Writing Totems

[Stal]

So I bought No Plot, No Problem for this year's NaNo. One of the items they suggest you have is a Writing Totem or two or three.

Here's what the Writing Totems are described as: a wearable writing enhancing object. Chris Baty uses a Viking Helmet, for instance. It's to set the mood for writing, for instance. Also to remind you that this whole thing is ridiculous and silly ("It's hard to overthink your writing when you're wearing a three-foot tall Marie Antoinette wig."). And you can have different ones for depending on how tough things are. Quote:

"Personally, I have several tiers of headwear, depending on how my story is coming along. If all's well, I'll wear my baseball hat, the ideal thinking cap for sporty, low-exertion writing. The Viking helmet is for the more complicated passages. And if things are going horribly awry in my novel, I bust out my cowboy hat, which I pull down low over my eyes in a menacing fashion to warn my uncooperative story that an unholy dose of hurt is about to be unleashed upon it if it doesn't fall into line"

So my question to you is: do you have a writing totem?

And if so...what is it?

Mine's the Yuki Hat. I take it off it's display on top of my stereo system and don the almighty Yuki hat to get my writing done. It glares at the monitor and story for me while I doze off into storyworld and stop paying attention. It also keeps my inner-editor at bay (he's always had a fear of this hat...)

[Torey]

This is something I've never actually heard of XD

So the answer is simple; I don't use these writing totems. I'm more of a muse kind of person. I have a picture of a harp seal pup that I usually use for mine but just lately I've not been in the mood for writing.

And I really would like to participate in NaNoWriMo. I'll do it one day...

[Tracy]

That... is a fantastic idea XD I'll have to find me some of these totems...

[♥ Lulu]

Sounds good. *ponders on what her totem could be*

[Kiddo]

I have a plastic fox I chew on. Does that count?

[Tashni]

Does a latte count? It's not the same latte, of course.

[Deleted]

There's always a rubber ducky around somewhere.

[Tdyans]

I forgot all about this, but I wore my golden Mickey Mouse ears last year for my writing cap. Now I'm not sure where they ended up in the move....

[Cyanna]

Last year I knitted fingerless gloves...they didn't work very well. Changing my wardrobe doesn't really enhance anything for me. I just have to be wearing something comfortable.

This year I think my writing totem is the new toy I bought to actually write with. I'm going to be out of town a lot on weekends and the laptop has a battery life of...12 minutes. So I bought a Quickpad (the poor man's Alphasmart) off ebay so I'll always have something to type on. I've been so unbelievably productive on that thing it's insane. I haven't had to catch up to the daily quota once so far. The screen is so small that you can only see 4 lines of text at a time and that really silences the inner editor. I carry it around in my bag and I'm writing in the most random places whenever I see an opportunity. It makes me feel very nomadic.

[cyrillen]

I'll use a pink boa!

[♥ Lulu]

I think I'll wear a cowboy hat I got a London Zoo. X3

[Psycho]

lol. I just need to have a pen that I like. I'm very picky with the medium I use to write with. If I'm forced to write with a blunt wooden pencil, you can be sure that I will give up before the tip of it is gone.

Cafe au lait helps too.

I think, though, the setting has more to do with my writing than any one object.

[Deleted]

I've never used a writing totem before... I've tried to "get into" the habit, in some ways, yet I've failed... or never really been interested in it much. I do have, though, a special folder and notebook for things I actually write (as opposed to everything else, which I type on my computer ^_^ ).

I tend to like drinking tea while I write, though... and listening to the Cranberries...

[nocturne]

I have my weird'o biplane hat with spinning propellers. I should try that. Or that one cowboy hat I got at the ranch, or that police hat from the station. Perhaps that Anime wig?

And listen to Tom Petty. Lots and lots of Tom Petty to soothe the mind.

[Enn]

I can't listen to music D-: I like to but I write a lot slower

I guess my laptop is my totem, because when I sit at it the link to my story is sat there staring at me accusingly, and I usually have it open when I'm doing anything on the lappie. I tried writing out a bit on paper whilst I wasn't near it but I just scrapped that when I got back and just started afresh on my laptop.

My laptop needs a name. >__> I believe it shall be a Eustace.