Monday, May 2, 2016

'Tis a Writer's Life (Tag)


A while back (and by that I mean. . .in Janury) the amazing Jameson @ Lovely Whatsoevers (doesn’t she have the sweetest blog name?) tagged me for the Writer’s Life Tag. A tag about the writer’s life? Obviously I had to do it! Because, ya know, sometimes I consider myself a writer. *she says as she’s sprawled out alone in her room with her laptop blogging and drinking coffee* Yeah. Only sometimes. . . #thewriterslifeistheonlylife

Ahem. Shall we?

Questions

Write-fuel: What do you eat/drink while writing?
Being as how I literally have a cup of coffee in my hand while typing this answer, we should probably go with coffee. (Also ever since a couple NaNoWriMos ago, I’ve taken up attempting to type with one hand, because my other one refuses to let go of the coffee. I’m getting faster at it.)

It’s very rare I eat while writing. “Having a break” is synonymous to me as “getting food.” I like to have a snack and then get back to writing. Though on occasion I have munched on a bag of chips while writing/editing and don’t want to stop. (Or it’s NaNo and I refuse to stop.)

Write-sounds: What do you listen to while writing?
Soundtracks is my writing blood. I have to have music while writing—it immerses me in the scene and makes me forget I’m even writing. But it has to be very specific music. Lyrical music distracts me too much (though it’s fine while blogging and such, just not writing fiction). I love soundtracks, epic scores, even quite a bit of video game music. Just any and all great instrumental pieces I can get my hands on. I like to have a piece or two that fits each scene while I’m writing it. Such as the big, dramatic epic scores for battle scenes, or melancholy violin solos for sad ones, etc.

Write-vice: What’s your most debilitating distraction?
Without a doubt, the internet. I always have good intentions. But then I get stuck on a word and need to check thesaurus.com, which leads me to other places, and then next thing I know I’m reading a list of peculiar words for no apparent reason. Or my phone will notify me I have an email, so obviously I have to go check it. Or I think I should tweet or Instagram that I’m writing. Well. . .you can guess what comes next once I’ve opened the twitter or IG app. The worst is when I pop over to Pinterest “real quick” to look up an article or writing tip I have pinned, or glance at a pic of one of my characters or scenery to get a visual. Let’s just say there’s a door to enter Pinterest, but there’s no exit. . . Basically, I should ban the Wi-Fi while I’m writing. Or, ya know, have more self-control, but we all know that’s not happening.

Write-horror: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you while writing?
Hm. . . Oddly enough, I don’t really have any major writing horror stories. I don’t have the normal tale of losing my writing. I’m obsessed with backing up my stories because I’m super de duper paranoid about losing things. I have all my writings backed up in so many different places, it’s getting kinda ridiculous. XD Better safe than sorry?

I guess self doubt is my worst enemy. Those times where I look back through my writing and just want to vomit are. . .not fun. I also get so overwhelmed with all the things it takes to get published. Sometimes I wonder what’s the point? Those are definitely some of my worst writing moments. But then I realize writing is life and I’d probably stop breathing if I ever stopped. So I get over it and keep on writing.

Write-joy: What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you while writing, or how do you celebrate small victories?
Oh, there’s so many joyful moments with writing! Finishing a novel is one of the best feelings in the world. Getting encouraging feedback from my writing makes me feel all fuzzy and giddy, and helps me keep pushing on when those doubts start creeping in.

I usually celebrate victories with food. Duh. Or just feeling satisfied and allowing myself to do something fun like read or watch a TV show.

Write-crew: Who do you communicate with or not communicate with while writing?
Every single Monday my dearest Deborah (or Celti as I call her) and I do “writing reports”, where we email each other all the writerly things we got done that week. We’ve been doing it for years now and I would not be nearly as far with my writing or have as much written if it weren’t for those reports. It keeps me accountable. I can’t bear reporting in on Monday and having to admit I didn’t do a thing productive writing-wise all week. My writing literally took a turning point the day we started doing it. I highly suggest getting an accountability partner. It’s the best! Also just fun. I so cherish our Monday reports, where we talk about writing and everything else that has happened through the week. I wouldn’t be the writer or even person I am today if not for my Celti. <3

I also chat quite a bit with Tracey, a.k.a the nicest person in the world. And then there’s blogging and talking with you all via blog comments.

