This was another question game going around on Tumblr last week and since it was writing-related, I figured I should share it here. :)


Is there a snack you like to eat while writing?
I try not to snack too much while writing because it’ll end up with me taking a break while I find the food, then inevitably finding more food, then checking my phone for a minute, then whoops an hour has passed. I do try to keep a drink (water, tea, or juice) handy.

What time of day do you usually write? 
This is part of the reason that I haven’t done as much writing as I’d like in the past year. My prime writing hours are 9pm-1am, but early work means I can’t do that. I’ve been trying to squeeze it in during my niece’s naps (so 3-5pm) but it’s hit or miss if I get anything done then because I’m usually wiped out and need a nap myself by the time she conks out.

Where do you write?
Usually on my couch or my sister’s couch (depending where I am) but I’d like to start using my desk again because it’s better for my back. And now that the weather’s nice, I’d like to start writing in notebooks outdoors.

How often do you write a new thing? 
It depends. Previous years I’ll average about a short story every month/every other month while working on my longer novels. This year I haven’t started much new stuff. I feel like I should, though, because short things inspire me to work on the longer things. Hopefully once I get a job that’s less hours!

Do you listen to music while you write? 
Nope, I need silence to write, although I do listen to music to get in the mood to write. I have a Spotify playlist that I listen to that’s inspired by my dorks.

Paper or laptop? 
Laptop. I used to write on paper all the time, but I work best on the laptop. Lately I’ve been trying notebooks sometimes, though, to get back into that because it’s much more convenient.

Do you have a special pre-writing ritual? 
I really should. Maybe then I could get started faster instead of getting anxious about how long it’s been since I wrote last and freezing up and not getting much done.

What do you do to get into the writing? 
Listen to music, go for walks to with my husband (we’ll talk about my dorks and worldbuilding and this helps a lot), I’ll spend days just coming up with worldbuilding stuff, I’ll answer those “tag your OC” posts about my dorks, I’ll think of (and sometimes write) AUs for them… actually this sounds more like procrastination lol. Before I actually start writing, though, I’ll write up a paragraph of what the next scene/chapter has to contain so I have a good idea of where I’m going.

Do you have a reward system for word counts? 
Not word counts, but I will bribe myself sometimes if I reach a specific goal, like finishing a draft or winning NaNo.

Is there anything else about your writing process your readers don’t know? 
Hmm… I know that most days I’m thinking about writing even if I’m not actively writing- like I’ll think of ideas for the series or world building or character development or lines of dialogue… so I guess I need to not be so down on myself for not getting actual writing done because usually there’s at least something I’m thinking about on a given day. :) Oh! And in the past I would take on little appearance things about my MC- usually this involved changing my hair or wearing a certain color. I don’t really do that with my current characters, probably because there’s just too many of them lol.

~Meri