Sunday, February 23, 2014

Do you have a go-to habit when you're writing?

Ana reveals a bad writing habit

I tend to nibble when I am stuck searching for 'right' word or phrase. It's a bad habit, as I don't need any extra calories.

Chewing on my fingernails is limited- only twelve chances every two weeks.

I tie back my hair most days, so searching for split ends is not an option. Nor should it be.


The computer I'm using now does not have Spider Solitare, so one side of my brain can't play while the other searches for the words I want.

I need to get better at phrasing or take up finger drumming. Lord knows I don't want to lie on the floor and do sit-ups.

What do you do when you're writing and you don't know exactly what comes next?


12 comments:

  1. I move to a different part of the house or yard. Sometimes I switch from lap top to CPU. Other times I grab paper and pen and do things the old-fashioned way by hand. Sometimes just the change in scenery or writing tool unlocks the words buried in my brain.

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  2. Unlike Debra, I don't tend to move anywhere else. There are times when I think I am glued to the chair in front of my desktop computer. But I do confess to opening a can of lager while I think. It works much better than coffee during the day - which maybe is why I tend to do most of my writing in the evenings!

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  3. Debra, those are productive solutions!
    Paula, alcohol is a great idea.

    So am I the only one with not-so-great habits?

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  4. Didn't someone once say, "Write drunk, edit sober"? Can't remember who it was!

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  5. I used to use M&Ms as an incentive. Write a page and I'd get one. Yeah, one. I had to make the little serving last the evening ;-)

    I used to also consume large quantities of OJ and raw almonds. Something about the crunching of the nuts helped me work out frustrations on the page (stressed people gravitate toward chewing ice, eating toast and chewing on nuts!). Maybe the OJ gave me the added Vit C I needed to concentrate . . . or the sugar kept me awake ;-)

    I don't have any strange habits these days that I can think of. If I get stuck though, and if the weather is good, I'll take the dogs to the beach or work in the garden. A little exercise is great for getting the blood pumping into the brain.

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  6. I guess mine is candy related. When I am not eating Hershey Kisses I find myself drawn to Candy Crush Saga. Such a terrible habit, and I know I'll have to give up one of them. Hmmm, now that is the dilemma... which one?

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  7. Well from now on I'll be trying to work out how many fingers you have ;-)

    Usually I just type in roughly what I want to say and a note to tell me to come back and work on it.

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  8. Patsy, that is a super idea. I could be "killing myself" by insisting on writing like a reader: can't go forward with fill-in-the blank spaces.

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  9. Jane,
    I've not played Candy Crush. (That's a game, right?)

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  10. Kemberlee--bring me to the beach, please!
    Forecast here is for 15 degrees below tonight. Again.

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  11. Paula, I think that might have been Hemingway. :)

    When I'm stuck, I troll social media, which is a huge time-waster and doesn't always help me think. I need to improve my attention span.

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