Comments on: Writers, What are your Writing Quirks?

By: Jenn Escalona

Jenn Escalona — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:12:18 +0000

Bethany, I always hear people recommend that people in your situation get an electronic recorder or use their cell to record their ideas. Personally, though, I have a recorder for my journalism, and if I ever thought to record ideas on it, I doubt I would ever listen to them. (More likely, I would only hear the next time I was transcribing notes or an interview for a news story.) So here are my silly ideas 1.) Write with your opposite hand 2.) Wait until you get home and rope your husband into reading your handwritten notes, then transcribe 3.) Email yourself as soon as you get to work. I usually keep an unsent, draft email full of ideas. In fact, I had it open today looking at something. When I’ve had especially good ideas, I’ve even been known to text myself.

But anyway, this was a question blog and not an advice blog, so thanks for sharing your quirks!

By: Bethany Feehery

Bethany Feehery — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:54:56 +0000

I am yet another one who gets her best ideas while driving or while waiting to fall asleep. I do worry about other drivers, though, when I get to work and I remember my story but not how I got there…

My oddest quirk, though, is that I hate what I handwrite. If I type it on the computer, I usually feel that its pretty good, but there’s just something about seeing my handwriting that throws me off. That’s sort of irritating because I usually don’t have a computer handy (such as when I pull into the parking lot at work). I lose alot of good stuff that way.

By: Yo

Yo — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:36:11 +0000

@Natalia, it’s a terrible habit, but sometimes it is so fulfilling to vanquish those weak hairs!

@Jenn, I’m going to replace socks with flip flops and see how that goes
Yo´s last blog ..When is Success Not Success? When it’s Ajar.

By: Jenn Escalona

Jenn Escalona — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:03:25 +0000

Natalia, I read on Lifehacker a few weeks ago about one small thing that can revitalize your whole day — changing your socks. I tried it, and it really works. Psychologically, when you have new socks on your feet, you feel like the day is fresh and new again. Who knew?

I get the light bulb moments while either driving, washing my hair or doing dishes. We’re all so alike, yet oh so different.

By: Natalia Maldonado

Natalia Maldonado — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:59:00 +0000

I always get stuck on my first sentence, and when I get really tired of staring at the blank screen I just skip it and go back to it later. Also, if I’m really stuck on headlines or just ideas in general, I get off my desk, wash my face and brush my teeth. For some reason I’ve had some great light bulb moments as I brush my teeth.

Yolander, you made me laugh with the image of someone picking their split ends, staring at them over their glasses! I’ve been there…
Natalia Maldonado´s last blog ..Why the mark of great editing is no mark at all

By: Jenn Escalona

Jenn Escalona — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:40:57 +0000

Catherine – I would be horrified, too, but remember, your husband probably has your back. I got in a playground fight in 3rd grade because one of my friends said my mom had an eye twitch. Well, turns out, she does have one and I inherited it (but only when we’re really tired and angry. We’re not like…twitching mutants…) Plus, I can’t listen to music and write either. I envy those who can.

Yo – Now that’s just weird. (Kidding, kidding.)

By: Yolander Prinzel

Yolander Prinzel — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:01:03 +0000

hahahahaha…Catherine’s comment just completely threw me off. I don’t even want to know what kind of subconscious body movements I have when I write.

I have the WORST habit of picking my split ends when I’m thinking. I usually wear my glasses when I’m writing, so I push the frames down and look up over them so I can focus close up, hold my hair in front of the laptop and just start looking through clumps of it. WTF? I’ve done it ever since Junior High. Also, I tend to write better from 10PM until about 2AM…which is not a schedule I think I want to keep…
Yolander Prinzel´s last blog ..6 Ways to Improve Your Work/Life Balance and Stay Fresh in Your Writing

By: Catherine Tully

Catherine Tully — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:10:15 +0000

My husband told me that I move my head around a lot when I’m writing. This kind of horrified me…but I do it without realizing it….I think I’m gonna blog about that, now that I’m thinking of it……..

Oh. And I can’t listen to music at the same time I’m writing. Throws me off.

By: Jenn Escalona

Jenn Escalona — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:04:15 +0000

I knew I wasn’t the only one with quirks!

As for your brain writing in the background, I do that, too! My best stuff always comes either when I’m driving or washing dishes.

I read a psychological article about that one time. Apparently it’s a good idea to give ourselves a problem — it could be anything from a difficult sentence to something as deep as how to save your company from bankruptcy — and then stop thinking about it. Supposedly our subconscious continues to work on the problem and gives us the answer whenever we are in the correct, auto-pilot state of mind to let it surface.

You’ve known me a long while and probably know that I’m no fan of psychology, at least in the “therapy” sense, but I’ve had this happen to me way too many times to doubt it.

By: Lynne B.

Lynne B. — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:58:08 +0000

I have a few:

Often, I’ll write an introduction that ends up being a little wordy, and I’ll cut the second paragraph and move it to the bottom as the conclusion.

Also, no matter how hard I try to “dash off,” I always end up self-editing and correcting as I go. Have been known to spend 30+ minutes on one SENTENCE. What can I say? I’m anal.

The other thing I have to do is something else entirely, e.g. play a game or do housework, while letting my brain write “in the background.” Some of my BEST phrasing comes from these times.

I wish I could just download my brain and then edit it. That would be so awesome.
Lynne B.´s last blog ..Reelin’ in the Years