET. I usually talk to myself in 2nd person.😂
Out loud? Only when there is no one around. 😉 Or when I was milking goats. Unfortunately, we don’t have goats any more so I wait until the house is empty (or at least no one is close enough to catch what I’m saying) before talking out loud. I’m viewed as crazy enough as it is…they don’t need to hear my second person Gollum impressions. 😀 Though, to be quite fair, I have much better grammar than Gollum did.
I love this so much. Honestly though, I have NEVER completed writing my novel. I always get stuck barely a couple of chapters in. I’m hoping to change that soon. I’ve honestly got to work on it. Sighs.
BUT LIKE. I used to only write in the 3rd person and past tense, but I’ve started experimenting, and now it really depends on the story I’m writing. Shorter stories sometimes come out in present tense.
Binge or drought / feast or famine. I will write a book in a few weeks, and then nothing for a couple of months.
AHHH WE ARE TWINS THEN, ICHABOD! *hi fives* Do you edit fast? I edit really slow.😂 It’s like a complete opposite to my 1st draft process, but eh, whatever works, right?!
I expend the same amount of time editing, as I do writing. If I write a book in two weeks, it will take two weeks to edit.
Yes, whatever works! Thanks, twinsie!
I mostly write in first person. I have gotten to where I write in all dialogue with zero exposition. My last book was in third person with zero exposition. 🙂
Wow! I admire your editing then! 😀 I’m seriously such a turtle with my editing hahahah.😂 But whatever gets it done, right?
So you mean, just like your books are 100% dialogue and nothing else?
Yes, Ma’am!!!
Well, it took a few books to get there. I found that exposition would push the action into a past tense. I wanted to keep things in the present tense. I found that the more the action happened in dialogue, the less passive it became. I have nine books. I think it is at about the fifth one that the books became dialogue intensive. But, uh, yeah, the last few novels especially; Icky vs. Godzila, Icky meets King Arthur, and Icky in an epic fantasy adventure, have been 100% dialogue. All the other books have been in first person, but the fantasy is done in third person with zero exposition…. Strange but true.
I think you should write Garden of Curved Bones. That’s a great title for a book. I have no idea what it’s about, and yet, I’m already intrigued.
Aw, I’m so glad you like the sound of it!😂 It’s actually a Secret Garden x Jungle Book retelling WITH LIKE DARK LORDS AND EVIL MAGIC AND OMG I REALLY AM EXCITED FOR IT!! I want to write it this year! Hopefully…*glances at all the other ideas* *dies*
I find that 1st person, past tense comes the most natural to me. Though present tense also works. And preferably male pov too! YAY TWINSIES ON THAT! I have like 6 projects (one of which is shelved until further notice) and only 2 of them are from a female’s POV. And one of those 2 is dual pov (one female, one male). So HURRAH FOR MALE POV.
I always write to music. I even have playlists for every specific project I have with the songs that are part of the story or inspire me for it. It really helps me, hah. XD
I do the imagining thing too! I write my outline and then often I have this scene coming up in my head like a movie or a play and I write it down like I see it. 😀 And I also joke to myself in my outlines too because they would be boring otherwise.
I do feel vaguely guilty for writing so many boy POVs but theeeeen, most YA (thought definitely not all!!) seems to be typically from girl POVs so maybe I’m just evening things up?!😂 YAY BUT TWIN MOMENT ANYWYA *hi fives*
AHHHH THE IMAGINING IS GREAT!! I love making the “Movie” in my head although omg it’s so annoying when things don’t come out just as awesome as it was in my head. *collapses in a puddle of nope* JOKES IN OUTLINES ARE ACTUAL LIFE.
I think there aren’t enough ya books from male pov, so we’re actually doing a good thing for our fellow booknerds, really. We’re such good people.
Exactly ahaha. XD I usually address myself in my outlines and write things like “DON’T MESS THIS UP BEE.” or “Try not to dissolve into a puddle of tears writing this?” Ahaha I know myself so well.
I am almost the opposite. I write in first person and the main character is allways a girl.
My biggest name crush is Grace. If I hear the name Grace, I just want to jump and laugh. I almost wished I was named Grace…
Love your blog by the way! <3
OKAY SO HERE IS THE MOMENT WHEN I MENTION MY MIDDLE NAME IS GRACE, RIGHT?!? 😂 ahem. But ahh thank you! I’m glad you like my blog! And 1st person/girl narrators are still intensely awesome. OF COURSe 😀
Now I ADORE you even more (because your middle name is Grace…)
Haha. This is awesome, Cait. I’ve started writing a new story. By hand. (Ouch.) But I love my story. I truly do.
I don’t typically do some of these. But I do agree with some.
I write almost always first person past tense. But in my story, I shake it up with third person. WOOT WOOT!
I end up writing both boy and girl perspective. With a toss in of some who are both/neither. #AgenderFTW. (I know, Oz. I miss you too.)
I can honestly write anywhere. I’ve written in random places like restaurants and all and written. I’ve done it in cars and on buses.
And I used to orally say my stories. Like for scenes and all. Because boredom.
I haven’t done editing in a while. Partly because hahaha I haven’t WRITTEN in a while. Beat that, editing!
WOAH BY HAND?!?!? That’s amazing, Wren! GO YOU.
And that’s also incredibly amazing that you can write anywhere! I can honestly only write in my room! NO WAIT. I have moved upstairs to write a bit in my parents room because in winter my house is an ICICLE and my room is like the freezer but their room gets the sunshine so…*sneaks in and steals all the sun* 😂
Writing by hand is tedious. But it’s still awesome.
Aw. Poor little Cait-sicle. It’s burning hot here in Texas with a heat index that’s basically boiling. SOOO. Fun.
I know that you’re a crazy binge writer and I always think about how much writing you do in a day. When I write I’m lucky if I get 500 words! I pick over every single word and then change the sentence structure or make it a noun instead of an adjective and then decide to change it altogether. It’s so terribly slow that by the time I’m anywhere into the story (aka into chapter 1 or 2), I’ve gotten bored with the entire thing and have moved on to a new idea. SO BAD.
Agh, I do understand that! I’ve had to train myself to NEVER edit while I’m drafting. Editing comes later *nods* I actually almost quit writing forever because of my crazy perfectionist streak.😂 So I’m glad this new method works for me. hehe. And YES. AGH. SO MUCH CRAZY BINGE WRITING. I think my record so far has been 22K in a day. :P😂
I used to listen to music whenever I wrote, but now I only do it when the rest of family is in the house b/c they are NOISY. Of course they are usually at home so I end up listening to music 98% of the time. Add this w/all the time I spend listening to writing podcasts #SoreEars
3rd person present tense?! How cool! You have some stories on Wattpad right? B/c I must check that out!
A lot of my earlier protags were male, but now I am getting a lot more story ideas w/females. I think this is b/c I am basing the protags off me now. #Scary (especially considering the one most like me is a murderer)
And on that note 1 of the main reasons I write is to kill off characters. B/c killing real people is illegal and I would never want to do so BUT SOME PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE ARE SO ANNOYING! So, yes, I must write to vent my anger. #CharactersWillDie
Ahh music to block out noisy families makes SENSE. *nods* I actually sometimes just wear my noise-cancelling headphones wihtout music playing? But just to block out a bit of sound.😂 WHATEVER WORKS, RIGHt?!?
I’m actually not on wattpad anymore! I WAS. But I’m taking a break from it. Maaaaybe I’ll be back later on this year but WHO KNOWS. Sorry!😂
OOhhhh, yay for heroines! Or…anti-heroines?! hehe.😂 (honestly murderer or psychopathic characters are SO fun to write, it’s probably a worry…but it is what iT IS.)
THIS POST IS WONDERFUL AND SO RELATEABLE. I must say I LOVE third person present tense. It is life. I also write in it, mostly. ALSO NAME CRUSHES. YASS. I have thing for like guy names that begin with “S” like Simon or Sebastian and I call all my pets that regardless of their gender. Also your snippet-thing was hilarious. And I am forever in awe of your binge writing skillz. I could never dream of attaining that kind of gloriousness (just kidding, I do dream of it, but it never comes to fruition).
AHHH YAYYYYYY. We are 3rd/present twins! *hi fives* And there are very few of us so we must stick together and eat all the cake because we are the most awesome. *nods*
Haha, ah you’re so nice. 😉 I sometimes actually dream of being able to write slower and be calm about it but NOPE THAT NEVER HAPPENS EITHER.😂
OMG my most recent now is in third person present tense, and both my critique partners were like “that’s kind of weird, usually third person is in past” and I sat there like O.O what? But I can’t stand past tense. Like don’t people want to read in the moment?? That and I find that writing in 1st person is an easy way to get trapped into being too in that character’s head. So I fully support your third person present!
I have a quirk of always detailing the exact plot, beginning middle and end in a long ramble to whichever friend, family member, or sig other that will sit still long enough for me to do so. By the end they’re usually super confused and/or worried about my sanity and what goes on it my head, but it helps me so much with plotting. Mostly because I’m making up half of it as I go along.
AHHH YAYYYYYY! *hi fives* You’re like the first person I’ve met who writes in 3rd/present! I mean, there are quite a lot of books out there in it?! So it’s not too bizarre, but definitely a little different, I think? Which is awesome. We’re gonna make it famous. ^-^
I USED TO DO THAT TOO OMG!! I used to basically torture my sister with super long monologues about my plots…and then she got busy and doesn’t have time for that anymore.😂 Probably to her relief. But I felt talking it out made the book easier to write?!?
