What is your weird writer behavior?
I have a confession:
I talk to myself. Pretty much all the time. Sometimes, I talk about what I am doing, sometimes I talk about what I need to do next and sometimes, I talk about the lives of my imaginary friends.
My favorite place to do this is in the car. Thank goodness for the invention of hands-free cell phones! Now at the stoplights, I don't have to pretend like I am singing.
It also keeps me entertained while cleaning. I've had arguments, first kisses and plotted murder, all while folding laundry, mopping floors and wiping down counters.
If I ever get the opportunity to be a full time writer, my house will probably be much cleaner! Okay, probably not, but it is one of the possible benefits I keep touting to my husband.
So, Tell Me Your Story. What is your weird writer behavior? Do you talk to yourself? Follow strangers to finish hearing their conversation? Have a computer picture file of people you have never met?
8 comments:
I'm an artist as well, so oftentimes I will sketch the two main characters I'm working with and pin them above my monitor as well as scan them into the WIP file. Their faces are constantly in front of me and if I'm having trouble getting the words to come out, I'll stop and stare at them for some time until they start speaking to me again.
Oh, I am a human drama lurker, for sure. I love to overhear a conversation and run with it. As a matter of fact, I got sidetracked from my WIP by two guys in the grocery store the other night...they were kind of hard core looking, both with lots of tattoos and grungy. One asked the other if he liked a particular brand of canned chili.
I thought: Who are these guys that they are buying groceries together? They aren't brothers, or they would already know what kind of chili to buy (presumably having been raised together). My gaydar wasn't going off, I'm pretty sure they weren't a couple, but I could be wrong. Are they new roommates? Why are they living together?
Anyway, my twisted mind took them some interesting places...
Going to my parents' house or visiting any of my relatives on the eastern side of Montana is a 500-mile round-trip. Driving anywhere in Montana usually involves a long car trip.
My hubby, who's incredibly understanding of my need to edit, hooks his computer up to the car stereo system. While I drive, he then has it read my writing out loud. If I catch something odd, he either fixes it if it simple or makes a note for me to fix later.
We set the Mac to read with a British accent. It just sounds cooler.
I am my own mental narrator. This is beyond weird...
When I lay in bed at night, ill think
"she pulled the covers off and wondered why she couldn't sleep."
Or sometimes I'll say it out loud and my bf thinks I'm so crazy. Ill stub my toe and yell "ouch! She screamed as tears prickes her eyes."
And hes like "babe...we've gotta get you out more"
I always talk to myself! And I answer back. Very scary. I used to think staying home full time would give me a clean house too. Am on unemployment, home writing, and my house is messier than ever. Sigh.
So, glad to hear I am not alone! Thank you for sharing. I actually do more of these than I care to admit!
I total have the mental narrator like Lindsay, only I write suspense. So my narrator says things like, "We know she took her kids to girl scouts at 5:30, but didn't come back for them an hour later. What happened to her on the way to the grocery store?"
I find pictures of my characters(I am utterly challenged in the area of art!) and stare at them.
I love the idea of having the computer read in a British accent. That is great!
Teri~ I could make all sorts of things out of the two burly men buying chili. That just opens up a wealth of ideas!
Jennifer~ I don't truly believe my house would be cleaner, but I am definitely trying to convince my husband it would!
I've been known to act out scenes with Barbie
& Ken dolls! :)
Oh! Now I don't feel so bizarre for having the inner narrator, too. :-)
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