I saw this list of questions on The YA League and thought it might be cool to answer them.
Writing Habits
1. Typed or Handwritten?
Definitely typed. The only time I ever write by hand is when I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, or when I’m brainstorming/plotting.
2. Cursive or Printed?
Printed. I never really managed to master cursive at school and I always liked how my printed writing looked. Now days it’s just a lazy scrawl, but I used to have really neat handwriting back in the day.
3. Show us your favourite pen.
At the moment I’m alternating between these four. I don’t really have a favourite pen, I just pick up random brands whenever I’m at the shops and use them until they either go missing, or run out. I really like gel pens, but they’re so temperamental.
4. Where do you like to write?
I have a MacBook Air so I sprawl out wherever, but generally at the end of my bed with all my writing “tools”.
5. Who are your five favorite authors in terms of authorial style?
I’m re-reading the Vampire Academy series at the moment and I just love Richelle Mead’s style. She’s like my writing soul sister. I like to read and write in first person, past tense. Other than her, I really enjoy Veronica Roth, Suzanne Collins, Olivia Cunning and Nalini Singh.
6. What are you your three favourite books on writing?
In all honesty, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book on writing. It’s something I should look into though because I really want to work on my grammar. I do own an Oxford Dictionary and Oxford Thesaurus.
7. Have you ever competed in NaNoWriMo?
Yes, a couple of times. I like Nanowrimo, I get excited for it every year and always start with high expectations.
8. Have you ever won NaNoWriMo?
No. Last year I got about 35,000 words in and tossed it aside. I’m in a much better “writing” place now, so maybe I’ll win this year. I always have a lot of respect for those who do win, because Nanowrimo is hard!
9. Have you ever had anything published?
Not yet, but hopefully in the future.
10. What projects are you working on now?
I’m working on a NA urban fantasy called Wrapped in Darkness. I’m also working on a YA contemporary called Chemicals Collide and editing a YA sci-fi called Sector12. So I have my plate full at the moment.
11. What is your soundtrack to writing?
Depending on what I’m working on, I love to listen to dramatic instrumental music. Artists like X-Ray Dog and Immediate Music and all of those big ‘movie trailer’ soundtracks. I love to listen to all of that sort of stuff, I find them so visual.
12. Do you have a writing pump-up song?
At the moment this song really gets me excited to write Wrapped in Darkness. Oh Death by Jen Titus. It gives me the shivers 🙂 It is Wrapped in Darkness in a musical nutshell.
Words Read & Written 
Heh, this is a great questionnaire. I’m going to have to copy it and answer it on my blog.
As for question number one, I have to say that I try to type things out first on my 1930s Remington Rand Noiseless Model 7 typewriter. It’s so great, and it makes me feel like I should be writing a noir hard-boiled detective novel.
The sound, the smell, the printed pages–I just love the process of writing on it.
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Wow old school. Where do you find replacement ribbons?
I’m the typo master, so writing on PC with fast corrections is a God-send to me.
Although I like to lean back in my recliner and scratch out notes by hand.
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Believe it or not, replacement ribbons can be found at Staples, and there are a number of online retailers that sell replacement ink ribbons.
The good thing about a lot of typewriters, especially old Remingtons, is that they use a standardized type of ink ribbon. It’s trivially easy to find replacements for them if you know what type you need.
I tend to make a lot of typos and corrections on the manuscripts I type out on the typewriter, but they’re all usually rough drafts so there isn’t a problem there. I rarely use it to type out a final draft. If you get through a page and then make a mistake at the end, well, looks like you’re retyping the whole thing.
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Where I like to write is the exact same as yours ” by the end of my bed” 🙂 with my computer and writing tools …Nice post!
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I start off with printed, trying to make everything nice and neat and universal then switch to cursive when the ideas start coming in thick and fast. Cursive is just faster and more natural and seems to enable creative thinkering. For me, cursive is for story-telling and printing is for story-building.
Thank you for E.S. Posthumus
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lol, great questionnaire! If i do jot points down by hand it’s usually a mix of print and cursive, and can be messy and hard to decipher, which is why i tend to to stick to computer or notepad on my iPhone. I like your taste in writing music, last year for NaNo i found an online radio station that had “movie theme” setting which was just the orchestra/background music to blockbuster movies, they are very visualizing and help me get into the mood. (Though to be honest i write the best in silence).
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Enjoyed the questionnaire and might copy the questions to my blog. I haven’t decided yet. I use the computer to write. If I try to write with a pen, it slows me down. I think it is because I majored in journalism in college for awhile and they made us use a typewriter all the time. (Showing my age–pre-personal computer era!) I got so I could type and think at the same time. Now when I try to write long-hand (cursive or printing), my mind is ‘way ahead of my hand and I end up frustrated, with sloppy writing, spelling and lost ideas. I write best in silence as I click away on the computer at my desk.
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Fascinating! But have never heard of NaNoWriMo!
I just love typing on the computer now, though occasionally I’m dyslectic and get the letters around the wrong way. It’s so much quicker than writing, and clearer! Great questionnaire!
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1 – Typing. Handwritten for emergencies
2 – Both. Depends on my mood
3 – Pencil
4 – At my computer desk
5 – Many. Current favourite: Orla Broderick. Her book ‘The January Flower’ is like reading a liquid rainbow. Exquisite.
6 – Don’t have any
7 – Competed last year for the first time
8 – Yep! 😀
9 – Also yep. ‘Mortal Instinct’ available where all good books are sold
10 – Sequel to Mortal Instinct. Short story collection. A blog serial. Outline for a SF/Mystery.
11 – Nothing specific, but always like to have classical music on in the background. Orchestral mostly.
12 – no
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Great questionnaire, I love reading about other’ writing process 🙂
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That is an interesting questionnaire… is it okay if I repost on my own blog with my own answers?
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Of course.
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I love this. I’ll be copy and pasting to my blog as well.
I used to write with my dictionary and thesaurus with me, but when we moved they went poof! I’m missing a box.
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I love this! I’ve never tried writing on my bed like that. It looks comfortable.
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Great answers, really enjoyed reading.
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Jodie, i love this and might do it as a post of my own…may i? i would love to link back to you. you inspire me…you always have such lovely posts that make me think about the essence of the craft…
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Of course.
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Love felt pens. Used to study and write at the end of the bed too. But now try to separate writing from sleeping, except when I get nocturnal inspiration and need to write it down!
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I enjoyed that questionnaire and your responses to them! And I’ll have to especially agree with you on Richelle Mead’s exquisite writing style! Brilliant!
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I thought I was the only one who enjoyed that Jen Titus song. I used to constantly hunt for it on iTunes
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Great answers Jodie! Good luck with your writing! =)
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