There needs to be more of us, I think 3rd present is pretty fantastic. Hahah that’s the fate of the family members of writers I suppose? And I think talking it out absolutely makes it easier, and it doesn’t feel as hard as actually writing a plot outline >___<
XD I can definately relate to a majority of those, especially the “imagining it like a movie” one. I’ll pace around my room, muttering lines of dialogue to myself, trying to find what sounds the most natural for the character, what would happen next, just really letting it play out in my head, but then, lo and behold, there is a figure at the door, staring at me. I crawl into a little hole and die, because you can be sure that I was making all the faces to go along with every line of dialogue from each different character. #morethanonce #somoeneshootmeplease
Lovely post! And super relatable. 🙂
OMG YOU ARE WONDERFUL.😂 True creativity knows no bounds, amirite?! I’ve never acted out dialogue or anything, but I HAVE been out walking and started doign facial expressions to go with the scene I was imagining…#awkward 😂
THANKYOU! YOU ARE SO NICE!
LMAO Cait, I can only imagine the brilliant epicness that are your novels in all their glory! I had so much fun reading through this–thank you for sharing!
OMG THANK YOU, BETH. THIS MAKES ME FLAIL HAPPILY.
I’m loving all the Black Books gifs 🙂
That was a COMPLETE accident.😂 I don’t even know what Black Book is hahahah.
Gah! I wish I had writer habits….I’d be happy to just sit and WRITE at all….I’ve started a little nugget of a story and I have all the ideas floating around in my head, but sitting down and getting them out is TOUGH. I have put down like 2000 words and just kind went “meh” and walked away…..it’s REAL PITIFUL.
I’m dying to read your stuff! Where can i find it?!? Wattpad or on the blog? Are they actual BOOKS I can buy…cause that would make this whole question REAL awkward for me! HAH!
Agh getting things written IS VERY TOUGH. I totally concur. The secret is cake and insanity. *nods*
Awww, I’m honoured you want to read my writing!😂 So far it’s not available anywhere BUT MAYBE ONE DAY?!?! *fingers crossed* I used to be on wattpad but I’m taking a break there for now.
Okay, so, OBVIOUSLY this is the GREATEST POST EVER and needs to be immortalized. #justsayin’
Now that that’s out of the way – I IDENTIFY WITH SO MUCH OF THIS. (Which may or may not correlate with my brain’s perceived fabulousness of this post. I mean, who knows. Brains are notoriously narcissistic.) THOUGH I WILL HAPPILY BORROW THE WHOLE BOY POV THING. My stories ALWAYS comprize 95% boys and 5% girls (it’s a problem that’s not being fixed – it just is what it is), but I’M AFRAID TO BOY PROPERLY. IF I BOY, I MIGHT BOY WRONG. AND I ALSO HAVE A BROTHER, AND HE ALSO COLLECTS INTELLIGENCE AS HE GOES ALONG. BUT WHAT HE DOES AND SAYS MAKES SO LITTLE SENSE TO ME THAT… BOY BRAINS ARE APPARENTLY MESSY PUDDLES OF MUSH.
… Which might actually be interesting to write about? OKAY, YOU’VE JUST SOLD ME ON IT.
Apart from that, and the POV/tense changing-upping (which I do with every new project, practically), everything else is meeeee and also probably most authors. Idk. That’s what I like to tell myself. “I BET THE FIRST DRAFT OF HARRY POTTER WAS JUST AN EPISODE OF POTTER PUPPET PALS: J.K. ROWLING JUST WROTE HARRYPOTTAH, HARRYPOTTAH.”) SHHHHH, NO ONE TELL ME I’M WRONG. IT’S EASIER THIS WAY!
YES YES OBVIOUSLY IT IS THE GREATEST POST EVER, AFTER ALL I WROTE IT AND I AM THE GREATEST. SO IT JUST MAKES SENSE. #humble
But zomg yes, all these boy POVs…it is a problem but I’m making exactly zero effort to fix it. Of that list of book ideas? ONLY ONE HAS A GIRL NARRATOR TOO. *cries* I’m so ashamed. Boys are super dumb though, I don’t even know why I write by them. Their brains are just…nope. But maybe this makes them easier to write? I’m going to go with that. *nods*
BAHHAAH POTTER PUPPET PALS.😂
“MY OUTLINES ARE 89% JOKES TO MYSELF.” When you become a famous writer and publish these books, I want a collectors edition with your sarcastic comments thrown in. Just saying.
As far as 1st/3rd person-what tense you use goes, I think I’m one of the few people who can read a book and never notice how the pov was presented to us. (Aside from which character the chapter belongs to.) When I get into a book, I don’t see the words on a page anymore. My mind is automatically playing the story out like a movie.
YOU KNOW, THAT IS 100% WHAT I WANT TO DO. 😂 I have this “dream” that if I ever become a published author I’ll actually notate my own books? And write like random jokes and behind-the-scenes commentary in the pages and then give copies away. IT’LL BE AWESOME. I JUST NEED TO BE PUBLISHED NOW. *pleads with the universe* 😂
That is AWESOME that your mind just translates books to movies straight away. :’) That happens VERY occasionally for me and it has to be an absolutely phenomenal book.
I don’t listen to music while I’m writing, either. I’m not alone! I used to, but then I realized my most productive writing sessions were sans music. My theory is that this is because I am a musician and I can’t help but analyze music when I hear it, so that distracts from the writing. (But let’s face it, my brain would default to the most convenient distraction whether or not I knew a thing about music.) But I do find music immensely helpful to open the floodgate of creative juices when brainstorming/outlining.
My comfort zone is first person, past tense, but I’m writing my current WIP in third person, past tense, and IT’S DRAINING MY VERY LIFEBLOOD. (My writer soul is mummified in gauze.) Most of my friends write in third person, past, and I have a much greater appreciation now for what they do.
I get so many ideas, but at least for me most are quite vague at first so it’s a bit easier to not drop what I’m doing and go in mad pursuit of the shiny.
And I actually like editing, often more than the writing. (I get to fix all the mistakes that pained me in the first draft, huzzah!) And yet I have a terrible time helping others edit…
This was a gloriously amusing and diverting post, as always. 😉
Ahhh that makes sense from the musician perspective! *nods* I’m a musician too but, egh, I don’t know…it was just always too MUCH in my brain and I couldn’t focus on the story. I write so much faster without music. :’) BUT YES music + plotting = excellent.
*gives you cake to replenish your lifeblood* IT’S HARD TO CHANGE THINGS UP. I always write the same way because I feel life is too short to suffer so much.😂 But it’s probably good for we writers to challenge ourselves, right?!
I have to use present tense in parts of my current WIP and I. Hate. It. I can stand to read it from other authors, but it is definitely not what my brain wants to write. Editing is like 80% fixing tense changes.
Similarly, I prefer to read 3rd person but always end up writing in 1st person. I think it’s easier to present the character that way, but also kinda cutting corners. Maybe I’ll go back and switch to 3rd person. Ughhh editing is awful. =)
Fair enough! WE’RE ALL DIFFERENT. 😂 I think that’s what makes writing so exciting, honestly…we have such different methods. hehe. EDITING IS AWFUL THOUGH. OMG SO MUCH AGREEMENT.
I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book in 3rd person, present tense… I always write in 1st person, present tense (much hearts) but the more I think about it, the more I think I would enjoy 3rd person as well. Maybe my next book? And I ALSO write notes to myself in drafts and then shamelessly laugh at them when I’m editing. My sister despairs of me, but I find myself endlessly hilarious. Whoopsie.
Great post!
YES TRY IT, OLIVIA. IT IS ALL THE ADDICTIVE. (Also Unwind is in 3rd/present and it’s glorious. <3) And it's good that we find ourselves so endlessly amusing right? IF NO ONE WANTS TO APPRECIATE OUR FABULOUSNESS, AT LEAST WE WILL.
I have at least two of the same quirks as you: more ideas than sense and imagining scenes. Also, I think us writers should be careful in regard to our browser history. You never know what people will think if they take a look at it.
P.S. I love this post and topic, and I was wondering if you’d mind if I used the general topic as inspiration for my next post?
HAHAH YES. Omg browser histories can be befuddling. Mine is usually full of information about stabbing. -_- My recent conglomeration is foxes, UK weather, and how long it takes a broken arm to fix and how to best break said arm.😂 I HAVE PROBLEMS.
And sure! If you want to credit me as the inspiration too, that’d be nice. 😉 But this definitely isn’t a new topic so go for it!
So, Cait, I made that post. And I did credit you. Please tell me what you think.
*dashes off to read it* 😀
When I started writing in English I opted for the 3rd person and present tense… mostly because I didn’t want to deal with the amount of different past tenses English has. No offence, I love that language, it’s like my second mother tongue but do we really need so many past tenses?! 😀
I can’t write to music either. No matter what soundtrack I play, I always get distracted.
Sometimes, and this will totally sound crazy, when I’m really into the story and I can’t stop thinking about the plot or the characters I used to talk to them as if they are right next to me… which they are not. But as long as it makes me more connected to them, I don’t care… and as long as no one sees me talking to the air… that would be embarrassing. 😀
DUDE. ENGLISH IS INSANE.😂 I don’t even understand it half the time and it’s my only language! (I think you’re amazing for writing so wonderfully in English btw!)
Ahhhh YAY that we are both music-less writers. *hi fives*
I DON’T THINK IT’S THAT CRAZY.😂 My sister used to act out scenes I think. hehe. I’ve been out on a walk and started making facial expressions to go with the scene I was imagining. NOW THAT’S MILDLY EMBARRASSING.