Basically, I have the bestest writing internet buddies ever and I don’t know what I’d do without each and every one of you.

Write-secret: What’s your writing secret to success or hidden flaw?
Secret success? Hahahaha! I don’t think I have one of those. XD Except having an accountability partner to keep you writing like I mentioned above.

Hidden flaw? Mmm. . . I have so many flaws. You could probably just name something and I’m flawed at it. I think having the initiative to actually take the steps needed to getting published would be a big one. I’m, sadly, not the best at picking myself up and doing hard things. I can churn out a first draft, but the whole editing and searching for literary agents and querying type stuff. . .well, I could use a good shove. (I am trying to work on the editing part at least though. One step at a time, right?)

Write-spiration: What always makes you productive?
Goals! Goals, goals goals. If I’m not working toward a goal, I’ll probably just have a Netflix marathon. But if there’s a very specific goal in mind, I’ll get all OCD about it and obsess over making that goal. Such as during NaNoWriMo. Like I said, I need a shove to get things done. Only having myself to keep me accountable and productive gets me nowhere.

Write-peeve: What’s one thing writers do (or you do) that’s annoying?
Most things I do annoy me. I just annoy myself in general. Heh.

As far as other people. Um. . . I’m getting super tired of all these immoral heroes we’re supposed to “look up to” these days. Which I mentioned in my post last week and you guys probably don’t want me ranting again. XD

Write-words: Share one sentence from a project, past or present.
Okey dokey. This is from Burning Thorns, the story I’m currently (or should be currently) editing. And I’m too lazy to go through the document and choose one sentence out of the whole thing, so I’m just gonna do the very last sentence I typed.

She caught one hazy glimpse of the torches heading for
the castle, her Dragon, before her vision faded into the dark.

~ ~ ~

This was too much fun to fill out. Huge thank you to you, Jameson, for the great tag! Sorry it took me a million years to get to. I’m bad about getting to tags, guys. . . I’ve got to do better.

Tagging

Tracey Dyck @ Adventure Awaits

Katie Grace @ A Writer's Faith

Skye Hoffert @ Ink Castles

Deborah O'Carroll @ The Road of a Writer

Mary Horton @ Sunshine and Scribblings

and any and all of you who want to join. It’s a free-for-all! *throws tag out to all* Also, if I tagged you and you’ve already done this one before, feel free to ignore me. My memory is smaller than a peanut, so. And of course there’s no obligation to actually do the tag! Goodness knows I don’t always get to the ones I’m tagged for. Shameful.

So! Do we share any of these experiences? I’m going to
make all of you answer at least one or two of these questions. *cackles*
What helps you stay productive while writing? And how do you
celebrate your writing victories?
(Does it involve food? Pst. It should.)

29 comments:

  1. Ashdhdfghjkdhd you sweet lovely thing <3 I love our reports so much and they are SO helpful for me as well! Dunno what I'd do without them! Thanks for tagging me! I honestly can't remember if I've done it before or not. O.o I'm not a coffee person but I do love music... actually I randomly had the theme sound music from your Colors of a Dragon Scale stories in my head the other night for absolutely no reason! :O it was awesome. XD Do you know I probably listened to that thing thousands of times at nano writeins? I got addicted to replaying it on YouTube when I needed writing music. XD Anyways YES I love this post and it's always fun to hear about writerly processes! :D (Forgive me typos dontchaknow... phones are not fun to type on. ;P)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *beams* Our Monday emails mean soooo much to me! They've become such a huge part of my life and I treasure them! <3

      You're welcome! You know what's sad is I was wondering myself if I've done it before... I don't think I have, I think I've just done similar tags. It's just funny I can't remember what I've done or not done. XD

      Oh my goodness, you had the the Dragon Graveyard song in your head and listen to it all the time? THAT'S SO COOL! Isn't it just such an epic song? I love it! I repeat it during NaNo, too! That's so fun how we're both listening to it all the time during NaNo, and probably a lot of times we're listening to it at the same time. :O SO FUN.

      Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. (And wow, I admire you for using the phone. I don't think I've ever done blog comments with my phone... I always have to use the computer for things like that.)

      Delete
    2. Oh! And I meant to ask, are you still not able to see my blog photos? Google has switched servers of where the pictures upload and I'm wondering if that's the problem. I hope not because there's nothing I can do about it that I know of...

      Delete
    3. Erm...yeah. :-/ The last blog post that I can see the pics on was the Circle of Creativity one. On my computer, anyway. I remember, since I was reading your blog on a phone for a couple weeks there, that the next two, I couldn't see the pictures on them on the phone either, BUT I know I saw a pic for this post, on the phone... but I can't see it on my computer! It's all very weird and crazy and random. o.o I have no idea what's going on and it may just be me, I dunno. *shrug*

      Delete
    4. Well...huh. That's super weird and confusing. I have no idea what to do about this. My brother is a techno geek, I'll see if he has any thoughts. I just don't know what to do about it. Blergh. Computer stuff is so confusing!

      Delete
  2. Great post! I agree-celebrating with food is the best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! ^_^
      Food is LIFE! (Especially pizza.)

      Delete
  3. I might use this free for all branch of the tag :) The questions are fun and I do need another post.
    And same with me about backing EVERYTHING up.
    I have like so many different files and downloads i might need to start cleaning them out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely go for it! :D It's a really fun and clever tag.

      Lol! It sounds like we're alike in that. I'm not even sure I can find where I've backed up all my stories. XD

      Delete
  4. THE INTERNET. *groans* Someone needs to lock away the internet on my computer when I'm writing. It's not very helpful, really.

    Ooo, a free for all tag ... I might take advantage of that :D.

    (also, you are so lucky you have nothing big to put in the write-horror space, you seriously are)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good gracious, YES. The internet is such a distraction. I don't even want to think about how many hours in my life I've wasted doing pointless things on the internet... >.>

      Do it! It's such a fun one! But wait...do you have a blog??? :O Because there's not a link on your profile so I thought you must not have one. I need to follow my Savannah's blog!

      (It has been a blessing! I'm sure I'll have some horror stories in the future, but I've been really grateful nothing too terrible has happened thus far.)

      Delete
    2. And the worst things about the internet tends to be bunny trails. "Oh look, Christine updated! And there's a comment from Tracey, haven't checked her blog yet ... oh, she posted too ... that reminds me, I need to see if Deborah updated ..." That's literally what happens :D.

      At the moment I just have a private blog, but I MIGHT (huge emphasis on MIGHT, there hasn't been a confirmed answer from my parents yet) be starting a public blog sometimes soon. So I'll either be impatient and do the tag on my private blog, or be PATIENT (Ha, that ... that word doesn't work with me half the time ...) and squirrel it away for a few weeks until I know if I'll be getting a public blog :D.

      Delete
    3. YES. That is literally me! It's so bad. XD

      Ah, okay. Gotcha! Don't worry, I totally understand that. But that's so exciting you might get a public one! I'll absolutely be one of the first followers if you do. :D

      Delete
    4. SAVANNAH, IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS IF YOU GOT A BLOG. Oh my goodness, I would read and comment on alllll the posts. <3

      Delete
    5. Aw, you guys :D. *grins* You all make me so happy! I surely hope I'm allowed to have a public blog soon, I have a feeling it would be a lot of fun! :D

      Delete
  5. Thanks for tagging me, the internet is my biggest distraction too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are most welcome! ^_^
      Goodness me yes. It's the ultimate time sucker.

