Hello fellow writers! Today's topic is about 5 writing habits that I believe every writer should have. I came up with this topic because I was struggling to shut out all the distractions and just write. I swear, I stared at the screen with more shock and disbelief than a Marvel fan on the premiere night of Infinity Wars.
I know I'm not alone when I say I wasted so much time getting myself into the "writing mood". I finally just had to find habits that helped me cut the crap and get right down to the nitty-gritty of writing. So without further ado, let's dive in!
1. Using Music Psychology to (literally) get you into to the writing mood.
Have you ever watched a movie or show that had you so enthralled that you began to cry. Maybe the two lovers parted or a beloved character died and you just couldn't help yourself. Right? Don't worry, you’re not alone or overly sensitive because that was the exact reaction the director wanted you to have. The director saw a moment in the script that would make viewers vulnerable, and so they hired a composer to exaggerate that moment. Yes, music is most likely the reason you cried. Though the script was the source of the grief, the music is what compelled you to feel anything at all. Unless, of course, you are overly sensitive...
Music psychology has been used by directors and writers alike, for years but has never been valued for anything more than just a tool. To some, it does the same thing a freshly cut onion does: it makes you cry. But the power of music psychology is not limited to a sad scene, it can be used throughout the whole movie. If the director wants you to smile, then a song is written just to make you smile, as well as, laugh or send chills down your spine. All of this can happen because of a simple song. Capitalizing on the power of music psychology will throw all of your emotions in line. After that, you can pick which Inside Out character you want to feel for whatever scene you want to write. You can manipulate, not only your readers but also yourself. The sooner you learn that the easier writing will come to you.
Spotify is one of the tools I use exclusively. I have specific playlists designed to compel me to feel a particular emotion. Sonder for a numb scene; Sillage for a feeling of loss; Sisn for intensity; Strikhedonia for smiles; and Solivagant for loneliness. Carve out a time in your week to sit down and feel a whole bunch of emotions at once. Then later, you will only have to feel one. Of course, a writer's time is usually spent on either writing or their actual life, so if anyone is interested in leeching off mine I'll leave a link at the end.
2. Write your thoughts DOWN.
What's more annoying than getting an amazing plot idea and then forgetting it when you go to write? N O T H I N G! It is so frustrating, because I know I have something golden but can't–for the life of me–remember what. A writing journal is there to keep all those gems safe until you want to use them.
My mind is written down on the several journals' thin pages. No one else would understand it cause looks chaotic, but to me it's beautiful. Every misspelled word is perfectly written; each random idea is in the right order and every pen scribble makes an elegant frame for my ideas.
I couldn't stress the importance of a writing journal more if I were to throw myself in front of a car! ... okay, maybe it's not that important. But yeah, if you don't have one you need one. It's a must.
In one year I've finished at least two writing journals and am now onto my third. The journal I am currently on is a flat little notepad I keep with me at all times. I bought it from Cognitive-Surplus.com, a store I highly recommend, and it's one of my favorites. I try to have a writing journal for each project I'm working on in order to sort my thoughts according to the subject. When I go to write in my current writing project, Pilot, all I have to do is grab my two "Pilot" notebooks and get right to work. I have all my brainstorms, character cheat sheets, and plot twists for Pilot at an arm's length while I write.
I think the most beautiful part of a writing journal is that you can fill it in with whatever you want. It could be sketches of a character costume right down to a list of unusual ways to kill someone. I have random slots in my journals where I just write down book ideas that come to me. I've found that when I need a new project I can look back and find an intriguing idea right away. There's just so many ways to fill a writing journal and that's the way it was meant to be. There is no right or wrong way. A writing journal's sole purpose is to help you write.
Another plus to keeping a writing journal is that it is a great way to publicize your writing. I have a blood red journal with the front and back displaying a diagram of both sides of a human heart. It is surrounded by medical documents about the organ and it is GORGEOUS! The journal's cover makes for an enjoyable conversation with a stranger at Starbucks. Besides, an interesting writing journal looks great on an Insta feed. Just sayin'.
3. Writing Ritual.
Despite the name I've given this habit you don't actually have to sit in a circle of candles in a dark room and write. But then again, if that's what helps you hack your way to inspiration, by all means, do it.
A writing ritual is unique to every writer; taking on many forms throughout the years. Victor Hugo, the author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, wrote the novel with an impossible deadline by locking himself in his house for months. He would lock away his clothes and dress in a large gray shawl so that he wouldn't be tempted to leave until he had finished. Now, this is a little extreme... but, then again, so was the novel.