I never finish any books or short stories. And I tend to cut out 99% (I’m not even kidding) in editing and then lose hope of cobbling together the bits I have left.
Plus I forget a lot. Like, a worryingly large amount of forgetfulness going on here. I go through my computer files and come across pieces of writing I have no recollection of whatsoever, and may have been put there by night elves for all I know (the elves and me have a thing, they love me.) I forget I included certain characters. I forget I started stories. I forget where I put the numerous notes and scraps of creative insanity that I have lying around. I forget whether I wrote something or not. I have zero idea where any ideas, poetry, or prose came from.
Also, you have met the creative muse???? I didn’t know there was such a thing – I just figured there wasn’t enough room in my head for all the stuff roaming around in there…
AGH I forget all the things too. 🙁 So I totally understand that struggle! I actually write really really fast for my 1st drafts because my memory is so bad and I forget things. *cries* I don’t even describe my characters a lot because I can’t remember what I’ve said.😂
I have name crushes tooo!! I used to write in 3rd person too but I’m trying the 1st person thing this year! Nonetheless, loved this post!
YAY FOR NAME CRUSHES *hi fives* They are my favourite thing honestly. And ohhh, I used to write in 1st and then swapped to 3rd. So we’re like being opposites here.😂
Oh boy I always have kind of a ritual when I feel like hunkering down and writing. I always have to have either tea or some kind of warm beverage (sometimes water) while I’m writing. I can never write first thing in the morning. I have to move from sleep zombie stage to even comprehend words and I can only seem to write mid day or super late at night. I write in third person/past all the time! I feel so uncomfortable writing anything else. The current WIP I’m working on went from third person/past to first person/past to third/past again. I was like NO IT FEELS WRONG.
I also ALWAYS have a habit of rewriting before writing more. It’s like I constantly have to work it to fit my needs of that day. It’s sometimes really infuriating haha. Maybe I’ll make my own post about this.
Ahhh I totally get the “no it feels wrong” feeling when you try something different with the person/tense. ME TOO. I try occasionally to write differently but…nope. And why bother?! Life is too short to write in uncomfortable styles.😂
I used to do that habit of editing the chapter I wrote the day before but NOT ANYMORE.😂 I always power through the first draft and leave the fixing and tweaking to 2nd drafts. *nods*
I am terrible at making outlines. I can start an outline, then I run out of ideas and leave it alone for like a month (I do the same with endings, endings are my weakness). I also have name crushes. I really like the name Aaron spelled anyway (Aryn, Eryn, Erin, Arin, Aron [these are all the Aaron’s I can think of]). I also really like the name Claudette and Alice or Alyss. I like using unnecessary y’s.
Aaron is such an awesome name. I TOTALLY LOVE IT. I like it spelled Arin…but that’s mostly from The Winner’s Curse series.😂 *hugs that book* Ahem. And ah, outlines can be hard! But they’re not for everyone, right?!
Well like, ALL OF THIS BUT ESPECIALLY THE LAST ONEahahahahahaha….. I am so glad I’m not alone in that. I seriously do that. (“And so-and-so is SO STUPID FOR DOING THIS BECAUSE LOGIC”)
And honestly I dont’ write to music, which is lovely, but then I have friends who write and they’re like ‘DO YOU WRITE TO THIS MUSIS LISTEN TO THIS SONG ITS SO ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ and I seriously have issues not being like “um, you. You need to be quiet like, now and forever.” (I don’t though. I’m nice like that.)
And I imagine scenes. Like, ALOTALOT.
But I think my weirdest quirk is this:
I map it all out on my blank wall. SO – in my bedroom I have a wall, and I have a stack of sticky notes and note cards and chisels and stone tablets, and I tape and pin and build altars to make sure that I get my plot line and story and characters straight. It’s also great for brainstorming, not to mention it’s like, larger than life and very intimidating to your family which is nice for keeping them out of the writing room.
That’s my quirk. LOL.
AHHHH ANOTHER NON-MUSIC-WRITER *hi fives* We shall stand together because we are few and far between.😂 I like to plot to music? But listening + writing = I mean, whyyyy. HOW. I am a distracted squirrel and need FOCUS 100% ON MY WRITING.
ZOmmmgmgmgmgm ME TOOOOOO. Okay. Actually I haven’t mapped out a book on my wall for a while. I did 3 last year. :’) Then I ran out of wall and got scrivener. But I LOVE putting it on the wall. It helps me to visualise and remember things so much better. :’) YOUR QUIRK IS AWESOME.
My name crush is Declan. I would name a character Declan in every single thing I write if I could. I also love the name William.
I also run scenes in my head for up to days before I finally write it down. And of course it never turns out the way it was in my brain. Ah well. Clearly the page just can’t handle the greatness of the idea. lol!
I have filled Evernote with too many story notebooks that I don’t have time to write. It’s a problem. And that’s why I don’t have a Pinterest. I waste waay to much time anyway without getting sucked into the black hole of Pinterest. 😛
You are actually the second commenter to say they have a namecrush on Declan!😂 THAT IS AWESOME. I didn’t even think about liking that name until I read it in a book and NOW I TOTALLY GET WHY YOU’D NAME CRUSH ON IT. <3 Ahem.
And yes omg the movie-in-your-head is always better than what comes out on page. I SOMETIMES JUST WANT TO DOWNLOAD MY STORIES OMG.
That’s hilarious. I should go stalk this other person who likes that name. 😛
Haha! I should either find a way to download it directly from my brain, or actually be sensible and write it down immediately.
Oh the pain of having more ideas then sense! This is TOO TRUE for me. I have a hard time staying on one path when trying to write novels. I tend to skip around a lot *awkwardly coughs* so in the end all of my would be novels are just this pile of short stories waiting to be strung together. This is why I’m working on self publishing short stories first because I JUST DON’T HAVE THE ATTENTION SPAN TO COMPLETE MY NOVEL RIGHT NOW. It’s daunting, ok?
My writing playlist doesn’t always get played when I write, but it’s always there for brainstorming. It’s not even normal songs, though. It’s a mix of ambient/electronic/alternative/industrial/avantgarde/unknown genre with no lyrics. People find that in itself weird, because it’s just so strange to them.
My weirdest thing is that the area that I’m writing in has to be the right color based on what it is that I’m currently writing. IDK, I have this weird thing with colors to begin with, and it just sort of bled over into my writing.
IT IS DAUNTING I TOTALLY GET THAT. *nods* I’m a bit of a “you must finish the project or your brain will combust” sort of writer, so I don’t flit from project to project. BUT I DO IN MY HEAD.😂 I’m currently mentally writing like 3 books. Eeek.
YES to brainstorming to playlists! *hi fiveS* We are twinning on that.
Ohh that is so cool about the colours! So like your writing paper has to be the right colour?
Not so much the paper as the room/environment I’m in. It’s not necessary but it helps if I’m outside when I write poetry, or if I’m doing a city scene then to write it at night, etc. But when I write first drafts by hand ( which I don’t always but sometimes it’s necessary ), then I have to use colored pens. Not sure why, but it bugs me if I don’t!
I imagine out 90% of my important scenes before I actually write them too, actually. (And a fair number of the unimportant ones too.) But I agree; it’s always better in my head than it is on paper. 😛
I used to have more ideas than sense or cents, but then I started writing those ideas and now about half of them are hiding from me and I’m sort of running low. Which is ok because I don’t have a lot of time to write? But it is annoying. (Also, I should be hunting down some of those ideas because Camp NaNo is in less than two weeks . . . *adds to to-do list*)
AHHH WE ARE TWINS IN THIS! *hi fives* I love how it’s like a movie in my head…although agreed: MUCH better in the head than on paper.😂
I suppose it’s not as overwhelming if you’re not busting with ideas? Although I do hope you get more time to write soon! OH YEAH CAMP NANO! *flails* That is coming up rather fast isn’t it…
Hahaha, this is great! I too write snarky notes to myself about my writing. Sometimes I even do it in the first draft. When I’m bored, or my characters annoy me, or the dialogue is unbearable, I write snarky notes to myself, random stuff that doesn’t even fit the book, etc. and then leave it to edit out. I’ve only written one novel so far, so we’ll see how terrible my editing process is. AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON NAME CRUSHES!!! Finally I have a name for it. Cait, how come you always come up with the best terms? Anyhow, names that I think are gorgeous are Dante, Edward, Declan, and I always seem to name one of my characters after an ancient god. I don’t know why… My other weird quirk is accidentally calling my MC by the name of my last MC. I feel like I’m turning into my mom. She’s always getting my my siblings and my names mixed up. (Was that even grammatically correct?) Anywho, fabulous post, as always, Cait.
THAT IS SO AWESOME OMG. I love it! I only do the snarky notes in my outlines but actually putting them in the draft would be endlessly amusing too.😂
I just come up with fabulous terms because I’M FABULOUS. *flips hair* And humble. Clearly. 😉
AHH I LIKE THE NAME DECLAN. <3
Ohhh my mum always calls us kids by the wrong names too. I've almost given up listening for my name. -_- Ahem. But I actually just finished writing a draft where I could NOT REMEMBER ANYONE'S NAMES AT ALL. *cries* I had to have a list of their names beside me as I typed because I just...I just couldn't remember them.😂 They weren't even hard names! MY BRAIN IS SWISS CHEESE.
That’s dead interesting that you write in third person/present tense – If you ever switch to writing screenplays you’ll be sorted! I can’t write with music on either but I do listen to cafe sounds sometimes (which sounds weird, but works for me 🙂
Eeep, I never thought about that.😂 I don’t see myself writing screenplays buuuut HEY ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN. AH HI FIVE FOR NO-MUSIC-LISTENERS. I do wear headphones when I write sometimes, but with nothing playing. I…I don’t even know. My brain is weird.
