Writing Writing Quirks?

[Shinmaru]

I'm not sure if this subject is similar to what is presented in the [b][url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=46347]Punctuation and Writing thread[/b][/url], and if it is, then I apologize.

Anyway, a lot of us write just about every day in the forms of short stories, essays, blog posts, and whatever else you would like to include in there. After a while, I'm sure that everyone develops certain quirks in their writing style, ideas, content, or in the overall process of developing what they are writing. I'm curious as to what kind of quirks people have around here. I'm just going to stick with my personal quirks when it comes to writing short stories. I don't know if I have any quirks with blog posts, other than the fact that I always write my posts between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM PST lol.

One of my quirks is that I have a group of names for characters that I like to use a lot of the time. I'm horrible at thinking up really cool names for characters, and I used to waste a lot of time just sitting around and thinking up names (I still do this for titles of pieces, and it drives me nuts). After a while I just got tired of it, and decided to use a core group of regular names that I liked. Some of these names include: Julia, Maria, Ashley, Sarah, Joseph, Nick, Vincent, and Jacob. I think that there are a few more, but oh well.

I also like using names of characters from stories/television/movies/etc. that I like as tributes. For example, Marion from my short story, "The Librarian", was named after Marion from "The Library" episode of Seinfeld and Marion Crane from [i]Psycho[/i].

Strangely enough, I don't have a problem thinking up last names, since last names can be as bizarre as you want them to be and nobody will give two craps about it. I like thinking up last names.

Another quirk of mine is that I can't sit and write a story for more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a time. I get distracted incredibly easily, and it's tough for me to concentrate on a story for an extended length of time. To combat this I get up and take a stroll around my house for a couple of minutes. Sometimes I'll talk to my brother and sister, and other times I'll just pop in on everyone else in the house for no real reason. This practice really annoys my brother, and I'm pretty sure that my sister thinks that it's funny. Oh well.

Also, I can't sit down and just try to think up an idea for a story, or else it will suck and I'll end up abandoning it. For me, inspiration always comes when I'm doing some really random, mundane activity (I just hope that's not a reflection of my stories). The ideas for what I'd consider some of my better stories have come from riding an elevator, walking to class and noticing a bunch of flowers blooming, and listening to the radio. I think that it's my attempt at making my life exciting, because I don't really do very much of worth otherwise. :p

I think that's enough for now from me. Anyone else?

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]I've noticed I use a lot of commas, possibly more than I actually should. I don't just do it for stories, either, even when chatting online or writing in my Blog, I use an awful lot of commas to break up my sentences. (I think I just done it then, too...)

When it comes to characters, I make them up according to the kind of story I'm doing. I don't have a problem with thinking up names, and if I do, I just grab the Baby Name Book and randomly flick through there until I find one I like. When writing my usual Murder stories I try to keep the characters as realistic as possible, giving them simple names that people would expect a normal person to have. When I write in RPs, I tend to be more creative with characters.

Unlike you, Shin, I [I]have[/I] to write a large portion of my story in one sitting. When I was writing Crimes of Hate each of those sections were done in about 15 minutes, I don't usually like to break for anything because I'm afraid of losing an idea when it hits me.

Another thing I do (or don?t, in this case) is not plan at all, I [I]hate[/I] it when English teachers make me plan for an essay or short story because I simply can't. My writing is always made up on the spot without any clear idea of where I'm going. I think this gives me more flexibility and ability to change the story and add little twists along the way.

Usually I have to listen to music when writing, I was mentioning this to my mum when I'd just written my last RP. I listened to the same song the whole time I was writing that and it really got me into the right mood. Sometimes I'm inspired by a song to write something and I'll listen to the same thing the whole time I'm writing and I usually find it ends up being a lot more emotional when I'm finished.

I think that?s it for me, heh.[/SIZE]

[Annie]

[color=indigo]I like to use emoticons. Not the little smilies that you see to the right of your screen when you reply to a thread. Little things like: O.o, ^-^, -_-, :p
So on, and so forth. Why I do this? Maybe it's because I lack the creativity these days to just write out things. I really can't tell.

Another thing I do is use * to pose an action. Example, *laughs* I use this alot in my writing. Not in RP writing though. Mainly when I'm talking on AIM or updating myO. Excuse, probably the same excuse as above. It's a lazy thing, I suppose. A habit I'm trying to break.[/color]

[Skye]

[size=1]Writing habits...

I have a bad tendancy to put a lot of speaking into one paragraph. ^_^; I've had people complain about that.

With names? I try to use names that reflect the character's attitude. Like with one of my stories, I named a healer Jason, because that's what his name means. I also tend to make my names up, especially when writing fantasy, or I twist around names I already know. It's fun.