      Delete
  6. Aww, thank you for tagging me! This one looks like so much fun! :D (And I confess, when I see a post title for a tag that sounds like fun, I scroll to the bottom to see who they tagged, because the suspense is too much. XD)

    Typing with one hand because you can't let go of your coffee? THAT'S HILARIOUS. XDDD I don't think I could manage that!

    Soundtracks YESSSS. I love how you select certain tracks for each scene. I've been less specific about the music I listen to while writing lately, and I'm thinking it would help to go back and revamp my old mood playlists. *nods*

    GUH, THE INTERNET. The worst is when I sit down with every intention to write, and end up checking emails and blogs and a dozen unimportant other things before actually *writing.*

    Oh my goodness, I LOVE the idea of a weekly writing report! That sounds so fun, not mention it would be a great motivator and encouragement (because you have someone there to regularly hold you accountable and rejoice over the small, weekly steps you're taking). <3 I didn't know you and Celti did that! You guys are geniuses. I tip my hat to you two.

    You ARE editing, and you're doing such an amazing job at that! Just look how far you've already come! And how beautifully it's turning out. When it comes time to start looking into publishing (that vast expanse of the unknown...it's kind of scary, but also exciting!), you'll have a fantastic book to offer agents/publishing houses. ^___^

    I shudder to think of how little I would write if I didn't set goals for myself. They make SUCH a difference!

    THAT SENTENCE, THOUGH. *clutches heart* Torches heading to the castle??? I really must read the most recent chapters you've sent out, though they'll probably reduce me to an even puddlier puddle of feels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome!
      Oh my goodness, I do the same thing!! There's too much suspense knowing who all received the tag. XD

      Hehe! Gotta have that coffee. Honestly, I don't type with one hand much, but it does happen on occasion.

      That sounds like a plan. *nods, nods* I know I always write better if I have the perfect track for that specific scene. If I can put myself in the scene and feel the emotions, my words come out better somehow.

      SAME. I always think, "Well, I'll just do this one 'quick' thing then write." HA! There are no quick things once that internet browser is open. >.>

      That's exactly how the weekly reports go! So much motivation and encouragement. It gives me a drive to keep writing. I love 'em!

      D'awww! <3 Girl, you encourage me so much!!!

      Same here! Goals are everything for me with my writing. No goals = no writing.

      *grins* We've actually reached some of the most feelsiest scenes in the book, to tell you the truth. So...yeah. *cough*

      Delete
  7. It's cool to know more facts about your writing life! I also like to reward myself for writing with food. XD I need to get better at rewarding myself. Whenever I do, I feel way more motivated to finish something else. Something it feels like "Eh, big deal." When I'm the only one really happy about it and my family doesn't care much. XD I also don't like immoral characters to look up to. It irritates me. -_-

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. D'aww, thanks! Food FTW! :D I think rewarding ourselves is a great thing to do. Writing is HARD. Every word written deserves a celebration. You should absolutely celebrate all your hard work! ^_^

      Ugh. The immoral heroes drive me up the wall. This trend needs to stop.

      Delete
  8. The internet can be very distracting. Listening to writing music that fits whatever I'm working on helps a lot (though not usually music with words, unless they're in a different language).
    Seeing the word count go up also helps motivate me, and can be a reward in itself after a productive day. Writing success more often involve silently exulting and listening to a favourite song in celebration than food. I do fall into the writer stereotype of neglecting meals, though it's not often happened that I actually forget to eat.
    Having an accountability partner sounds like a great idea. I have a couple of writing friends who might like it too ;).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Such a distraction! I really should make more rules about avoiding the internet until I get certain writing things done.

      I'm the same with music! Instrumental stuff helps with my writing so much, but anything with lyrics is a distraction.

      I totally get that! Sometimes just seeing your progress and productivity is reward enough.

      Neglecting meals? Eep! Nooo. I gots to have my food! I basically just wait around all day for each meal to come. XD

      You should absolutely give it a try. It's so helpful!

