Weird Things You Do Before You Write

My room either has to be absolutely silent or filled with the noise of soft music. I have to be kind of numb--I can't write when I'm angry, or really happy. And I have to start writing as soon as I get up in the morning, otherwise I get lazy and unmotivated and nothing ever gets done.

And I don't do this all the time, but if I'm having trouble starting a chapter or a section of a chapter, I lay on my bed and try to relax like I'm attempting to go to sleep. It usually helps. (Annoyingly, I tend to get a lot of my ideas in that weird stage where you're tantalizingly close to sleep but still alert enough to completely reawaken if something bothers you. Out of nowhere I'll get like random snippets of dialogue or a name or a plot idea and I'm just like "...Dammit," because I'm so close to sleep that I don't want to get out of bed but I can't bear the thought of losing my ideas. After some deliberation I usually just get up and write my thoughts down anyway. )

Also, before I start any new stories, I make a playlist on iTunes featuring songs that I think go well with the story, and I listen to that when I'm writing if I feel the need for a bit of noise.

And I have to have the internet unplugged. I'm so easily distracted.

If it's an update, I usually reread a couple of the previous parts.

wonderfully dru.:

If it's an update, I usually reread a couple of the previous parts.

I do the same thing.
I also listen to songs that gives me ideas for what I'm writing. Stuff that fits the storyline of what I'm writing.

Yeahhh I HAVE to re-read... I often get so lost and forget even after a day I have to re-read hehe to get myself into the mood.

To be honest, I have pretty similar habits to the majority of Mibbians XD

Like, my wierdest... Is when I go for walks with my dog and I just LOSE it, and go into my own world and not only say the lines outloud (dialogue flows SO much better that way) but I act out the main character too, and sometimes other characters to try and get their expressions just right and all respsones flowing.

I also have to find THE right song, and I will play it over and over again, sometimes there's one artist that really suits the feel of my story and I'll play that, and sometimes it's a different song for each turn in the story line/chapter. Or sometimes there'll be like theme songs, ones for happy moments, ones for sad etc...

And I don't like to feel any pressure at the time, like 'oh GOD, Ireallyoughttabedoinggraphicscourseworkbutaaaaigottawrite' That makes it hard.
Showers help.
Also, before I go to bed, close my eyes and... Oneshots happen.

I have to put on some My Chemical Romance if I'm working on The Demolition Lovers [though for this story it has to be the album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge] or an MCR fan fic. If it's Alice In Despairland, I just put on something that suits the mood of the chapter I'm writing, usually Evanescence. I usually let my mind wander any chance I get and just play in my head over and over what's gonna happen in the story. If I'm stuck, I sometimes ask my best friends [usually Ethan, aka "Yoyoddd" on Mibba] for ideas. I flip through countless book and magazines, looking for inspiration for a current story or a new one. I also can't be around my family when I write. My mom always wants to see what I'm writing and my little brothers never leave me alone. So I guess pretty similar habits to other Mibbians. :/

I masturbate.

wonderfully dru.:

I masturbate.

That just made my day. You are now my hero.

So this isn't spam:
Usually, when I say I'm going to write, I won't write. I might watch videos, look at pictures, or google the person that is in my story [for fan fiction, obviously]. Then I'll write after that.

I usually look at my reflection for a second or two then I i'll fiddle with something while I think before suddenly writing.

I have to have the door closed and I'm fine with background noise.
I like having a bit of noise outside the room im in.

I cant sit straight on my seat, it's a spinny chair with a high back and I always out my feet up on it. That's not just for writing though. Actually my cousin is like that too.

I do alot of random things really, it changes and doesn't depend on anything.

I'll read previous chapters of the story I'm working on so I can get in the mood for it again. I know it's weird, but it helps me recapture what exactly I'm trying to say, what the general tone of the story should be.

I'll also go read some amazing fanfiction. Then I just get this itch to try and create something as amazing as that, then I get all inspired and end up writing a ton.

I daydream about what I'm about to write. I place myself in the main character's shoes. Most of the time, this happens while I'm either shampooing or supposed to be reading something in class.

Reread the story so far, listen to music, eat, shower, lay around. I also seem to write best after I get back from somewhere. Not school so much as football games, parties, and trips.

I will generally just lay on my stomach on my bed with my head at the foot of the bed. That always helps me a lot. I don't know why. I also sit in front of my window and stare outside and imagine different scenes playing out there. I sometimes go to different spots to visualize a part of a story.

I always make sure I have a cup of tea and always have my writing sound track on which consists of bands such as Just Surrender, Taking Back Sunday, The Color Fred, The Used, Ash and The Offspring.

druscilla's moon.:

If it's an update, I usually reread a couple of the previous parts.

So do I. Not only does it help me remember where I left off, it also lets me see if I made any mistakes in the previous parts or if something would sound better if changed to something else.

-I have to have music playing, I can't write in silence.
-I usually have a bottle of water with me at all times.
-The door to my computer room has to be closed (no distractions)
-I have to be completely alone in the room, otherwise I get paranoid.
-I have to be warm when I write, I can't write when I'm shivering.
-The music I listen to has to be something that sets a creative atmosphere (ex: Owl City, Nevershoutnever!, Backseat Goodbye, basically anything acoustic and mellow. The only acceptions to that are Blessthefall and All Time Low)
-My friends and I once acted out the whole second part to my three part story, just so my sister would understand why we were freaking out when we saw something on TV that gave us a huge idea.
-I almost always have to have pictures of what the characters look like. I need faces for the names.

I have to be in bed.

Seriously, I have my door closed and I'm all snuggled up with my laptop. I'm calm and relaxed because I know no-one is looking over my shoulders. My bed is warm, cosy and comfortable. I have itunes playing on my laptop usually just my Recently Added Playlist or a special Writing Soundtrack I've come up with.

I have to have the internet on so I can research anything last minute too.

I either have to write as soon as I get up, or curl up in bed and do it.
Otherwise nothing ever gets written because of distractions/laziness etc.

I usually re-read the previous page or so, as well.

I act it out.
I sit down on my bed (with the telly up full blast so no one can hear) and just act out what's going to happen in the scene.
I started doing it so I could just see if the dialogue would flow and now I do it all the time.
I get really into it to so I do start getting upset over certain things and it helps me when I go to write the story.

I "dream" of it in my sleep, I changed the plot and character's name if it doesn't fit or something can't work out. Seriously, after I pictured the whole story in my mind, I lost the interest of writing it out. Haha.

I re-read and know where I want the chapter to end, but I also have to have a clean area around me... so nothing gets written cus my room's a tip.

To add on to my list, I have to have my dog Maggie May with me when I write in my room. I don't know why, but whenever she's in the room with me, my creativity runs wild.