Heh, I do the same thing as Jamie. >.> I use one too many commas where I shouldn't, and my mom seriously gets on to me about it. And Annie named mine, too. I use smilies a lot, and the asterisk. *laughs*[/size]

[future girl]

[size=1]When I was younger I used to spend a lot of time looking through those Baby Name Books. Now I've gotten into the habit of not giving my principle character a name if it's a short story. I find them hard to incorperate, it just flows more naturally if I can refer to them as he, she, I, etc etc. In longer stories I usually make something up because twenty chapters of he, she or I can get pretty confusing. I have a notebook with names that have stuck in my mind, a couple I've made up and so on. Ideas come to me spontaneously and usually when there's nothing to jot them down on. I pretty much have to stay there and write it all down the moment it comes to mind. It won't be as good otherwise, in my oppinion. I have no set methods, it's pretty much type as it comes. I usually fill in names after I'm done.[/size]

[Kaze]

[FONT=Times New Roman]In regards to instant message conversations or chatrooms. I have a major propensity for using ">_>" when I'm not being serious. I seriously put that thing after almost every sentence.....>_>

I don't really have any habits when it comes to writing stories though. I don't even have a particular writing style, since I make a habit out of changing my style with most of the stories I write. But I guess sometimes I have an inclination for putting a lot of violent jokes in my stories (infact, I just wrote a story a little while back with a [i]really[/i] sick joke/ending).[/FONT]

[Ozymandius Jones]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Hmm...I have a tendency to overuse ... actually. I use it far too much.

I name characters odd things - Jackknife, Blisters and Squonk come easily to mind, although I have no real explanaition as to [i]why[/i] the characters are named that.

My biggest one is my tendency to write third-person-present tense. My best work is written in that tense; I'm not sure why.

I also like to talk to my readers. It never turns out the way I want it to, though...[/COLOR]

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]


I notice my tendency to write cliff hangars at the end of alot of my writing. I guess I like to let people know there is hope of a sequel or something, because, I myself, don't like perminate closure, unless its done very well. Due to this, I also end alot of dialogue or paragraphs with the little poetic '...' I don't know why, it's just something I thing looks good, and gives the idea of trailing off into something new. This is also something I do in all my RPGs/Battles.

Speaking of which, I do a good job of conveying motion and bodily action, and describing a persons body/clothing, but I tend to leave out a the deeper details of the surroundings they are in, something I'm currently trying to fix. I guess those are my writing quirks.[/color][/size]

[Godelsensei]

I find myself injecting sarcasm into most of what I write, even if it breaks up the flow. I just can't help it--my subconscious must really have it in for the world or something.

Perhaps the biggest element that differentiates my writing from other people's is how I arrange the contents of my sentences. My English teacher, despite the fact that most people who even notice say it's pretty cool, is always on my back about it. And the worst part is, I can't even tell when/how I'm doing it, or exactly what I'm doing "abnormally". All I know is people tell me I stick subjects in arbitrary places, my response generally being along the lines of, "So? The Japanese language barely even [i]has[/i] subjects, you ungrateful cur."
I'm very liberal with my punctuation, as well, which probably helps the whole "Arbitrary Structure" thing along; it's easy to be creative when you understand the proper use of the comma.

In terms of names, I usually lean towards very old-fashioned, Gorey-esque things--the type you might find in Amphigorey/Too/Also. This may or may not have been influenced by the fact that my own name is quite classical/longwinded. And when I'm not naming every one "Mildred" and "Guilford", I am able to extract a strange delight from cursing the most innocent of fellows and ladies with names along the lines of "Darwinnia Pangaea Kassandra". (Ten points to whoever guesses/remembers just where I put that one to use.^_~)
I guess you could say I have a thing for substance.

I can also be a pretentious jackass, especially when writing essays. I'll put to work unnecessarily long, obscure words, simply because I find it fun. Then, people either tell me I'm "so smart and cool" or that I "think you're so much better than everybody!" Which is pretty funny, as both are true. : P

I can also go off on the weirdest of tangents for obscenely long periods of time. After all, there is something to be said for depth.

[Nothing]

Ever since I read Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut, I've had this nasty little habit of jumping around in time, and then forgetting what tense I'm in. Just recently, I wrote an essay about a wide field that at the time was covered with snow. As the character walked through the field, I described how it looked in the summer, and then stayed in the summer.

Another quirk I have that comes up before writing, is pacing while trying to think of a story idea. And like Gabriel, I can't plan for ten seconds in front of my face. But that's okay, since none of my characters really do anything spectacular. They're usually average pathetic people, with no real skill whatsoever. If one just so happens to kill somebody, it's usually by accident. And on one or two occasions, I've ended up hating my character by the end of the story. Er...well, however far I get in a story. I usually leave stories half-finished.