What would you say is your interesting writing quirk or quirks?
I pace a lot. I’ll be writing and get to a point that I don’t really know where to go, so I’ll get up and start pacing until I work through the situation. Then, I’ll go back and finish my thoughts. Or sometimes, I’ll be working and I’ll just need a break, and I’ll get up and pace for a while. Sometimes I’ll get my iPod out and listen to some tunes while I’m pacing, or I’ll just look out the windows while I’m pacing and get lost in the scenery. I’ve worn holes in a couple of different rugs from pacing, or at least that’s what I’ve been told. And from time to time I’ll walk on a treadmill to do my thinking; exercise is a good way to clear the mind and work through problems.
And sometimes, I play out the scene that I’m working on in my mind. I’ll have the conversation that’s going on in the story and get some ideas on where to take it or if it sounds right or what needs to change. I want to make it sound natural, so the best way to do that is to read it out loud or actually go through it so you can hear it. Trust me, it sounds a lot different when you hear yourself speaking it than the perception you have of it just being on the paper and reading it. And you guessed it, sometimes I’ll be carrying on the conversation out loud while I’m pacing. My secretary always gives me the strangest look when she comes in and I’m pacing and carrying on a conversation with no one else there.
But ultimately, all of these things help me get the work done, and I guess I’m getting some physical and mental exercise in the process.