My top three writing habits:
1. My first writing habit is to carry around a notebook. I purchase them from Michaels from the dollar bin because they fit in small, confined spaces. I also like the covers - Mary Engelbreit. I have them in the house, in the car, in my purse, and in my desk at school. When I can't get to the laptop, I jot down my ideas in these little notebooks. I use them for plot outlines, story beginnings, character descriptions, dialogue lines I hear I like, or anything I think I might use later in a story. They work great and are totally portable.
2. My second writing habit is to collect pictures of characters and settings. I am a very visual person and need to have illustrated representations of my characters and places. Sometimes I can find the exact look or place, while other times I have a series of pictures to help shape my images. On my laptop, I have created a folder of characters and ideas that contains pictures I have come across but haven't used - yet. I also put pictures with the manuscript to help me continue the story. Especially if I have been away from the story for a while, it helps to get the momentum back by "flipping" through the pictures. When I need inspiration, I can also look at these pictures and usually something will come to me.
3. My third writing habit is to simply write. Whenever I get an idea, I just write. I find that I have great beginnings, but sometimes lose the story somewhere in the middle and flounder around until I have lost it completely. I tend to want to re-read the beginning over and over to find the ending, only to find that ocassionally it is gone. Because of this, I try very hard not to re-read what I have written in the hopes that I won't lose the momentum of the story and spend all my time editing. I have many beginnings that I have either lost the story to or had the idea but not had the time to finish - yet. Hopefully, I will get to them soon. 
Melissa, I think it is really interesting that you collect pictures of your characters and your settings. I'm not sure I've heard of any other writers who do that.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can completely relate to your admonition to yourself to keep writing rather than succumb to relentless re-reading and editing. I seem to have a collection of perfectly polished beginnings that fade out and away . . .
Hey Melissa, I do number two, as well! When I am developing a character, I will find a picture in a magazine or online of someone who "looks" like my minds-eye conception of the character. It helps to know what your people look like.
ReplyDeleteI don't keep pictures of settings, but I do sketch diagrams and maps and keep them handy so I don't have characters going west when they should be going east.
That is an excellent idea Ray! I might have to start diagraming my entire story...
ReplyDeleteMelissa- I love the idea about little notebooks. Since traffic is so bad here in the ATL, someone once suggested to me to keep a tape recorder.
ReplyDeleteKathleen- I also have a collection of perfectly polished beginnings.
Simply writing can be the hardest part! Good thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI collect images too ... mostly images of places (buildings, architectures, cities, etc) that evoke a mood that I'm trying to get on paper.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, it's so hard to not go back and re-read before it's necessary.