#WritersLife Tag

This is stolen from Cait, who stole it from somebody else, because it just looked like too much fun to pass up. And also I haven't been blogging as much as I'd like, and blog tags are always a good way to get back in that rhythm.

Write Fuel: What do you eat/drink while writing?

Cheez-Its have become my go-to writing snack, but I'll also go for anything chocolate (especially Reese's products). As for drinks, something warm and writerly, like tea or hot chocolate or a mocha.

Write Sounds: What do you listen to while writing?

Anything and everything. Sometimes depending on the book I'm writing, I'll have a specific playlist for that, but most of the time it's whatever comes on my iPod. Taylor Swift, "Doctor Who" and "Sherlock" soundtracks, and the current song on repeat 24/7 are my favorites. I tried writing while having a "Doctor Who" episode playing in the background, but that ended poorly . . . mostly my characters just started saying whatever the Doctor was saying. Then I just stopped writing all together and got sucked into the episode.

Write Vice: What's your most debilitating distraction?

Whatever's going on just outside the room. Most likely my dog freaking out about something new. That and the internet in general. Tumblr is just too shiny.

Write Horror: What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you while writing?

Rejections are pretty horrible at first, but I think the winner would have to be that moment of panic when something goes screwy and you lose a big chunk of your writing. Even if you try to recreate it right away, it's never the same.

Write Joy: What's the best thing that's ever happened or how do you celebrate small victories?

Best things . . .

-Finishing my first novel
-Winning NaNoWriMo
-Winning contests
-Taking on jobs at different writing websites
-Having a critique partner/beta reader rave about a certain character or part of a story that I'm particularly proud of
-Making myself cry while writing
-Having an agent request a full manuscript

How I celebrate . . .

-Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.
-Spinning around aimlessly in my desk chair while I revel in the feeling of productivity.
-Netflix, usually with a "Doctor Who" episode.
-Telling my friends/family.

Write Crew: Who do you communicate with or not communicate with while writing?

Usually I keep my first drafts mostly to myself, though I will post snippets here and there on my blog and/or Twitter. I'll go to my critique partners for help, too, if I need it. Right now, though, I'm writing a novel using characters based off of the original characters my friends are playing in our Supernatural roleplay, so I'm teasing them with random excerpts via text message.

Write Secret: What's your writing secret to success or hidden flaw?

Believe me, if I knew the secret to success, I would share it with you. I'd also be getting a lot more done. But if there is a secret, I haven't found it yet. So I'll just leave you with the advice to find something about whatever you're writing to be excited about and hang onto it. If you're not enthusiastic about your project, it won't get finished.

As far as my "hidden" flaw, I procrastinate. Endlessly. Hence the not posting on here for almost a month (oops). When I don't have any ideas, I tend to put it off and wait for the inspiration to hit, which any good writer will tell you is a terrible way to go about things. Don't do it.

Also my characters "raise a single eyebrow" a lot, which is very unrealistic, because most people I know aren't capable of doing this . . .

Write-spiration: What always makes you productive?

As much as it might seem weird, Pinterest! Like I said before, you have to find something to be excited about when it comes to your writing. So sure, I might "waste" an afternoon creating an elaborate Pinterest board for my novel, but after that I'm practically bouncing out of my chair with anticipation of actually writing the whole thing.

Putting together a playlist also helps for similar reasons. If I have pins of actors and actresses "playing" my characters and an awesome soundtrack to go with it, the fangirl in my starts squeeing over the imaginary movie and I hurry up to get it written so that's actually a possibility.

Write Peeve: What's one thing writers do (or you do) that's annoying?

I'll just say the first thing that popped into my head, because my mind's drawing a blank: plotlines that drop off. I hate it when an author teases us about a possible storyline, but never does anything with it. Drives. Me. Crazy. Of course I'm guilty of the same thing, but I generally catch myself after the first round of edits.

WriteWords: Share one sentence from a project, past or present.

I'll break the rules and share a short snippet from my two current projects, Beneath the Moon and Stars (which I'm editing) and 'Til the Last Star Dies (which I'm writing):

BTMAS



I rolled my eyes at him, though a grin took over the rest of my face. “You’re so self-deprecating.”
 
“I could say the same to you.”
 
I shrugged. “Call it that, call it me trying not to attract attention.”
 
Lane’s blue eyes twinkled, as if his wide smile had lit up his whole being. “Beautiful things don’t ask for attention.”

TTLSD

Maybe it was the way she sat slumped over her glass of Coke, shoulders pulled up almost to her ears as her long, lazy curls of hair—a shade of burned golden, like a toasted marshmallow—worked hard to hide her face. Maybe it was the oversized hoodie that seemed to swallow her whole, dark clothes melting into the shadows. Maybe it was the fact that the ice in her soda had long since melted, watering it down, but in all the time Lila had been sitting at the bar, she hadn't taken a single sip.
 
 But most of all, it was her aura. A foggy forest green, but there was something off about it. It shimmered too much, almost like it was shivering. The energy was tense and buzzing, static electricity causing the hairs on Lila's arms to stand on end. The woman was trying so hard not to be seen that it was difficult for Lila to focus on anything but her, on the nervousness and fear, on wondering what she could do to fix it. The draw to her was nearly impossible to ignore, pulling them together like a couple of magnets.
 
Lila raised her hand to the bartender and gave a quiet, “One more,” then gestured to the woman, who sat a few stools away from her. She didn't even glance up when Lila spoke. 

I'm tagging . . .

All of you writers! Write a blog post or leave a comment. I want to hear all of your writerly secrets. ;)