In order to find your writing ritual, you have to search yourself. What inspires you? The smell of old and new books causes inspiration to tingle my fingertips as well as just their presences. I like to surround myself with books because the knowledge held within them seems to magically leak out onto my computer screen. My actual writing ritual though consists of enticing all of my senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. I have my writing journal for sight, a lit candle for scent, my individually made Spotify playlists for sound, an old wooden, hand-carved sailor for touch and some hot, brewed tea for taste.
Your writing ritual now is probably going to be different from the one you need next year or even next season. For me, mine changes with the season which actually makes sense. Michael Buble's Christmas album is not going to inspire me in the summer the same way it does in the winter. Neither will a pumpkin scented candle in the spring or a tall, sweetened, green tea with lemon from Dunkin in the fall. Finding the schedule of your ritual will take time, but it's totally worth it.
The purpose of a writing ritual is to activate your muse earlier on in the writing process instead of waiting for it to wake up on its own. I see it as that ice skating princess card in Candy Land that takes you from the starting line to the finish in one lucky turn. I actually used to stack the deck in my favor while playing that game so that I would skip through the Peppermint Forest and join Princess Frostine on Snow Flake Lake within the first few turns. I'm not embarrassed to say I do the same in writing; try to find hacks in writing to make ideas flow more naturally and more words to be written in less amount of time. A writing ritual is your custom stacked deck of inspiration.
4. Plotting is caring.
Plotting out your novel is one of the most important things you can do in the preparation of writing it. It helps you have a clear view of the beginning, middle, and end; letting you control every paragraph, action scene, and conversation. Even if you don't follow the plot you've set, it's always good to have something to reference throughout the creation of your story.
I'll be the first writer to admit that I plot things that I end up never writing, but after a horrid experience with a book that wasn't plotted, I always vote with plotting first. I once wrote a short story and ended up scrapping it in the end because I went totally off the whack! It wasn't worth the inspiration, time, and emotions that I invested in it, just to have the "freedom" of winging it. You don't have to be afraid of if. Plotting is there just as a gentle guideline not as prison walls.
5. Profiling like an F.B.I agent.
Character profiling is my most absolute favorite thing to do and I do it constantly. If I don't have the inspiration to write or plot I get out my writing journal and further my characters. You can never flesh out a character too much. A lot of the information a writer needs in order to write their characters isn't even known by the readers, and this is inevitable.
When you meet someone new they don't just say, "Hi, my name is blah, blah, blah and my biggest fear is blah, blah, blah and my past is this and future is that and if you'd like to know more, here's my brochure", that would be absolutely crazy! If you gave your readers every, single detail about your character it would feel like that to them; creepy and overwhelming and... did I mention creepy? It's okay to develop your character to a point where you know things about them that your reader might never find out.
Profiling a character consists of more than just a birth date, name, and eye color. It's the interesting phrases and the way they speak; styles of clothing they prefer, and nervous ticks they have that make up an exceptional character. A character is meant to look, sound, and feel like you and me, and if all those little tiny details aren't there then they won't be believable to your readers. Ted Dekker, a renowned novelist, said in his writing course that there is a fictive bubble you send your readers into each time they open your book, and this bubble can be popped. One of the worst ways to pop it is when the readers pick up on an action or even word that they think a certain character would or wouldn't do/say. In order to avoid that embarrassing confrontation, you should know your character better than your readers think they do.
I have just started a list of vocabulary words for one of my more challenging characters. She's only challenging because her character type was made out of a cliche. She's the stubborn, strong, sexy character that is always willing to pick a fight to make her point. Yeah, you know exactly who I'm talking about, don't ya?
When I started the project I didn't care because she was a minor character, but when I got to write her P.O.V I didn't want to accept the cliche vibes. I wanted something unique. I posted the chapters for my readers to see on Wattpad and when I checked the comments the next day, the feedback was surprising. It was then that she became one of the main pillars of the story. The readers adopted the idea that a commonly known cliche could be more then she seemed. I created an illusion that even I couldn't see through. So now I've started the journey of discovering who she is. What she fears, loves, fights for; her motives and dreams; her past and future; her morals and beliefs; not just her hair color but the number freckles that line her collarbone. I'm getting to know my character as if I was her god, and that is how it should be.
- A Fellow Solivagant Writer,
Bethany Lord
I hope all these habits aid you in your writing. Next week's post is five more honorable mentions. Please let me know what writing habits you use in the comments. Thank for reading and I hope you enjoyed Solivagant Writers.
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Spotify playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/user/taylor.1999
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