30 Writing Facts About Me

#1 Ever since discovering Scrivener, I’ve pretty much ditched MS Word. 

#2 Yes, I outline. Always. I outline my major plot points before I start the 1st draft, and I outline each individual chapter in detail prior to writing it.

#3 I use dialogue tags/beats way too frequently. 

#4 Quite, really, that, seemed to, and much are some of the words I delete most from rough drafts.

#5 I rarely give more than a few details about my protagonist’s physical description. I prefer the reader create his/her own picture. 

#6 When writing, I usually take breaks every half-hour to shoot hoops outside, weather permitting.

#7 If I don’t like how a scene is turning out, I delete it and start over, no matter how many words I have to sacrifice. 

#8 When I start edits, I have to do it on a printed, 12pt Times New Roman or Garamond, double-spaced document. Because habits.

#9 I used to write exclusively with music, but I’ve grown to appreciate a nice, quiet room. I still put music on now and then to set a mood or block out other noises. 

#10 Most of my stories start as very specific moments/events that I think would be fun to write. If they stick with me long enough, I’ll build an entire plot around them.

#11 I always have an ending in mind before I start writing, but I’m prone to changing that ending in the last minute (when writing Little One, I changed the ending during the final revision stage. Twice.). 

#12 My nonverbals tend to focus on the character’s eyes. I’m working on diversifying that aspect of my writing.

#13 Before I decided to be an author, I wanted to direct movies. I still enjoyed writing, but I told myself and others it was only so I would remember the stories when I made them into movies. 

#14 The vast majority of my writing is done on my laptop, though occasionally I’ll write by hand out of necessity.

#15 I have a hard time writing before lunch. My best writing times are in the afternoon and evening. 

A cat gif to break up the text. Because I can. 

#16 I try to write near a window whenever I can.

#17 Yes, I usually have coffee/tea when I write. Coffee in the afternoon: milk and sugar. Black or red tea with honey in the evening (Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, and Rooibos are my go-to teas). 

#18 The first chapter is the one I struggle with the most, and I often re-write it multiple times before finding an approach I like.

#19 I draw my own maps for my books. I love maps. 

#20 My novels (current and planned) are almost exclusively fantasy. Most of my published short stories, however, are not.

#21 I don’t hate adverbs as much as the rest of the world seems to. 

#22 I get sick if I try to write in the car, but some of my best ideas hit me while staring out the window on long trips.

#23 On an average writing day I get 1500-2000 words done. I want to increase that number.

#24 The most I’ve ever written in a 12-hour day is 10k words, an experience you can read about in more detail here.

#25 I love writing stories/chapters set in forests. 

#26 Making up new creatures is one of my favorite parts about writing fantasy.

#27 My novels are mostly written in the 3rd person, while most of my short stories are told in 1st person. 

#28 I’m not shy about killing off characters.

#29 I’ve sworn an oath never to write a story centered around (or featuring) a prophecy. 

#30 I absolutely love what I do (no surprise there!).

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What are some writerly facts about you? Do we share things in common, or are we totally different? Write your own post with 30 facts if you feel like it, or comment below!