Very interesting! I love writing in first person present tense, but now I’ve written in 3rd/present and 1st/past. Past was hard for me! I have to write in present tense and revise to past. But I take note of the trends in a genre and write to them so that I don’t offend the readers. Cozy mystery readers will throw a fit over present tense. It’s just not done. So I’ve learned to adapt (but I self-publish and have no desire to traditionally publish so I can do what I want.)
I also love revisions. All the good stuff comes out in revisions! And I’m a binge writer too. I thought I could train myself to write all year, but I just can’t.
You are very versatile there, aren’t you?! THAT IS AWESOME! I ADMIRE YOUR SKILLS!! I cannot write in past for the life of me now.😂 Although I used to only write in past….ah well. I figure life is too short to write in ways that are uncomfortable. 😛
And YES the good stuff does come in revisions! And omg the satisfaction of finishing editing?! IT IS THE BEST.
I’ve written in 3rd person past AND 3rd person present, but so far, I seem to do best with 1st person past. I’m not really sure why that is? I do like to give lots and lots of details about my character’s thoughts, so that may be part of the reason. Also, it’s historical fiction, so maybe it just feels “right” to say, “I did this . . . I did that . . . etc.”
OH MY GOSH I AM SO BAD AT WRITING MALE POVS. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration . . . but it REALLY doesn’t come easy to me. I do best with girls. I really need to broaden my portfolio. *sigh*
I write to music all the time. I NEED it. If I don’t have my music, it’s so much harder to get my creative juices flowing . . . Usually, on any given week, I’ll have two or three songs that I’m completely OBSESSING over and I listen to them over and over as I write. Like, this week it was “We Are One” from Lion King 2 and “Try Everything” from Zootopia. (Yes, I am a Disney freak and I am #NotEvenSorry. 😉 )
Ahhh, that makes sense! And it’s awesome that you tried so many different ways. Trying and experimenting as a writer is THE BEST, I think. I used to only write in 1st/past myself, actually. And occasionally I think about switching things up? And then…nope.😂
And I need to broaden my portfolio to more girls. SO WE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT BUT OPPOSITES.😂
Hahaha yessss! I only write in 3rd person past tense, so to each their own! It’s weird; i’ll be reading a book in present tense and not realize it and then somewhere out of nowhere a word or phrases (usually the word “walks”) brings me out of the story and I realize it’s in present tense. I don’t know, it’s weird. I have name crushes too! I like listening to music while I write, but mostly songs from movies because they have no lyrics that can get stuck in my head and makes my writing feel more dramatic! lol
~Sara
I honestly don’t even notice if I’m reading in past or present these days! I’m so used to most books being in present!😂 Although if I DO find a book in 3rd/present I get excited because they’re still super rare. hehe. Ahhh you multitasking genius to write and listen to music at the same time! I’M IN AWE.
Name crushes- yes, I’m guilty of that too, and proud of it. Especially if they are unusual names. I know many people with awesome names, and I will borrow them some day. (borrow the names, not the people. And I’ll ask permission first.)
I like to sketch out new characters. It’s easier to know who they are if I have their portrait (sometimes in hasty pencil on old receipts).
Yayyy for name crushes!! *hi fives* AND NO REGRETS FOR US.😂 I do borrow names too! Especially the curious ones…I don’t ask permission though. hehe. Unless I can’t find it online so ergo it might be made up? Then I don’t use those. *nods*
OH YOU ARTIST YOU. THAT IS SO AMAZING.
Name crushes are a thing and no one should tell anyone else otherwise.
GOOD. WE ARE IN 100% AGREEMENT HERE.
Cait, I have SO much respect for you! I absolutely adore this post. It’s so interesting finding out about your writing habits (we are all quite peculiar with our writing habits: agreed!). I don’t really have a default writing tense or POV, but a few of my older drafts were written in third person omniscient, until I realised first person would be much better for the book I’m writing now, so I had to change it.
Listening to music while writing is odd – I don’t do it often, but I can understand how you might not like it. ALSO. Please give me your binge writing skills! I’m in desperate need. I try to write everyday as much as I can, but sometimes I get so caught up reading or watching shows that I forget to write. What I need right now is basically to binge write the whole book and go over again and again to edit. I always complain about editing too haha. HIGH FIVE. My problem is, as soon as I open Scrivener, I start editing. I want to make sure it all makes sense. I can’t stand to read my writing if it doesn’t make sense (I’m a perfectionist) so instead of getting it all out like I should do, I perfect it first. I think another problem for me is research, and making sure I make everything historically accurate. That can be a real problem when all you need to do is write the scenes!
Anyway, amazing post! 😀 Looking forward to reading more like this in the future!
AHHHHH THIS MAKES ME FLAIL, THANKYOU. :’) And it’s always interesting to know what peculiar things we writers do, right?!? I think we ALL have some sort of weird writing habits.😂
I tend to binge-do EVERYTHING, also. So if I’m watching a TV show…I just watch and watch it. Same with reading or arting or basically any hobby. I’m super bad at multitasking them.😂 Although it’s probably healthier to balance between them all?
I am a perfectionist too…but I honestly had to give myself a severe talking to about my editing habits several years back. I nearly quit writing because NOTHING WAS GOOD ENOUGH. AGH. I had to give myself permission to fail. I know it sounds weird but it really works! 1st drafts are for writing rubbish. 2nd drafts and onwards are for editing and being a perfectionist. 🙂
I think I need to give myself “permission to fail” too. I very nearly quit a few months ago, because it wasn’t working out haha. I couldn’t read anything I wrote. I guess I need to just write everything and accept that it won’t look pretty. Thanks for the advice 🙂
I’m also a binge-kind of person. Anything I do, I binge-do it haha. It’s great to know I’m not alone! 🙂
Eeep, I do know how it feels to just hate everything you write! I’VE DEFINITELY BEEN THERE. I always remind myself that the second draft will be better. And if it’s not. The 3rd draft or the 4th or the 76th. 😂
Ooo, name crushes. I’d name pretty much every character Simon, Evie, or Delia. At least recently. But when I was twelve I was super proud of myself for coming up with pretty much the cleverest name ever. Emma Greene. I’ll give you three guesses as to what gemstone “Emma” was short for. I used it on basically every female MC I wrote. I cringe thinking about it.
And I’ve done the thing too where I’m walking and I’m plotting out a scene in my head and I say it out loud to feel it out, only to realize other people can hear me. Whoops.
Ahhhhh cute little Aine naming her characters.😂 Hey at least you tried to be unique and clever about it! I named all my characters Rose basically. I mean, wut even Little!Cait. Get your act together. Ahem.
Ohhh, I’ve started making facial expressions to go along with a scene I was imagining! I was out walking in public at the time.😂
WELL YOU ARE A PECULIAR WRITERLY CREATURE. But we’re all peculiar somehow soooo I’m not going to judge. I guess I kind of imagine scenes? Then I decide to turn it into an entire story until I realise I have NO PLOT at all. Then I give up #sad. I recently wrote a3rd person present tense thing, and I liked the way it sounded, only it had originally been past tense so then changing it took forever and I made a lot of mistakes. But you’re not the only weirdo around! (just kidding. You totally are :D)
We writers ARE all peculiar. I’m pretty sure that’s the criteria for being a writer, eh?!?😂 THOU SHALT HAVE SEVERAL WEIRD HABITS. *nods* Ahem.
Ahh I loved this post!
I envision things like a movie, definitely. I also start imagining the movie adaptions….and all the awards it will win….and what I’ll say in my interviews……wait, what do you mean I’m not even done plotting yet?
3rd person/present is something I don’t see a lot, but I think that’s part of what makes your writing style unique! I’m an extremely boring person who just writes in 3rd person past, haha. (Usually omnipotent, because all!!! the characters!!!! have!!! beautiful!!! thoughts!!!! why!!!! would!!!! you!!!! hide!!! some!!!!)
I frequently write to instrumental music, but I cannot write to music with singing and words. Which is IRRITATING, as I hear about all these other writers who can both enjoy their fave hobby and music at the same time and I just??? Like no friend I have the concentration of a moth how do you do this.
NAME!!! CRUSHES!!! One of my current ones rn is Avalon.
Ellie | On the Other Side of Reality
HAHAHAHAHAHA…me too. I imagine being on set and watching the behind-the-scenes as they shoot my book.😂 Ahhh, the writers life is A FUN THING. (Actually writing the book is a total minor detail.)
omg you make me laugh with the all-the-characters-have-beautiful-thoughts.😂 YOU ARE MARVELLOUS. I am definitely with you on the music. How can one concentrate to lyric-music AND write??? Like how? WHAT IS THE WIZARDRY SECRET???
Ahhh Cait I admire how you’ve written so many novels and are full of great ideas! That’s super impressive! I can’t concentrate when there’s music playing either, because I want to sing along or let it consume me with feels, no time for anything else. I remember in high school that was the feedback from my English teacher, that I wrote in both past and present tense. OH WELL no time like the present right?
AWW THANK YOU JEANN. <3 And YES omg music is super distracting. I like to think of myself as a multi-tasker? BUT I AM NOT. I am just so not.😂
Brilliant post! I agree with a lot of your points. Especially the one about having a lot of ideas. I also have a Scrivener doc where I gather all my new ideas and I have a whole lifetime of stories to write there. Doesn’t mean my mind stops coming up with new ideas, though. Because, obviously, my mind believes I will live FOREVER!
