Paris Nest Card by bellaseradesigns
While writing this, I’m sitting in the quaintest, little restaurant/coffee house. The music playing is from, I’m guessing, the thirties or forties—reminiscent of Judy Garland. The room is a calm hue of beiges and tiffany blue with simple feminine décor. The never-ending cup of gourmet coffee still too warm to drink, sitting on the table in front of me, the flavor of which they rotate daily.
I would live here if it was an option. Mmmm, maybe this is my heaven. But I’m only able to come here once every two months or so, when I finally break down and take a sanity personal day.
My normal writing location is anywhere/ anytime that I can find: my couch, a desk, my bed, my car (92.8% of the time when it is not moving. Don’t judge me.) I scribble down my first drafts in a notebook while listening to the gentle whispers of my muse. In fact, the only consistency in my writing is the notebook.
I hand-write my initial ramblings. I find it far less intimidating than the blinking cursor. In addition, when I type out what I’ve written—I’m able to revise slightly, playing with wording. I enjoy the game of guessing how many words I’ve written.
That’s me. But what about you? For today’s Whatcha Say Wednesday – tell me…
Do you hand write drafts, or do you type them? Do you have a set place you write, or anywhere you can? Do you need silence to conjure your muse, or do you need background noise? Do you revise as you go, or do you tackle that at another time, once the story is complete?
Answer what speaks to you, and ignore the rest. But do tell—I’m quite curious.
I would never judge. I once took my open notebook in the car thinking "I'll write during the red lights."
ReplyDeleteI read during red lights, too, sometimes.
I have a notebook for the ideas, or I email myself random passages that come to me. I prefer typing because it's faster, but I used to collect old typewriters (hello dusty Underwood) and write first pages on that - just for the mystique, of course.
ReplyDeleteI trend away from revising as I'm writing, but when I first start a draft I'll usually read the whole thing back before I start a new page, just to get the feel for it. Once I hit page 50, it takes too long to read over and over so I type out into the abyss and try not to look back until THE END. I'll keep an "edit" list on the side for when I'm writing a draft; things I know I'll have to change once the next draft is underway, and then I'll tackle those.
And yes, I have been honked at several times for either reading or writing at red lights. Perhaps writers should have to go in for regularly-scheduled drivers' tests?
Do you hand write drafts, or do you type them?
ReplyDeleteI used to hand write, but find I like typing much better (plus I don't have to decipher my writing).
Do you have a set place you write, or anywhere you can?
As long as I'm comfortable, I can write anywhere!
Do you need silence to conjure your muse, or do you need background noise?
If I need inspiration, I go to my ipod, but I can write in quiet or noise (white noise). If one person is talking and I can make out the conversation, I have trouble writing then.
Do you revise as you go, or do you tackle that at another time, once the story is complete?
I do revise some as I go. I'm currently trying my best to get the story written FIRST. However, I do have to re-read what I wrote the day before (to get back into the story), and find I edit that portion at times.
Like you, I like to do rough drafts and planning and notes longhand. I totally get blinking cursor anxiety too. It's lovely to have raw material to pop into an electronic document, which becomes a "smooth draft."
ReplyDeleteI have to type to write, but I'll write anywhere I can have my laptop. I love to write in coffee shops, though - that's when I'm my most productive, usually.
ReplyDeleteI don't write first drafts by hand, but often times I'll brain storm with paper and pencil.
ReplyDeleteI do have my notebook, but I use it to take notes while I'm reading novels... Not plagiarism here. (looks up and to the left)
ReplyDeleteAnyway... other than that, I'm all digital now. When in need a quick note, I use the notepad feature on my phone...
I like to buy fancy journals from Starbucks or Borders or Barnes and Noble on sale, of sometimes T.J. Maxx, and use them for first drafts.
ReplyDeleteI never hand write anything these days:)
ReplyDeleteI never write anything by hands these days since I have my netbook handy:)
ReplyDeleteI have fancy notebooks with covers of interesting textures that I buy on sale, and use for first drafts. Revisions take place as I type the material into my word processor. The notebook writing is often best done at a coffee shop, or with some other change of scene.
ReplyDelete