Ok, let’s start with the elephant in the room… It ain’t Fall here! Haha. Living in Australia has it’s perks, but being out of sync with a good chunk of the rest of the world can be a little disjointing. Nevertheless, the darling Annie North (make sure to check out her channel) tagged me in the Fall Writing Tag, along with all the other Bali Babes (those of us who went on Kaila Walker’s writing retreat in September). I never thought I’d do a writing tag to be honest- I thought it a little too mainstream for me. That said, I thought it would be a fun thing to do, and a great way to share a little about myself as a writer with you all. SO, without further adieu, here’s the Fall Writing Tag, created by Alexandra Roselyn.
Tag Questions:
1. Crunching Leaves- The Perfect Sound. What do you like listening to while writing?
I’ve always said that my favourite time to write is between 12am-4am, because the “whole world” (around me anyway) would fall silent, and it was just me and the tapping of the keys. But this changes depending on what I’m working on. Sometimes I like to have music that matches what I’m working on- something upbeat for a fast-paced scene, something slow and melodic for a serious scene or a romantic one.
2. Hot Bubbling Cider- What's your favourite thing to eat or drink while writing?
TEA! My god, if I could set up a tea station next to my desk, so I had a constant flow of tea in my cup I would. Personally, I find that tea both calms me and wakes me up/makes me more focused. This is great for grounding me in the moment when I’m writing.
3. Bon Fires- The Perfect Night. Name your perfect writing conditions or your perfect writing night.
12am-4am. A solid writing session with no distractions and knowing that I can sleep in in the morning. A cup of tea and some nibbles- chips or cookies of some kind to curb the munchies.
4. Pumpkin Spiced Latte- Something you used to like but now don't.
Music with lyrics. When I love a song, I usually love it because of the lyrics. I connect to the words of a song, and they become my emotional trigger. I used to love this when writing because the right song could instantly put me in a particular mood, which made writing difficult scenes easier. But now I find the lyrics distracting. I end up singing along (either out loud or in my head) and can’t focus on writing.
5. Halloween- (my favourite holiday) Your favourite part of writing a novel.
Can I have two? I’m going to anyway- coz no one’s here to stop me. First, I love writing. Those moments when you’re working on a scene and it WORKS. When you’re typing away, your ideas are working, your hands are doing what your brain tells them, and your fingers have their own natural flow. Those are the moments when you literally feel your heart pouring from your chest, through your finger tips and onto the pages. The second part I LOVE is when you fix a scene that wasn’t working, and you finally get it right. The moments when you look at a sentence and see your soul staring back. They’re the moments that make all that hard work worth it. I love those moments.
6. Monsters & Goblins- What terrifies you most while writing/ drafting a novel?
That I’m wasting my time. I’m not afraid that the writing will be bad. If I write a whole chapter and then need to fix every inch of it, that’s fine. You can’t improve a blank page, right? What worries me is that I’ll write a scene, chapter or entire relationship or plot point, only to work out later that it serves no purpose at all to the story and the entire thing needs to be deleted. I don’t mind working to improve something but removing it entirely… that hurts.
7. Hay Rides- A Bumpy Ride. What do you do to get over a writer’s block or get inspired?
I’m always trying new things to get past writers block, and I jump back and forth between different things. I think it really depends on what is causing the block though. If it’s structural, I might need to go back and work on my outline or character profiles. If it’s a resistance to the scene, I might just start writing, knowing full well that it will be awful, and just work on improving it later. If it’s emotional, I might try setting a mood to help me focus, or just walk away and work on something else entirely. Sometimes I’ll work on something else that’s still writing related, or, if I’m in writing overload, I’ll just take a break from it entirely. And you know what, sometimes I just need to day dream. People talk about doing a brain dump of all your ideas and then creating an outline from it, but then you’re just supposed to know what is coming in your book. You are allowed to think and dream about your story as you go. If you don’t know what’s next, think about it.
8. Haunted Houses- World Building. What are some tips you have on crafting the perfect world?
Instead of imagining your characters in your world, imagine instead that you are smack in the middle of it. Ask yourself if you get chills, does the sun warm your bones, do you feel safe? What can you see or hear around you? How do you feel? What colours stand out? Is there a stand out smell in the air? By putting yourself in the world it will feel more real to you, and that will translate onto the page.
9. Pumpkins- It all starts with a pumpkin! Do your story ideas start with characters, plots, setting or something else?
My stories usually start with a character and a theme. Like with my historical WIP for example, I didn’t want to write it for a long time. I didn’t want to write my grandmother’s life story like a biography, and I hadn’t yet figured how else to do it, so I didn’t start. It was when I worked out who my main characters were, and what the main theme was, that I realised how the plot was going to work.
10. Ghost Stories. Share a spooky writing prompt!
She stood on the edge of the dock, looking out over the ocean, long hair blowing in the warm breeze. Staring at the stars, she took in a deep breath, wriggling her bare toes as they hung over the ledge of the platform. The salty sea air filled her lungs and she closed her eyes. Her ears perked when she heard a rustle in the bushes far behind her. An uneasiness came across her, but she shrugged it off, deciding that the noise most likely came from a small animal. She rolled her shoulders and tried to relax, until the first chill ran down her spine, followed by a wave of goose bumps appearing over her arms. The uneasiness returned with the sound of more rustling, and suddenly, alone in the night, she realised- she wasn’t alone.
Who, or what, is in the bushes?
Comments