AHH THANKYOU.😂 Scrivener is AWESOME for collecting ideas! They are all there and shiny and manageable and organise and afjkdslad I swear I got a dozen new ideas when I first got scrivener.😂 NO REGRETS. (actually all the regrets because I need time to write them!!)
I can relate to a lot of this. I write exclusively in past tense, though I’ve tried both first person and third person. I found first person easier to write, but third person more interesting to write. I complain about editing constantly, because editing is FREAKING HARD. There’s just a lot of second guessing myself and wondering which is actually the better one. My outlines have a tonne of self references and inside jokes that anyone else seeing them would probably think they’re just gibberish. And ideas, god damn ideas. STOP POPPING UP already. I have like 71381 ideas I still need to work on. Calm down, brain.
Yayyy for another fellow 3rd person writer! *hi fives* EDITING IS FREAKING HARD THOUGH. I think we all deserve like palaces made of chocolate for all the effort that editing is. *HOWLS* But it’s so satisfying. :’)
At least we amuse ourselves with our fabulous outlining skills amirite?!
*hi fives* Do those palaces of chocolate melt? I hope it doesn’t, otherwise I might get trap inside while I’m enjoying them. Yes! It’s so satisfying!
Thank you, I feel a little bit more normal now. I thought I was the only one who wrote jokes to myself, HAHA. I can’t help it that I’m so positively amusing. It keeps me going.
But yes, I do most of these too. I complain about editing and crush on names (and my own characters). Every book has at least one sarcastic/snarky person (but more like 10) otherwise I wouldn’t survive. I need humour in my books, everywhere.
The writer life is a glorious one.
Yes we definitely CANNOT HELP that we are so entertaining. Blessed are they who amuse themselves, right? *hi fives* 😂
Crushing on one’s own characters is DEFINITELY NORMAL. It only becomes weird when you realise said character is like 6 years younger than you. #awkward 😂 Ahem. But yes yes sarcastic snarky sassy characters are a MUST. I usually have a series on vs the snarky one so they can have epic banter. Spock + Jim style. :’) Good times.
You have name crushes too!? Oh my goodness, I’m so glad that isn’t just me! I have a list of boy’s names that I just love: Aubrey, Garett, Jude, Spencer, Gideon and Emery. I don’t know what it is about them, but I adore them & if a book has them then I’ll probably just read it for that…. #sorrynotsorry. But I have the oppisite problem – I don’t want to name any of my characters that because they have too much sentimental value! XD
But I love third person POV too. It’s so much better than first person. It’s just more natural! I tend to write in past tense though…. or change halfway through.
And yesss. I start more projects than I can write too! I literally have like ten WIPs in their planning processes at a time. It’s not good!
AHHHH *HI FIVES* WE ARE TWINNING HERE, RACHEL. And omg Jude. <3 Jude is on my list too but that is 100% because of I'll Give You The Sun.😂 I love that book. AHH AHHHHH. Ahem. And actually I sometimes "save" my names.😂 I rarely use up too many favourites in one book in case the book bombs. hehe.
YES 3RD IS SO GOOD OMG I'M GLAD TO FIND ANOTHER 3RD LOVER! I hear people say it's "too impersonal" but I never find that?!? It can be super persona. <3
I write everything by hand in notebooks first. Then I will read a few pages at a time and start typing. I will change things as a go sometimes I change almost everything, somtimes I’ll change one word. That is how my first edits happen.
I hate it when I am on Twitter and I see people telling other people that you HAVE TO write this way, and edit that way. The funny thing is, I don’t think I have ever seen a succesful author ever say there is a certain way to write. I know I have never seen any of my favorite authors tell others how to write. They will say this is what I do, but never do it MY WAY! You are right… everyone should do it their own way. ☺
Ohhhh handwriting?! I ADMIRE YOUR STAMINA!! I don’t handwrite anything.😂 I barely even handwrite shopping lists hahahah. Oh dear.
And ugh, I agree. I think anyone who says “you must do this to write” just needs to stop. There is no one way. And I really hate it when authors put down other methods? Like I heard an author say “if you write really fast, the book will be crap” and I mean…Okay, FOR YOU. But don’t generalise like that!! It’s super frustrating and I think it leads little newbie writers astray because they don’t find THEIR niche, they try to fit into someone else’s. 🙁
Bingo!
HAHA OMG your confessions :’) AND ALL YOUR IDEAS SOUND AMAZING JUST SAYING. You’re like the queen of naming books. I mean, you did name one of mine. #legend
I always write in present tense but not third person. I LOVE that style though – it sounds so literary and snarky at the same time. Or at least it does in your books. My confession is that I listen to Disney songs while writing. #notsorry
I AM THE QUEEN. *twirls fabulously* Although honestly my titles are usually HORRIFIC but I am proud of this bunch. (And my agent always changes my contemporary titles….but that was fair. The last one was pretty awful😂.)
AHHH THANKYOU. <3 I'm glad the 3rd/present works!😂 I love the way you do 1st because the books always seem so personal and like I AM IN THE ADVENTURE AS IT HAPPENS.
Cait, this post is brilliant. (You are brilliant too, but it’s not like I need to tell you that. It’s quite obvious, really.) It’s interesting to see a little bit of how your writing-process goes. Every writer has their rituals & I love hearing about them!
I actually like to plan out scenes in my head before I write them too!! (#twinning) It’s quite fun. It’s like a personalized film & I GET TO CHOOSE WHAT HAPPENS. *malicious laughter*
Hum… Personal writing quirks… OH!! I can’t eat & write at the same time. Extremely frustrating when your mother is concerned about you starving at lunchtime, but it’s dreadful business when I try. (Think crumbs on my keyboard & getting so enamored with deliciousness that I forget to actually write.) 😛
It is obvious *nods sagely* I JUST CAN’T HELP HOW BRILLIANT I AM. IT’S JUST ME. *twirls humbly* And YES I think writers and their rituals are super interesting…I would happily read about everyone else’s rituals too.😂
YAY TWINNING. *hi fives* I think making the scenes little movies in your head before hand is awesomeness. And actually quite fun. :’) Until you go to write them, that is, and it’s just not working.😂
UGH I DON’T EAT AND WRITE EITHER. I more use food as a reward anyway? Like “you can’t have lunch until you finish this chapter” sort of thing? I’d rather eat for my breaks.😂
This is an awesome!! I usually write in first person but if I just finished reading a book in third or second it will totally change me and I’ll just strat writing in one of those. When I am writing music just distracts me.
Nabila // Hot Town Cool Girl
Ahh, we are the same with music being distracting then! *hi fives*
Name crushes. I totally do that, too. I have so many William’s and Richard’s, it isn’t even funny…
My other quirks:
I never outline. Outlining destroys my inspiration. I have to discover then nuances of the story as I write. This doesn’t mean I don’t plan out the story, though. I do. Just … all in my head.
I have tried every writing medium there is, short of the typewriter because I don’t have one (yet), and will switch between them at whim. Lately, I’m been writing on my tablet. I could probably write faster on my computer, but no, I’m writing on my tablet.
When my writing gets intense/emotional/hilarious, I’ll start running around the yard like a crazy person. Sometimes I need only to be plotting the scene.
I have no qualms with people reading my writing five seconds after I write it. In fact, I’ve seriously considered doing a live feed video of me writing. WOULDN’T THAT BE EPIC? Or maybe not…
I edit on my kindle because I can’t afford the paper to print it out. Kindles are awesome.
Most of my female main characters have my hair because … they were all originally self-inserts. I’m so bad. Even if I’ve changed the characters, they still have hair similar to mine. Frizzy. Not quite curly, but certainly not straight. That awkward shade between blonde and brunette that neither side wants to claim. (It is technically blonde, though.) So….
I feel like most people don’t outline, eh?!?😂 It’s so funny because without the outline I would have zero inspiration. WE ARE OPPOSITE FISH. It’s awesome how writing varies so much. *nods* Omg a live feed of you writing?!? THAT IS SUPER BRAVE!! And super awesome. I have let someone read a 1st draft before but I swear I’ll never do it again because so. darn. embarrassing. My writing is just awful at the beginning (I mean sometimes it’s awful at the end too😂 But at least it’s EDITED there).
When I’m rich and famous I 100% am going to print out my books to edit them. BUT IT IS NOT THIS DAY. *sobs*
YES!!! NAME CRUSHES!!!! They are the best, especially when you come across a book with a character named one of them and you feel like you want to scream your happiness to the author.
and for some strange reason, I am very weird and enjoy writing about my characters getting hurt and almost dying (not actually dying, but suffering as much as they can while still staying alive) So i always have to regulate myself and make sure that there’s actual plot going on and not just everyone falling down and basically being barely alive.
AHHHH I’m glad you have them too!! *hi fives* I honestly will fall in love with a name and then construct a whole book around it so I can use it.😂 NO REGRETS.
Suffering is great. *nods* All my characters suffer a lot. Although it gets awkward when you bash them up too much and then they just have to lie around crying and NO ONE CAN DO ANYTHING EXCITING. Sheesh.
I love all the black books gifs..I recently started watching that show, and binged the whole thing. Now I am trying to make the last two episodes last…but why? I can just watch it again!!! I honestly wish I could get as much done as you do!!! <3
I actually didn’t know these gifs were from the same show…OR WHAT THE SHOW EVEN IS.😂 TOTAL COINCIDENCE HAHAH. Ahem.
