I find that if I'm writing a scene where someone kisses someone, I giggle and feel guilty and bad, or like I'm delving into their privacy for 'watching' (even though I'm writing) them kiss. Or if I'm writing a really action, physical scene, like a chase or a fight, I hit the keyboard much harder and screw up my face as if the characters are and say what they say in their tone. I just get really into it! My friends think I'd be a pretty sick voice actor and to be honest that would be an great job if I could keep writing on the side. So what are your writing quirks?
I get whole scenes played into my head, sometimes whole dialogue and 30 minute to an hour long discussions. I think it's very crazy, but i'm glad i have that. I love my characters and i always have some type of dream with them involved in it and the world i am slowly creating. Sometimes i even imagine cultures when i look at something, i get mental pictures of something that mixes into something new. Or even the urge to entirely change the way of something or built it all the way from the ground up without realizing it. My father asked me where i get these strongly developed ideas and i just tell him "it just happens." lol.
I woke my partner up last night (I'd stayed up to write) because I slapped the desk in frustration. I wasn't frustrated, you understand; the character I was writing about was, and I wanted to be able to describe the pain in his hand exactly after he'd slapped the table he was sitting at. I also tend to gesticulate wildly when I type, especially if a character is doing something with their hands. I'm pretty much a method actor, it would appear.
I tend to picture the scene, whilst writing, as if it were a graphic novel. That way I can work out which details need to be better described and that's how I work out dialogue too. When i'm writing action scenes, like fight sequences or chases, then I will imagine it as if it were a cartoon.
I'm very similar to this, except I take a bit more of a physical approach. I will picture an entire scene, and will pace back and forth while brainstorming ideas that can be added to the scene (I pace a lot during the writing process) and then when I think I've hit it, I'll rush back to my seat and type it out as quickly as possible, even if it doesn't make much sense, and then organize it afterwards.
Hmm, nothing too weird I can think of. At times I get back-and-forth dialogue running through my head, a bit like if it were a movie scene. It's a bit like day-dreaming, I suppose.
I act out my action scenes (yeah, just me, playing all the characters). Weirds out the animals - can't wait to see what my brother says...
I make the facial expressions of my characters at times. It normally happens during dialogue or when I write an argument. It's hard to notice the quirks unless someone watches you write and tells you what you do.
I read my stuff aloud. I don't mean I just sit at my desk and read it aloud; I go out into the back yard and practically chant my prose to the trees and the squirrels. I don't know if it helps me in any way, but I enjoy doing it.
I usually talk to myself about the scene I'm writing: how I got the idea, what's the point of that scene and so on.
Trying to fall asleep after a good writing session and having to pop up every few minutes to jot down a new scene or phrase. Half the time , I don't even turn on the lights.
I do facial expressions of my characters too, most of the time in front of the mirror. I also try to pronounce my character's sentences in horrible fake accents. But, my quirks aren't just when writing...it's with words in general. Like whenever I dream, the random people in my dreams have names (pretty good ones too!). I dream about writing and wake up to find that I wrote nothing. And, when I meet people to remember their name I automatically spell it in my head. That one freaks people out...
I don't know if this counts but when I'm imagining a story or character in my head I need to have a ball. Just a little squishy or bouncy ball in my hand so I can throw it up in the air and catch it. Every second I'm alone (or not interacting on the internet) I'm daydreaming with a ball in my hand. I even take it with me when I have long walks to College on my own. My friends think I'm strange since I constantly seem to have a bouncy ball out with me for no reason (or so they think!).
Stream-of-consciousness prose. Characters having conversations that are either only thematically related to the story or just about random stuff (i.e. The Yankees, movies, etc.). Dialogue and stories loaded with pop-culture references. Emphasis on the psychological state of the characters.
Whenever i do dialogue seriously (usually on a revision) i'll stop and play out my characters physical actions and emotions in real life. I'll keep running it back until i feel i have the proper emotional reaction that they would. This mostly just consists of making faces whenever i'm writing in detail about a character or they are having strong emotions. I remember when i used to draw pictures i would always make the faces of the people i was drawing lol, i couldn't help it.
When I write I pretty much visualize a scene as if it were a movie, with a lot of dialogue between action. And i VISUALIZE EPIC FIGHT SCENES AS CARTOONS... often pounding the keyboard and losing myself in the scene and when I get done I can forget what I was actually doing. I even end up dreaming myself into the book at night ha ha... Its a great way to get into the character's heads, I think.
Interesting answers everyone. I sometimes will mouth how 'stupid' one of my characters is for doing what I make him do.
Hahaa Loving the answers everyone. I think I've been guilty of doing all of the above at least once. At times, if I'm alone mostly, I will pretend I'm in a movie and act out the scene.
I could write a book on my quirks. How my characters keep me up at night, how I always picture them in a movie, how I can get really caught up in a big scene and start sweating. lol It's a tough job.
When I'm writing or drawing I tend to make faces or act out the emotions of whatever I'm typing or drawing. E.G If I'm writing a scene with one of my evil characters doing something ....evil, then I usually find myself either pounding on the keyboard or making nasty faces at my monitor.
I didn't really think about that, but I do those things too. One time I laid down with my eyes closed and imagined step by step what would happen in Act II in the story I'm writing. It flowed so naturally like I was watching a movie that when I got up, it was 4 hours later!