      Delete
  9. HOW FUN! I LOVED reading this, Christine. :) <3

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love writing playlists! Although sometimes I make them and end up not even listening to them half the time while writing because some other song gets stuck in my head (and on repeat). Movie scores make great writing music though. Have you listened to any of Adam Young's scores? They're pretty good (especially RMS Titanic).

    Twitter and Blogger are probably my biggest social media distractions. They're so easy to access from my phone, and since it's already there on my desk... It's something I still have to work on. (And Pinterest...Pinterest is a dangerous place for a writer, haha.)

    The weekly emails sound like a lot of fun! Having a writing accountability partner is such an awesome idea!

    This was so much fun to read! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've done that, too! One will be on repeat and I'll forget, then like an hour later I snap back to reality and realize I've had the same song going over and over and over. So funny! XD
      ADAM YOUNG!!!!!!!! Owl City is my favoritest music of EVER. And I have heard some of his instrumental stuff. So good! I need to listen to more though. I don't think I've heard the one you mentioned. I must go look it up!

      Ooooh, yes! Just too distracting. Pinterest and blogger especially for me.

      It's really great. And helps this procrastinator out a ton. XD

      I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you again for tagging me!

      Delete
  11. EEEP, YOU TAGGED ME!!!! *dances and falls over because I have two left feet* Like Tracey said, I do have the tendency to scroll down to the bottom of a post to see if I've been tagged. It's...kinda weird. XD BUT I AM SO HAPPY BECAUSE YOU TAGGED ME AND JUST ASDHFLJF.

    I always *want* to have a snack while I write, but what usually ends up happening is that I get so engrossed in my writing that I completely forget my stomach. (WHICH IS AN AMAZING FEAT, LET ME TELL YOU.) So I don't usually eat anything while I write. I don't drink anything either, except water. (Because I'm an abnormal bookdragon who doesn't like tea or coffee. *cough*)

    I feel like I've mentioned this before (?), but I absolutely CANNOT write with music. It just distracts me waaaay too much. If I don't have an absolutely quiet environment, you can just forget it. I will get NOTHING done--be it writing, reading, or homework. IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY SAD. Because I love music and think it would be really fun to have music playing as I write. Ah, well. I shall be the awesome silent story spinner. XD

    Ugh, the internet. IT IS SERIOUSLY MY BIGGEST DOWNFALL. It's gotten so bad that I've actually resorted to turning off the internet while I write. XD I have noooo self-control once that little browser pops up. :P

    "Most things I do annoy me. I just annoy myself in general. Heh." I AM THE SAME WAY. I'll have these weird little conversations with myself sometimes where I keep getting annoyed with things I do. Or I'll make little sarcastic comments to myself and overanalyze everything I say. I DON'T EVEN KNOW. IT'S WEIRD.

    This looks like such a fun tag! I'll hopefully be doing it sometime this summer. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YES I DID! I do that too, oh my goodness. We're all three just too impatient. XD

      *LE GASP* Shameful, Mary! Usually I write BECAUSE I want to eat, and I give myself goals with food. Like, "Okay, if you wrote 200 more words you can get a snack." Or, "Write for this hour and then go have lunch." And so on. It's reeeeally good motivation, let me tell you. XD (I actually used to HATE coffee, but I developed a taste for it a couple years ago and now it's my life's fuel.)

      A lot of people are like that. I think that's perfectly normal! Music can be extremely distracting. And time consuming on my part because I'm constantly trying to find that "perfect" song for whatever scene I'm writing at the time. I should probably just turn the music off and WRITE. But I'm the opposite in you and HAVE to have music. Silence tends to distract me. It's so weird.

      I should follow your example and turn my wifi off while writing! Having the internet just right there at my fingertips is faaar too tempting.

      MARY I'M THE SAME. I way over analyze everything I do and get SO annoyed with myself. It's seriously bad. We must stop this awful habit!

      YAY! I hope you have fun with it. ^_^

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...