You should watch it (sometime, I don’t know when since you are busy hehe). It is hilarious. The main character owns a book shop and a lot of it revolves around reading 🙂
Scrivener looks so cool – now I just want to get it and write so I can hoard many files of strange things that maybe probably won’t develop into books. And ARGH I cannot write to music either. In fact. I can bearly to anything whilst listening to music. I can’t read, I can’t think, I can’t write – so basically no studying or book writing for me. How people manage this wizardry I shall never know.
SCRIVENER IS MY LIFE, KIRSTIE, I CANNOT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH. I would marry it, probably, but that could be awkward because I tend to tell it what to do all the time and that doesn’t seem like a healthy relationship. *shrugs* STILL. My ideas are all organised (well, they’re still mad, but organised madness?) and it pleases me greatly. Ahem. AND AGH YES MUSIC IS SO DISTRACTING. I like to think I can multitask??? BUt I cannot.
I LOVE THIS POOOOST! Okay, so I adore it when you tell us about your writing because it makes me excited so this post was just 10000% splendid! 😀
Yeah, third person present is kind of rare… hmm. Never thought of that. o.o I’m sure it’ll catch on eventually though… I mean first-person-present is THE RAGE and I don’t even like it, so. *shrug* (And of course I don’t care what you write in — you could write in 2nd person future tense if you wanted and I’d probably still be addicted.) QUESTION THOUGH. It sounded to me like you discovered present-tense from HG and The Scorpio Races (since I was reading your review of that) so… I’m wondering if you USED to not write in present tense? Just curious!
I WRITE BOY POVS TOO. They’re so much easier to write than about girls and I don’t know why. It’s weird.
I IMAGINE SCENES TOO. I thought everyone did… Maybe not. XD
OH GOODNESS ALL OF THE IDEAS YES I TOTALLY HEAR YOU. Also, all of those story ideas look amazing JUST FROM THE TITLES. Please write them all at once so they can be bestsellers and I can read them please and thank you. *winning smile*
BASICALLY I HAD SO MUCH FUN READING THIS AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WRITING QUIRKS YAY!
Also may I just say how gargantuanly excited I was about the first pic in this post because OH MY GOODNESS IT’S CAIT’S ROOM/DESK/SHELVES FROM LIKE A DIFFERENT ANGLE AND IT’S FASCINATING AND I LOVE IT.
AHHHH YOU’RE COMMENTS MAKE ME SO HAPPY I HONESTLY LOOK FORWARD TO THEM EXTRAORDINARILY SO, DEBORAH. JUST SO YOU KNOW. :’)
I have read quite a few 3rd person/present but YES it is rare. 0_0 I know lots of people aren’t so keen on 3rd? But I love it. <3 I do actually prefer the distance it gives me from the narrators although I used to write exclusively in 1st. SO. I'm not opposed or anything!😂 And yes I also used to write in past. Basically past/1st (I feel like that's how most writers start?) and then I read The Hunger Games and FELL IN LOVE WITH PRESENT...and then I read Unwind and fell in love with 3rd.😂 And here we are. A mess of madness and no regrets.
BOYS ARE EASIER OMG WHY IS IT????
Ahhhh, thankyou!! I'm actually very pleased with this conglomeration of titles! Usually my titles are my WORST THING OF EVER but they're working right now and I'll be nice and quiet so as not to scare them away. #sensible
AND YES! Those are my secondary shelves that I recently stole from my sister. :') Because I need more shelves so. #evilbookworm And that's my desk that I never work at because I always type on my bed.😂
I relate to so many of these omgggg
I used to write exclusively in first person, past tense, but I’ve switched to first person, present tense and now I don’t know how I ever wrote differently?? I wrote one fanfic in third person, past tense and…wasn’t my thing. I like reading all formats, though.
I can’t listen to music while writing. Just can’t. I have difficulty concentrating as it is; music makes it worse.
I SEE SCENES LIKE LITTLE MOVIES, TOO.
And don’t even get me started on my outlines. They start out nice, professional, a sensible outline you can bring home to your mother.
And then they slowly sink into madness. By madness, I mean, two example phrases are “BAIIIIIIII FELICIA” and “bereaved or not, people have to pee”.
This post was #relateable. I LOVE IT.
*shares cake with you* WE’RE PRACTICALLY TWINS HERE, ASHLYN.
Agh and yes, concentrating is hard. Music just distracts me. TOO MUCH GOING ON IN MY HEAD. It’s loud enough in there as is. And ahhhh the scenes as movies?! IT’S SO FUN. I just wish they came out on paper as epic as they are in my head.😂
And I’m glad I’m not alone with insensible outline habits.😂 I mean, mine don’t even start OFF professional. The last one is “This is [character] and his life sucks hahahah this is not okay”. I…I don’t even know what to do with myself.
I love your writing quirks, Cait. Your books are brilliant, and I can’t wait until they are published and sitting pretty on my shelf.
Omggg thank you Skye. :’) I SO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DAY TOO.
I also imagine scenes before writing!!!!! Few weeks before…when I’m still having my final exam, I just can’t help wondering about my stories and set scene for them!!! It’s such a great way to find inspiration…and of course, I personally think it makes stories better as well!
AHH WE ARE SCENE IMAGINING GENIUSES CLEARLY. *hi fives* It is so much fun having movies in your head, right?!
#thestruggleisreal
All of these just made me giggle so much because IT’S ALL TRUE. ALL OF IT. AHH. I prefer writing in 3rd person past tense, but I’m not opposed to writing in 1st person or what have you. I’m even up to the challenge of writing in 2nd person, but who has time for that?
When it comes to writing I feel like if I’m at my apartment I HAVE to have complete and utter silence and be sitting at my desk to get anything productive done (although my desk is currently swarming with STUFF and it’s distracting and I need to clean it, meh). But if my husband’s in the same room I’ll more than likely put on music loud enough to drown out his sounds because he’s usually playing games on his computer which is equally as distracting. And if I’m over my parents’ house, then I’ll use music, but otherwise I prefer the silence.
I’ll write for a few days at a time AND THEN NOTHING FOR A YEAR BECAUSE ADULT LIFE SUCKS. Okay, well, it’s mostly my job making me lazy in the evenings, soooo… yeah… that.
I’ve been working on this one story for over a year (insert working on it one month and then waiting a year to work on it again) and I want to finish it BUT I ALSO WANT TO WRITE OTHER THINGS??? I mean, the struggle. Ugh.
I will put romance in all of my stories. All of them. I’m a hopeless romantic and I need all the love in my life. Like, I get excited to write JUST to get to the romance part. And then any other romance part I can squeeze in after that. Basically, everything else is just there to make it a story, but I’m there for the love stuff. *thumbs up*
I actually do want to try 2nd person someday! Or like the letter style? So it’s 1st bu twith all the “You” still?? THERE’S PROBABLY A TECHNICAL WORD FOR IT BUT IDEK DUDE. I KNOW NOTHING. I’M BASICALLY JON SNOW.
Silence though. Silence is GLORIOUS. <3 I have noise cancelling headphones that don't work perfectly (if you're not listening to music, I mean) but they do help to dull outside noise a bit and give a faint fuzzy white noise which I like. :')
BINGE WRITING THO. IT'S GREAT. (I mean, it has terrible downsides.😂 BUT MOSTLY IT'S GOOD.)
And ohhh chasing other ideas instead of finishing? *nods* I HEAR YA. I mean, I almost always finish because I'm a bit OCD about that😂 BUT! I always am chasing new ideas instead of editing the old ones.
I feel you so much on tense/POV! It always just… comes to me? At some point I realized other people actually put a lot of thought into what tense and POV would make sense with what particular story whereas I’m always just like UMMMM.. I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT POV I WROTE IT FROM IT JUST SORT OF HAPPENED OK. Although then I may also randomly decide it doesn’t fit anymore or change it in the middle of a story without really noticing so… there’s that.
HAHAHAH YES. *hi fives* I get surprised when writers put a lot of thought into something actually.😂 I’m usually like “and here the story is just doing it’s thing and I’m trying to keep up”…oh dear.
I feel like binge writing would be really helpful for me, honestly. Because when I’m writing a draft (first draft, anyway), I’m constantly thinking about it… I’m more in THAT world than the “real” world, and it actually makes functioning difficult. Not exaggerating. I’ll be imagining the scenes I’m about to write while I’m at work, and it limits my productivity. I’ll be living in the emotions of my story and it affects me throughout my day. All I want to do is WRITE WRITE WRITE. I don’t care about anything else. (Like not even friends or family. Pshh who are they??)
BUT… when I’m just editing books, or when I’m NOT writing anything at all, I’m 100% focused on my other non-writing tasks. I can live fully in the real world. I really feel like I need to separate the two. O.O Take breaks once or twice a year, maybe stay in a cabin for a few weeks (??) and do nothing but write.
Oh but Cait, I just can’t!!! Unfortunately I don’t work for myself YET, like you do, but that is absolutely my goal and I can’t wait… for a million reasons but this being one of them. I can’t wait to arrange my own schedule and take off weeeks to write drafts and things like that. 🙂 SOOOON I will be joining you in the wonderful world of binge writing. Until then, my normal life will just have to suffer during first drafts. xD
Yes yes yes that is exactly me too *nods* I GET SO MEGA FOCUSED. Hyper focused?!?? I can literally concentrate on nothing else except my book + my zone. *nods* I always tell my family I’m entirely unavailable when I’m binge writing.😂 And when I’m editing? IT TAKES ME MONTHS SO I’M OKAY TO MULTI-TASK. But dude, yes, cabin in the woods and nothing but writing? THAT WOULD BE PARADISE I WANT ONE.
