What Gets You Writing? ((Your Totem))

[Deleted]

So, fans of Chris Baty's book No Plot? No Problem! know about his "writing totem" theory.

The writing totem is that one special item ((or maybe several)) that seems to up your writing mojo.

For instance, mine this year is:

• Nail polish.
  --for some reason, typing looks so much cooler when you have some crazy color of nail polish on. My color right now--metallic silllvverr. 8O
  
• A purple ink pen.
  --when I do longhand writing, I always use my purple pen. dunno why, but I write better using some cool ink.
  

So, what's your writing totem?

[Deleted]

Music. OMG, I always listen to music when I write.

[Deleted]

sam said:

Music. OMG, I always listen to music when I write.

Ha, me too. 8D For this year, it's been either the Indie Rock station on Yahoo radio or my Feist CD.

[Jason]

For me its music....Mostly anime theme musci but still music. *Adds in a real song to boost word count.*

[Elcie]

Music, or more specifically, L's theme song. 8D Since Day 1 I've been listening to that on Youtube whenever I run into writer's block. It never fails. And sometimes I listen to era (nostalmix) by TaQ, a DDR song - since it happens to be a character theme (she was named for the song XD Era Tilden) it only helps when she's in the scene, but it's still pretty useful.

[♥ Rain]

I don't really have any, because music doesn't seem to work for me. It just distracts me. I need complete silence.

Something that I really like is a white noise like our salamander heater... but it's been warm enough that I haven't been able to use it.

The sound of typing works as well... because it's also a white noise, but that only happens when I'm writing. Obviously. So that sort of... only works when I'm in the middle of writing. >__> The heater helps more, anyhow.

[Nut]

Deadlines.

[moo]

can't really think of any, so yea, ill choose Musical Deadlines.

[laurensk90]

I'm no NaNo participant, but I'll post here anyway. I work best in silence, with a pen or something twirling around between my fingers. People are always amazed how fast I can do that. xP

[Deleted]

Sometimes I write with classical music playing in the background. Puccini, Mozart, Bizet, something like that.

[Maivry]

Oddly enough, for me at least, I always seem to have music going. In this case, a film score station so it's all dramatic and lyric-less. ^_^

Does candy count, by the way?

I suppose my random notes and sketches could be included. I had them last year, too. Sometimes it's better to figure things out in handwriting rather than digitally.

[nope]

I have to agree with Sam, I always listen to music when I write.

There's also my little voice in my head who is always like "WRITE YEW BUM!!! D:<"

I also get motivated when I read other people's stories.

[Tashni]

Ooh! Nail polish sounds fun! I'll have to try that.

I like a good pen. A thick black line will do, but purple is best.

My absolute cure for writer's block: A grande two-pump vanilla latte, yessiree. At Barnes and Noble, to be specific.