Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Hang-ups

Ames did a meme listing the hang-ups or things that she has to do before writing or while writing. While they don’t have to be musts, they are things that make her feel more comfortable. So I decided to do my own. You don’t have to do one, but feel free to throw in a comment about any hang-ups you might have before you start writing, do chores, read, etc.


A Day of Writing with Bailey


1. I have to check my emails, MySpace messages and go by Jill’s blog (if it’s in the morning)
2. If it’s a morning that I’ve posted my blog, then I have to check comments there too.
3. Check friends status’
4. Put LOLcatz comment on Ames’ MySpace page.
5. Find the right music. I’m easily distracted so most of the time the music can’t have words to it because I’ll sing along. But, on the other hand, I have been known to put together music CD’s that describe either the characters personalities, the action of the story, or set up the ambience for a scene. For instance, “At Last” for the first love scene; “Smuggler’s Blues” for an action scene, etc.
6. play 3 or 4 rounds of spider solitaire
7. I can’t write pen and paper because of the arthritis. Well, I can write it, but I won’t be able to read it. Now that I have the laptop, I can sit in my favorite chair.
8. I have to have the storyboard set up.
9. Go smoke a cigarette and get a coke
10. Stare at screen for a few minutes and wonder what in the hell am I doing.
11. Read the last chapter to get back into the feel of the story.
12.I have to have the characters names before I can write the story. Sometimes they come to me easily, other times it’s like pulling teeth.
13. Go smoke a cigarette. Sit on porch and plot perfect paragraph. Then forget the entire paragraph when I get back into house.
14. I also have to have a title. It doesn’t have to be the perfect title, but I have to call it something more than the WIP or “untitled”
15. Look at storyboard and fall in love with my hero again. Now I’m ready to write.

7 comments:

Dru said...

I definitely have to check my e-mail and phone messages before I can start my work day.

When I get home from work, I have to check my personal e-mails first before I can start dinner.

Anonymous said...

I think my 'routine' has gotten so long that I never get around to the actual writing any more...

Brandy said...

No one wants to know my boring routine to start the day. *g* Thanks for sharing Bailey! (Need to stop that smoking woman!)

Unknown said...

Only 3 or 4 rounds of spider solitaire? Tsk. That's where I'm going wrong.

Anonymous said...

I do better if I pickup pen & paper before my eyes are actually open fully. The brain is still in semi-sleep mode & floating in the twilight-zone. If I wait to boot up the pc, drink coffee/coke, pet cats, find music/tv... my brain is in "workday" mode & I just don't get to the writing. I start with whatever is oodling thru my mind, then later pause for caffeine, music etc, and back to the writing.

Meretta said...

I don't let myself do a lot before I dig into my writing day.

I do allow a brief scan of today's headlines, check my emails, but limiting myself to only 3 replies.

Then I get myself something to drink (no gin until after 10 a.m. though - ha ha - just kidding!). Then I open my wip, start my soundtrack and off I go!

Anonymous said...

wow...I don't write...so my routine is just to get out of bed and into the shower...then make that wonderful drive to Boise to hit the office...luckily for me I only need to do that a couple of days a week...the rest of the time I just roll out of bed and turn on the laptop while it is booting up I get coffee!

With me it isn't solitaire...it is hearts of Poppit!