Writers are not normal. I know this because I am a writer and my family tells me all the time how abnormal I am compared to them.
I like to think I'm the normal one and they're weird, but whatever.
However when I get together with my writing group, it makes me realize that they might be onto something after all. Here are some common traits I see among members of my writing group as well as in other friends who are writers.
1. Writers always think about writing.
Whether it's a character in their book, an idea for a new book, or someone else's book, writers are always either jotting down or making mental notes about something writing-related.
2. Writers get really excited about writing.
If you really want to make a writer happy, then give them time, tools, and space to write. They will love you for it. My favorite gifts from my family include a journal covered in pink faux leather and a Doctor Who themed ink pen.
3. Writers get more emotional about writing.
They also get more emotional about reading, but that's a different blog post for a different day. Only my fellow writers understand when I tell them that I cried over something that happened to the characters in my book.
4. Writers surround themselves with writing.
This one is huge. My desk not only holds my laptop, but it also bears host to a pile of hotel scratch pads, a small milk pitcher full of various writing utensils, stacks of journals and notebooks, sticky notes, and a pile of books on topics ranging from romantic fiction to how to organize your next novel.
5. Writers enjoy talking about writing.
If you want to make friends with a writer, then ask them about their book. Really listen as they explain it to you. Better yet, read the things they write, regardless if it is their blog or their latest bestseller.
6. Writers often balance chaos.
Getting lost in your writing means being distracted from things that might otherwise need your attention. Writers are gluttons for slipping into "the zone" and forgetting to do things like eat lunch, stay hydrated, sleep, and so forth.
7. Writers don't give up.
Writers have terrific highs when things are going their way, and terrible lows when things don't work out so well. Regardless of how it's going, they don't give up.
Are you a writer? Do you agree with the list? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
Showing posts with label fanfiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fanfiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
My Dirty Little Secret
Everyone has a dirty little secret. Mine is that I play D&D. That's right -- Dungeons and Dragons. I first started playing during my freshman year of college when an old boyfriend said, "But girls don't play D&D." Well of course I had to try after that.
What I initially took to be a game of nerds sitting around a card table for an excuse to swill noxious green soda and nosh on orange-dusted tortilla chips turned out to be one of the best things in my life. It's led me to solid friendships with some great people.
Even better, playing D&D helped kick start my writing career. Playing D&D with a group around my dining room table led to playing text-based roleplaying games (RPGs) online. Because the games are text-based, there is a lot of reading, and even more writing.
One game even has a quarterly writing contest where fanfiction can win you big prizes, like ginormous amounts of in-game credits worth several hundred USDs which you can use to buy exclusive items for your character.
Writing fanfiction about a game led to writing blog articles for the game's website. It's what I was doing when I made the decision to sign up for Elance.
Every morning while waiting for coffee to seep its way into my veins I check out Facebook. This quiz recently caught my eye and, being a gamer from way back, I could not help but check it out. Typically I play a halfling bard so I was pretty pleased at the results (listed below).
What's your dirty little secret when it comes to things that inspire you? I showed you mine. Now I'd love it if you showed me yours in the comments section. Your secret's safe with me!
MY RESULTS:
I Am A: Neutral Good Elf Cleric (6th Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-6
Dexterity-12
Constitution-10
Intelligence-12
Wisdom-15
Charisma-17
Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
Race:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful.
Class:
Clerics act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric seeks to spread his patron's vision of evil across the world. All clerics can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures. Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells, every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity's domains. These domains grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he might otherwise never learn. A cleric's Wisdom score should be high, since this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.
Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus.
What I initially took to be a game of nerds sitting around a card table for an excuse to swill noxious green soda and nosh on orange-dusted tortilla chips turned out to be one of the best things in my life. It's led me to solid friendships with some great people.
Even better, playing D&D helped kick start my writing career. Playing D&D with a group around my dining room table led to playing text-based roleplaying games (RPGs) online. Because the games are text-based, there is a lot of reading, and even more writing.
One game even has a quarterly writing contest where fanfiction can win you big prizes, like ginormous amounts of in-game credits worth several hundred USDs which you can use to buy exclusive items for your character.
Writing fanfiction about a game led to writing blog articles for the game's website. It's what I was doing when I made the decision to sign up for Elance.
Every morning while waiting for coffee to seep its way into my veins I check out Facebook. This quiz recently caught my eye and, being a gamer from way back, I could not help but check it out. Typically I play a halfling bard so I was pretty pleased at the results (listed below).
What's your dirty little secret when it comes to things that inspire you? I showed you mine. Now I'd love it if you showed me yours in the comments section. Your secret's safe with me!
MY RESULTS:
I Am A: Neutral Good Elf Cleric (6th Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-6
Dexterity-12
Constitution-10
Intelligence-12
Wisdom-15
Charisma-17
Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
Race:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful.
Class:
Clerics act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric seeks to spread his patron's vision of evil across the world. All clerics can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures. Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells, every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity's domains. These domains grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he might otherwise never learn. A cleric's Wisdom score should be high, since this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.
Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus.
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