What type of writing quirks do you guys have?

[BuffysInsta]

I noticed this about my writing about a year ago: When I'm struggling to figure out a scene, I will, without realizing it, put my characters in hallways. Either that or I have them sit down to dinner. You'd think I was a writing for a food magazine or creating a cookbook. Why are my characters always so hungry? Who eats that much?

Do you guys have any fun or weird ones you'd like to share?

 

[Treeview]

I use ellipses...alot.

 

[shelleycat1]

Always going to get a coffee and have a talk, and the MC will have it like me. Black, no sugar.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Perhaps it's a subconscious metaphor for following a rigid path that you feel confined to and that's why you're struggling. Maybe try putting a door or two in the hallway to give the character a choice?

 

[Agent0069]

Not sure if it’s a quirk, but for every story I’ve written (except for 750 words one) I’ve noticed that I first start with a chapter where all the characters are present, and you can see how they talk or interact. I then discard the whole chapter because it’s an absolute trash, and then write a complete story start to finish anew with only minor editing. But without that discarded chapter I wouldn’t be able to do so.

 

[BuffysInsta]

I use ellipses...alot.

I feel like that's a consequence of the online community way of writing. Everyone writes the same online to show emphasis and pauses. If you browse reddit too much you'll start writing like that...alot.

 

[BuffysInsta]

Perhaps it's a subconscious metaphor for following a rigid path that you feel confined to and that's why you're struggling. Maybe try putting a door or two in the hallway to give the character a choice?

I'm not asking for advice on it. I work through it. I just find it funny that I do it as I'm working through a scene sometimes.

 

[BuffysInsta]

Not sure if it’s a quirk, but for every story I’ve written (except for 750 words one) I’ve noticed that I first start with a chapter where all the characters are present, and you can see how they talk or interact. I then discard the whole chapter because it’s an absolute trash, and then write a complete story start to finish anew with only minor editing. But without that discarded chapter I wouldn’t be able to do so.

Is that a way to figure out which characters are going to stick? Sounds like a good way to do that.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I noticed this about my writing about a year ago: When I'm struggling to figure out a scene, I will, without realizing it, put my characters in hallways. Either that or I have them sit down to dinner. You'd think I was a writing for a food magazine or creating a cookbook. Why are my characters always so hungry? Who eats that much?

Do you guys have any fun or weird ones you'd like to share?

When my characters aren't ready for sex yet, there's always a long conversation, a walk somewhere, another coffee in a favourite cafe. I do have a bunch of favourite cafes, all of which have appeared in a story. It's almost as if I have a permanent table, but I don't.

I also have journeys down long roads to a river, always in a blue car. My current car is electric blue, no surprise there, and I had a blue Statesman, years ago.

 

[TheLobster]

I feel like that's a consequence of the online community way of writing. Everyone writes the same online to show emphasis and pauses. If you browse reddit too much you'll start writing like that...alot.

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[MrPixel]

Warm water is my quirk. It seems most of the time the characters are interacting - sex or not - in or around a bathing feature like a spacious shower, or a hot tub. If one or more is searching around the house (or whatever) for another of the group, "Check the big shower!" or "On the patio, talking to [X] in the tub," and hilarity, sex, or both soon follows. Related was an entire scene at a home improvement store buying a new water heater.

Secondary quirk is conversation in the kitchen over breakfast after a night of loving. Characters have to start their day, too.

 

[intim8]

My characters spend way too much time in cars. Especially the younger ones. And all too often, they're interrupted in flagrante delicto by a cop shining his flashlight through the window.

Working out past trauma, I guess.

 

[THBGato]

I started off having my main characters be vegetarian (like my wife and I). It just didn't really occur to me; it was an unconscious decision. Then I realised that was a bit ridiculous and not terribly representative, so I had to deliberately make my MCs in my most recent two stories eat meat and fish.

 

[OffNSFW]

My initial drafts include way too much stuff. Sex, in particular, tends to be everything and the kitchen sink. I read somewhere that most stories are really two or three stories at the start, and you have to figure out which one to tell.

 

[StillStunned]

My female characters are mostly much more in control than my male characters. The men are usually left wondering what hit them. That's also the reason for my screen name.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Sex on a a chaise lounge or divan. Either outdoors on a patio type chair, or the lounge portion in a hot tub or a separate piece of indoor furniture or part of a sectional couch. It's like the ultimate piece of furniture made perfectly for sex. I'll bet 3/4 of my stories feature one.

 

[StillStunned]

chaise lounge

chaise *longue. It's a "long chair".

 

[Erozetta]

Writing quirks... I start with a blank word document and have no plans when I start writing. The first line I write typically sets up the main character and establishes the tone of the story.

 

[AG31]

chaise *longue. It's a "long chair".

Thank you, THANK YOU, THAAANNKK YOU!!!!!!! Now I can comfotably pronounce it, instead of trying to contort "longue" into a Frenchified lounge!!!!!!!! I have a file on my computer where I list stuff I learned after age 70. Will go and update it now.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I use ellipses...alot.

And any time I see "alot" I hear the voice of my Senior English teacher saying, "a lot is a place where you build a house."

 

[Treeview]

And any time I see [a long list of words] I hear the voice of my Senior English teacher saying...something similar.

He was one of my 'Dead Poet Society' teachers I had. I had another many years later in a sociology class.

 

[Kasumi_Lee]

I feel this is more than just a "quirk", but all my female MCs end up pregnant, and that means I end up writing a birth scene for each of them. In fact, I might be the only author on this site who goes out of her way to describe the birthing process in such exquisite detail.

 

[THBGato]

Thank you, THANK YOU, THAAANNKK YOU!!!!!!! Now I can comfotably pronounce it, instead of trying to contort "longue" into a Frenchified lounge!!!!!!!! I have a file on my computer where I list stuff I learned after age 70. Will go and update it now.

 

[Abbafan]

I noticed this about my writing about a year ago: When I'm struggling to figure out a scene, I will, without realizing it, put my characters in hallways. Either that or I have them sit down to dinner. You'd think I was a writing for a food magazine or creating a cookbook. Why are my characters always so hungry? Who eats that much?

Do you guys have any fun or weird ones you'd like to share?

I've noticed a few authors seem to have a thing for food. Once in a while I come across a story that goes into some detail about making dinner, what people are eating. Maybe the pleasure food gives has a certain sensual quality that's similar to sex? I don't know.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Writing quirks... I start with a blank word document and have no plans when I start writing.

That blows my mind. Before I even open the Word doc, I have 90% of the story floating around in my brain. The idea of sitting down without that, is hard to fathom.