Ahhhhh, I’m so happy for you though! THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL. I hope you reach that soon. ;D
I’m happy for you that you can already to this, mostly!! X’D Except for the cabin in the woods part. That’s a definite goal/dream for me. For when I’m wealthy and can afford it. ;D
YES YES I hope so too. *sighs* These kinds of goals are amazing for motivation!!!
I definitely need to put the cabin-in-the-woods part on my TO DO LIST. It’s totally attainable. *nods* Or else a cabin on the beach, preferably with someone bringing me meals and snacks BECAUSE I WILL BE BUSY BEING A FAMOUS WRITER #goals
Sounds like a plan. 😉
Firstly, 3rd person, present tense? WHaaaat? I have never heard about that before. Okay I have, but it seems ever so strange to me. Maybe I should read more?
You’re a binge writer. You are definitely not a slacker because 100k words before an entire week is over? That’s madness. That’s basically double NaNoWriMo. That’s basically NaNoWriWeek because ugh *mind explosions*
Just… hooow?
IT IS REALLY REALLY AWESOME. I recommend Unwind if you want to try 3rd/present! 😀 I know there are more but that’s the first one I thought of.😂
AHhhahah, yes it is Madness honestly. I don’t even know what to do with myself sometimes. Eek. I JUST TYPE REALLY FAST and I have a super detailed outline so I don’t get writers block. And I hope hard.😂
Haha I do many of these quirks. XD They’re not weird to me! I need to write in peace. Some people can write in coffee shops with noise. I just can’t. I need peace and tranquility. My preference is third person limited, past tense. And hot tea is my fuel.
Omg I know right?!? I admire people who can write in coffee shops or with loud music on or whatnot.😂 SO MUCH MULTITASKING HAHAH. Ahem. Least to say, I can’t multitask to save my life. -_-
SO MANY IN JOKES WITH MYSELF IT’S QUITE TRAGIC. Editing at the moment (going to finish tomorrow! !!!) and all of my notes in the typescript are either film references (like waht, it’s fantasy) or “this simile is laaaaaame”. THAT’S BASICALLY IT. Or they say “do u know what’s going on, Future Emily bc I don’t”. Because Past Emily sucks at plotting. I don’t know who even hired her.
THANK YOU FOR NOT WRITING WITH MUSIC. What is even the point?? So you can accidentally transcribe the lyrics into your book?? THAT’S WHAT I’D DO. Though my penchant for silence does make me very annoying. (“Could you turn that radio down please!? Genius at work!”)
AHHHH CONGRATS ON NEARLY BEING FINISHED EDITING THAT IS AWESOME AND YOU ARE AMAZING. *shrieks* And I think leaving jokes for oneself is the most fun of ever. :’) It amuses me when I’m mid-way through writing a manuscript and want to tear out my hair or eat like half a planet made of chocolate. SO YEAH. GOOD TIMES.
Zomg we are musicless twins *hi fives* Almost EVERYONE OF EVER swears by writing with must and I’m like “silence is my darling”. I’m constantly telling people to turn stuff down. Or off. I’m fun to have around.😂
Loving these Black Books gifs! Makes me want to go back and rewatch the whole thing. 🙂
SO many people have commented on that and AGH IT WAS A TOTAL COINCIDENCE THEY’RE FROM THE SAME SHOW.😂 I don’t even know what the show is! hahahaah #fail
Fantastic you typewriter in human form!
Your writerly habits are bizarre and make no sense so surely you’re a genius on the path to greatness? And yes I agree with you, plot to music, turn it off when writing. Amen,
Other habit I share with you is the build a super blockbuster movie in your head in like 4D but be unable to put it exactly on paper and then have a good cry or 20! I take heart that I am not alone 😀
I see you’re also working on your booktags 😉 I spy my IG at Number 8, good, that’s my favourite number 😀
PS: – It’s my blogoversary and you will wish me congratulations no? 😉
OMG CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BLOGVERSARY!! *sprinkles cake crumbs in your hair*
And I accept that bizarre is jus the prelude to genius. *nods* It’s definitely true. Someday I shall be super famous and everyone will think my writing methods are sane. #legit
AH YES. The movie in one’s head is FUN at the time but horror when it’s not coming out on paper like it should.😂
Hahha, ah yes. I’m constantly working on booktags. I have like A GAZILLION PAGES OF ONES I SHOULD’VE DONE YESTERDAY. #dead
I relate to most of these! X’D I write boys too–and almost only boys. I too binge write and do most of the things on the list. Few differences are that the tense seems to vary with character and I write in first person. Also, I dance while I write and get all of my ideas in the minutes before I fall asleep…
AHHH WE ARE LIKE TWINS THEN. *shares cake with you* And dancing while writing sounds kind of epic.😂😂
I absolutely love this! Since I consider myself a writer, I can definitely relate to a bunch of these. But seriously. Third person/present? How do you manage that?! Good for you for being able to pull it off. Me? I’m a first person kind of gal. I can definitely relate to emotions a lot better if it’s MY heart that’s pounding in my ears, and MY palms that are sweaty.
Name crushes. It’s a thing! Anytime I add romance into my books (which is quite frequently, I admit) it HAS to be Landon or Mark. I love the names. They’re so handsome, I want to fall in love with them myself! (Ha. Too bad I’m married ;))
Love, love, love your voice in your posts!
ehe, I DON’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE 3RD/PRESENT?!? It’s just the most comfortable and natural for me. :’) I used to write in 1st/present with an occasional 3rd thrown in and then I was told that the 3rd was my strongest chapters so…I ended up merging all to 3rd. BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE. :’)
AHHH YAY FOR NAME CRUSHES *hi fives* And yes our writing fictional boys must have crush-worthy names. 😉
Hi Cait.
I came up with a writing trait to mention: linear format.
Like you, I am a binge writer. I will mull over a book in my mind for a bit and bounce ideas off of Miss Plumtartt. When I have stretched and pronounced myself ready to begin, I sit down and write the entire novel, from end to end, in one breath. I have a vague idea of what I want to happen, but I basically write by the seat of my pants. When I speak of writing in a linear format, I mean starting at the beginning and bulling through to the end. I think some people like to bounce around from scene to scene and maybe even start with the ending so that they will know where they are going. Is this a thing, bouncy vs. linear?
Oh I definitely think there is a difference between linear writers and non-linear writers! I’m a 100% linear writer like you.😂 I CAN’T JUST WRITE RANDOM SCENES! omg I’d be so confused. But I do know a lot of writers who just pen bits and pieces and stick them together at the end. So it’s definitely a thing!
I LOVE THIS POST MORE THAN ANYTHING!
I actually think it’s super funny that you are inflexible about your POVs. That’s your style and that’s awesome. I think I often write first person past tense and I have no idea why. I tried present tense, but I get all mangled up after a bit. I am confused about that. Also, I don’t think that I have written in many boy POVs … except in my last, unfinished NaNo project … sort of .. see, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING!
Name crushes are totally a problem of mine as well. I want to name all the people the same thing … but obviously can’t due to social blabla of why I can’t. And I imagine the scenes in my head too, sometimes a couple of them are on replay. It’s very annoying, but they won’t go away until I have them jotted down exactly the right way … which is hard to do … I am not good at writing if you haven’t figured that out yet hahaha
AWW THANK YOU KAT, YOU WONDERFUL THING.
And ehhehe, I used to write in past, and when I first switched to present YES I GOT SO MANGLED TOO.😂 But now it’s all I can do because #addicted 😂
And zomg yes, why is society so mean to tell us we can’t name ALL OUR CHARACTERS THE SAME THING??? SHEESH. I would have a million Thomas’ if I could basically. I have list and lists of names I love though.😂 NAME OBSESSIONS FTW.
I tend to write really, reaaaally short sentences toward the end of a text. LIKE IN LITTLE CLIFFHANGERS. (Not really.) Love the post! 🙂
ooh, that’s awesome!! I try to end most of my chapters on mini-cliff hangers although it doesn’t always work out. BUT GOOD TIMES, RIGHT!? It’s always fun to torture future readers. :’)
Love this post! I like how you envision all of your scenes before writing them. That helps so much. And you change things just because you’re bored?! I usually have a hard time to having a handle on the events I’ve already written. XD But it sounds like fun! And the witty commentary in your outlines! That’s so hilarious! I do that sometimes when I first draft. And third person present is awesome! It’s different but third person is my favorite and present tense is very in the moment. I like it.
When I do write present tense, I have this bad habit of saying “now” all the time. Such and such thing happens now. Now he frowns. Now he smiles. Now he walks off the edge of a cliff. Etc. Etc.
I actually don’t use chapters in my first draft? It wasn’t intentional, I just write and when I’m done, then I guess I’m done. . . But chapters happen in the rewrites.
Most of my MCs are boys too! Unless I’m writing first person, I always have multiple points of view because I like seeing the big, overall picture. Especially in fantasy where there is so much going on. But the MC is usually a guy. Which is strange because, as you say, guys are. . . foreign. As a kid, I was not the girl who played with the boys, and I wasn’t the girl who flirted with guys either. But I have three brothers and their friends come over a lot. So I don’t know. It just happens!
aHHHH YOU ARE SO KIND ASHLEY. *blushes* I’m glad you enjoyed this! And omg yes, some of these truly make no sense (changing scenes because I’m bored being #1😂) but…ah, we writers never claim to be sane, amirite?!
