Weird Things You Do Before You Write

I've been getting into the habit of writing in public places recently. I just sit and watch the world go by for a while before I write, or if I get stuck for inspiration, watching people's body language or the way they act etc usually helps me get an idea for one of my characters.

And if I can, I like to write where chapter is set, so if the characters are meant to be in a coffee shop, that's where I'll go. It's easier to describe the scene if I can see it in front of me.

This is stupid but I like to write transcriptions of YouTube vlogs. Because it helps me with naturalistic dialogue.

Also I always make cups of tea when I can't think of anything.

I usually think about what I want my characters to say before I solidify the plot line, and then I'll act out what I'm writing or I'll imagine what it would look like with the characters acting it out in my head. It helps me to get all the movements and details right.

Something else that I have found really works wonders for me is if I make myself be one of the characters. It helps me get some ideas that I didn't have down on paper.

emery ryan carter.:

This is stupid but I like to write transcriptions of YouTube vlogs. Because it helps me with naturalistic dialogue.

That's a really good idea, actually. I think I might try that sometime.

I only write at night time before bed (I'm more creative when I'm tired, but then I stay up until silly o'clock and can't get up the next day) or on the bus. When I'm just sitting at home, I can't think. And I never write anything on a computer, it's always on my phone or iPod. If it's on my iPod, I have to transfer it to my phone before updating, no idea why.
Also, as I write mainly bandfiction, I have to listen to that band/watch videos of that band before and whilst I'm writing.

^
I'm the opposite with bandfiction. I don't often like to listen to that band while writing.

I walk around my room and do a lot of random cleaning.

Sometimes I get naked. Seriously.

I don't really do anything weird, but I have to write on paper. I used to be the other way around, but now I can't get any ideas to come out when I'm on my computer. I write whenever I find the time, like between classes, when I get home from school, when I go home for the weekend so there's not really set things that I do since I'm in different places all the time. I don't like listening to music, which people will find really odd. I'll get inspiration when I'm randomly listening to a song but when I'm actually writing, I don't need music playing. And, if there's a lot of dialogue in one part, I'll write the dialogue in a quick, script-form, with no narration and then add in the narration once I get to that part.

I can't ever finish the first paragraph on one piece of paper. I just realized this in study hall but I write a couple sentences on paper and then I tear that piece out of my notebook. Once I copy the original three or four sentences onto another paper I continue for a couple more minutes and then tear that one out too. It just continues and once I've made a complete paragraph I continue the process until I reach a full chapter.

It explains the mounds of paper in my room but honestly I hadn't realized I was doing this until a couple days ago. I think it's pretty odd that I do it but I can't find another way to write.

idiotheque.:

I don't really do anything weird, but I have to write on paper. I used to be the other way around, but now I can't get any ideas to come out when I'm on my computer.

So much harder for me to write on paper. I went to IHOP to do it the other night. (I love writing at restaurants/coffee shops.) And it was so awkward. I don't feel like I can describe enough or put in enough writing on paper 'cause I'm trying to write as fast as possible just to keep up with the ideas in my head, whereas I type over 90 wpm so that's not such a problem when it comes to typing.

^ That's how I used to feel too. I can type way faster than I can write and my ideas are flying out even quicker than I can type but when I'm sitting in front of my computer, nothig comes anymore. It's because that's all I did in the summer, writing in a notebook, I mean, and I think I just got used to it. The things I write on paper tend to bereally jumpy from sentence to sentence, but I fix that when I type it all up. I just need to get started on paper then I can move on to the computer.

I wear these really elaborate black and red striped fingerless gloves with ribbons on, make sure I have some tea with me and then completely organize my room. I also prefer writing when I'm lying down and/or at night.

I always try and wear my gloves but it does make me look a little crazy in front of other people xD

Oh, and I also listen to one song on repeat so I can block out other sounds and things around me.

I can't talk to certain friends before I write or else I lose my groove. Such as Boy, if I talk to him I get a little gushy and it's hard to stay focused and eventually I lose my thoughts. If I talk to my irl best friend, sometimes I feel a little irritable for no reason and it plays off in my writing until I think it's no good and delete it.

I absolutely have to be chewing gum

Whenever I listen to music I always add the emotion I feel during the song into the stories. With my last chapter of Ghost, I was listening to The Climb so for most of the chapter my characters were both upset. If I can't find the right song to listen to at home while I write my chapters tend to be all over the place with emotions. In school I always repeat certain lyrics in my head while I'm writing.

I have to have my mini slinky to play with otherwise I can't focus on writing because I'm freaking out as to the whereabouts of my slinky.

I keep a tiny little notepad on my desk behind my keyboard. Every time I sit down to write, I open up to a fresh page and scribble in, as fast as possible, my stream of thoughts. I write chains of words, possible beginning sentences, brief one-sentence ideas for entire plots. Somehow, out of this madness, I begin to write instantly.

Also, I write out the entire plots for my stories and one shots, in the a similar format to how summaries for books and movies are written on Wikipedia. If I can map out the entire story, then I can begin it much much more easily.

^ I do that too. I always have a stream of ideas written on the top of my page before I start writing so I never lose anything, even if I have to stop and finish up a one-shot the next day.

I always talk to myself for like an hour before I even start typing or writing