Do you have any superstitions about your writing? I don't like to talk about my current project except in the broadest terms. I have told only my wife and my best writing musician buddy the simple theme of my current project, only in the gestation stage. I'm afraid I'll talk the story out and lose interest or use up my creative energy doing it. To put it crudely if I may; I don't want to masturbate and blow my wad on the night of a big date where I hope to get lucky.
No, I have no superstitions. The more I talk about an idea, the better it gets and the more excited I get.
I always write whilst painting my toenails on the dashboard of a car while driving. Anything else is just bad luck.
None. Not related to writing, anyway. Both times I was involved in serious car accidents I had purchased car touch-up paint that same day. Needless to say, no more touch-up paint.
I have one, but I don't think of it as a superstition. It's more of a practice I've adopted and follow now. When I finish a short story or a chapter and I want someone to take a look at it, I always wait three days. And what a difference three days can make. Finishing something can be exciting. Sharing your work can be exciting. But I found that I was showing stuff too early with problems I could fix on my own if I gave it more time and thought. Nothing is going to be perfect with another three days of editing tacked on, but it will be a hell of a lot better. I do the same thing for submitting my work. It also helps prevent endless editing to give myself three days. I always tell my lover when I finish something so they can be ready to read it in three days and hold me accountable for putting the finishing touches on things I finish. As far as telling people about my writing and what I'm working on, I will talk anyone's ear off who will listen. The more people who know about my novel, the more people expecting me to finish it. And you can often gage how interesting your story is by how people react when you tell them about it. I went to a writing conference many years ago. This super famous writer said it's good to tell people about your story. When they are sick of hearing about it or don't seem interested, it means you have a problem, according to his advice.