Present tense is AWESOME. I used to write in past, but now I can nneeeeever go back. Present tense is my darling. <3
OH YES! Yay for mutual chapter messing up! *hi fiveS* I don't have chapters so much as daily word counts. Finished for the day? Welp, there ends the chapter.😂 And yessss, boys are so weird. And kind of gross. (Fictional boys are better *nods sagely*) And I never hung around boys a lot either in my wayward youth? I did read a lot of "boy books" though because I needed books where everyone got stabbed. As you do. So maybe I shall blame that...
I’m in a horrible creative funk right now so your post is perfect timing. I have tons of half written scenes, plots, characters who go nowhere and images with no connection to story.
Anyone out there wanna mix and match with your scraps and just have fun? I write all this stuff no one wants to read so I don’t show it..etc. I’m happy to hear from other writers who have exciting writing processes.
Agh, I hear your pain! I have experienced that too, honestly. That’s why I outline to try and tie all the bits and pieces together.😂 It’s hard but worth it, right?! 😛 Good luck to yours and I hope you get out of your funk soon! *sends you cake*
I THIS POST I JUST CANT TOO GOOD *flails*
also, I don’t count as a writer ’cause I type about 100 words at a time, ON A GOOD DAY – but one thing I really love doing is the stream of consciousness exercise where I look at a photo and force myself to write about it continuously for one minute- sometimes the poetry I come up with is awesome
and sometimes it sucks.
it’s an interesting process xD
THAT’S STILL WRITING, SAFAH, YOU ARE STILL A WRITER. 😉 Stream of consciousness is really good too! I used to do those as exercises a LOT and it’s good to get one writing without thinking too much, right? Plus poetry is definitely writing. 😉 Writing is altogether an interesting process. IT’S HARD BUT VERY WORTH IT.
I think it’s definitely the quality of the writing that makes a readable novel. Like, sometimes/often present (particularly 1st person) grates on my reading, but then at other times, the story is so good that it doesn’t matter I am reading in present tense. So, yeah, I’m not so fussed with that, though it matters to me when I’m writing.
I definitely lean towards the POV of females, but I’ve noticed a trend that if I have a male POV, he’s normally older and fancier than the FMC. (Even the villain in my main novel is all “Aha, I shall smite them and reclaim my revenge.” Or, in the rewrite version, frame them for arson. Same difference.)
YES! I don’t think we should judge books on the tense/style they’re written, because every writer handles it differently, right?! I’m not the world’s biggest fan of 1st person, but I still read it all the time and do enjoy it often!
Two more things that I love abou this blog – you can’t write to music, and you to love names! I still have the name Ransom in my head from a Jennifer Blake novel from over 20 years ago, and something about listening to music while writing or reading gives me the creeps. (lol) Great topic and Super Sunday to you. Hugs…RO http://www.intheknowwithro.blogspot.com
OHhhh, yay! *hi fives* I’m glad we have that in common! AND YAY FOR COOL NAMES. Ransom is a wonderful name! It makes me think of the author, Ransom Riggs. 😂
“and entire the tea room without knocking. #Rude” oh my WORD I was laughing so hard reading that. Leaving jokes for yourself is the best. I don’t do it in my outlines, but I’m CONSTANTLY making bad jokes and commentary to myself, of my entire life XD
YOUR ENTIRE LIFE MUST BE GLORIOUS THEN.😂 I’ve heard of people who do the jokes in their actual manuscript but I just put them in my outline and say sarcastic things to myself as I write.😂
MY ENTIRE LIFE //IS// GLORIOUS.
I’ve put a few inside jokes I have with people in my manuscript. Well, not so much inside jokes but just… things? In Dement when Nevaeh first sees Thorn and I said ‘she inhaled all the air in the room’ that’s a thing my mom says to me XD and in Broken Wing, one of the characters said a phrase from a song that my best friend loves XD
I now want to read The Boy Who Steals Houses. Because … well … stealing houses. Write that one.
And I want to write it badly.😂 But then I want to write all things badly and RIGHT NOW so…gah. Time turner anyone?!?!
AHHH CAIT SOMEHOW I MISSED THIS POST BUT THIS IS LOVELY. And 100% accurate, of course. I haven’t actually written a full-length novel yet…but I will. Someday. Eventually.
It might be a while.
Anyhow, lovely post! (And I tagged you in a tag I made called the Handwriting Tag if you’d like to do it! It’s up on my blog.)
Awww, thank you for the tag!! I’m super behind on all things blogging (I took a random hiatus😂) but I shall try to read ALL THE THINGS very soon!!! *flails*
And good luck for writing a novel! IT’S REALL FUN. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
I let my plots play out in my head too! (I rarely outline because of that, and mostly outline to write a “movie” scene so as not to forget.) When I can’t figure out what comes next, I close my eyes and watch the subconscious movie that my brain comes up with 🙂
Yessss! ME TOO! I mean, with closing-your-eyes-and-seeing-what-happens-next.😂 I listen to music and it all plays out like a movie with an epic soundtrack AND IT’S SO FUN. Pity it never ends up on paper as good as it is in my head, but ahhhh, well. The writers’ curse, right?!😂
Pfffsssshhhttt, I love all the tenses/narratives! (Except second person must ONLY be used in choose-your-own-adventure stories or fan-fiction.) And 3rd person/present tense works perfectly for your stories, so.
I’M JEALOUS OF YOUR MALE POVS. How do you write them so well?! I’ve done . . . one? That actually worked? But other than that I’m terrible at getting into boys’ minds. xD
Name crushes are totally normal and should be used in like every story. I love the names Jamie, Sam, Emma, Isabel/Izzy, and Grey. For no reason other than they’re beautiful.
SAME. I spend more time imagining scenes than writing them. And if I’m nervous about some sort of social interaction I imagine it playing out perfectly while I’m in the shower and then when it actually happens I get irrationally and internally angry when the other person doesn’t follow out the perfect script I’d planned out.
I think my quirk would be that I don’t really have quirks . . . Each of my stories includes a different routine and method of organization. But I love making playlists for each of my books with songs that go with their respective imaginary movie. I frequently cast actors and actresses as my characters on Pinterest boards and imagine a trailer set to the perfect song for the epic blockbuster movie. I daydream more than I write, honestly. xD
Aww, thankyou for that compliment about my 3rd/present habits.😂 It’s comfortable to me so I don’t see myself changing basically. BUT OMG BOYS ARE SO WEIRD. I doubt my boy POVS are terribly accurate though, because I have a brother and he’s an oaf. (Ahem.) But I actually find it easier to write them over girls?? I think because girls are so much more complex HAHAHA (okay omg I better stop insulting boys now…considering I write them and all. #awkward) 😂
Oh oh I LOVE the name Isabel. <3 Mostly because ISABEL LIGHTWOOD. <33
And I do spend a lot of time imagining scenes too! I basically write the whole book in my head before putting it on paper.😂
And I think that's awesome that your books all have different methods and things! THAT IS EPIC. You're very versatile right?!
Having WAY too many ideas is both my greatest blessing and one of my greatest struggles. Blessing: I never lack for ideas when I need them. Struggle: I continually have to fight the temptation to swerve off and start that brilliant idea I just had while trying to stick faithfully to my main project. It’s HARD.
Sometimes creating a secret Pinterest board for the rogue ideas can be a helpful outlet. 🙂
I imagine most of my scenes in advance too, and that’s also a blessing and a curse. Helpful because it gives me an idea where I’m going, hard because it is tough to make the real thing live up to that wonderful image in your head. And favorite names! I do have to restrain myself from using my few particular favorites too often. And I also write male POV quite frequently. We’re alike in a lot of ways, aren’t we! But not in one respect. I am a very…slow…writer. I am in awe of people who talk about writing 5,000 words in a day. 1 or 2 thousand is a really good day for me.
I totally agree!! IT IS GLORIOUS AND TORTURE. Glorious torture?!😂 I don’t have an abandoning project time, but I do worry I’ll never have enough time to write them all. AGH. WHERE IS MY IMMORTALITY. I NEED IT.
And *hi five* for gloriously imagining scenes before hand. We are the clever ones, obviously. So we’re basically TWINS, YES?! *shares twinning cake with you* But slow writing is still writing, eh?! My record is 22K in one day but I entirely agree that is madness.😂
Hehehehe. I always…. ALWAYS have to have my Cinderella (2015) soundtrack music on when writng sad scenes with this one character in my main story… which makes no sense at all (like a lot of writing habits). 🙂 Also, I often cry when I write happy-seeming scenes (usually because there’s something sad going to ruin the happiness later) and laugh in dramatic, romantic scenes (Character: “Ah, my love!” Me: “HAHAHAHAHAHA!”). Hmm….. Well, writers are weird. They just ARE. Another thing, probably the weirdest I’ve mentioned, I detest present tense. And modern books. And teenaged main characters that act like teenagers. I know. It’s weird. 🙂
Writing habits don’t have to make sense, right?! THEY JUST HAVE TO MAKE US WRITE MORE AWESOMELY. *flips hair majestically* 😂
Well…I guess you should probably never read a book of mine then!
Hehehehe. But I certainly don’t mean to give offense in any way by my oddities and preferences, and I hope I don’t….. Yes, they just make us write better! I mean, who doesn’t want to read a book containing a sword-fight-death-scene that was written by candlelight while the author was wearing one snowman sock, listening to Andy Williams, and munching on a Hershey’s Symphony bar?! 🙂 😉
I… write some chapters in first person just to make sure I have the right voice before editing it into the 3rd person the book should be in…. It is a terrible habit, but the only way I know how to keep things consistent.
It’s not a terrible habit! Do whatever you need to do to make your writing work for you.🎉🎉