CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

This is in response (in a more appropriate forum) on what MillyFan said on the Trigun Manga thread over in Manga... about how Nightow likes to write with the television on and how she does similar - the writer's sterotype being that we need absolute silence.

What are your favorite conditions under which to write?

When computer writing, either typing up something I have handwritten, or doing work straight-computer, I like to have the television on. It is, of course, something that I only half pay-attention to at best, and sometimes, it distracts me from writing and makes my writing sessions much longer than they should be... but I do that.

Also, at the computer, if I don't have the TV on, I like to listen to music. I pop in a CD and listen while I write. This is one of the reason why I'd love to get the Haibane Renmei soundtrack - it would be wonderful music to write to. The Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack I also find to be good, and the Braveheart sountrack. All of these are good when I want to be in a "fantasy" mood. Creed and Pearl Jam are good for angst - as well as much of the stuff on the alternative stations on the radio. I find U2 good to listen to for just about anything, as I really like them, and I'm often in the mood for them when I'm doing Trigun fanfiction. (I weirdly connect, in my mind, a lot of the songs to Vash and to Planet Gunsmoke. Yeah, I'm weird)... but, U2's good to listen to for just about anything I'm writing - except... when I REALLY, REALLY want something to put me in a huge "high fantasy" mood - then it's the cool movie sountrack instrumentals I go for.

When I handwrite (which makes up the bulk of my original work prior to typing... I just feel most comfortable handwriting most stuff first, and I can get my ideas out anywhere, provided I have pen, paper, and am not supposed to be working at the time), I often like to be outside. I'll sit out on a bench in the yard, or I'll go out somewhere in the desert. There is this pile of rocks out not too far from me I used to climb on all the time as a kid. I still like to go up there sometimes, and it's a nice place to write. One time, in order to do some tweaking on a couple of novel chapters of mine, I went out into the desert (in AUGUST! Midday! Yes, I'm crazy), and sat out in an arroyo under a palo verde tree. It was pretty nice.

I can't watch T.V. and write. It just never works. I only like instrumentals when I write. Either I listen to my Yo Yo Ma CD or some soundtrack with lots of instrumentals. I also listen to samba or Brazilian jazz a lot. I prefer the 60's jazz like Miles Davis. I'm not much into the newer stuff when I write, other than good Christian contemporary stuff, like Stephen Curtis Chapman, Nicole Nordeman or Avalon. Overall, I do prefer it quiet when I write.

I like to be alone when I write. Can't be online, or I IM people or surf around instead of writing...I like to have music on, although I have yet to find anything that makes it easier to write, except maybe DJ Tiesto's stuff.

I already posted in the Trigun Manga thread, LOL, but here goes:

I usually write with the TV on in the background on something like the weather channel, news, or sports. . .like I said in that thread. I guess the constant yammering in the background gets my mind going. . .LOL.

Before I write, I like to discuss ideas with my friends and just goof off online. . .sometimes reading fanfics or watching anime can pull me out of writer's block, but usually, it's having a great freewheeling discussion where you're just randomly coming up with ideas, rants, everything. . .

I only write on computer. I used to write by hand, but for me, I can get much more done much faster on a computer, and I can also tweak and rework my work as much as I want. I also don't have to duplicate my effort by typing in what I've already written.

Well, I have to leave now. I'll be back later-BTW, this is a great thread!

I find it hard to concentrate if there is alot of noise, so I usually keep it quiet when I write. But I can handle instrumentals or very easy-going music. It would be nice to be able to write and watch TV...I just can't manage it.

I try to always write on a computer. My typing speed is so exponentially faster than my writing speed, and I don't develop hand cramps. As for surroundings... I can be flexable. I'll take silence or music playing (the type really doesn't matter, though I've actually found I somewhat enjoy the WOW CDs).

The only thing that throws me off is, in fact, TV. I find it rather easy to be distracted by it (I almost never watch TV, so I'm not acclimated to it). Then again, this is almost never an issue.

Oh, and I also find it more difficult to write while standing on a bed of hot coals and balancing seventy plates on my head.

Yeah, that would tend to complicate matters.

As for me, I prefer silence or instrumental music. Definitely no t.v.... way too distracting. It's the same with drawing, although to a lesser degree.

It does. I'm writing from experience...

Another thing: I actually try not to write anything other than fanfiction after I've watched/read something. My tendency is to be a bit too influenced by the style and elements of whatever I've just viewed, and that can be a bad thing, as it creates "lumpy" stories with many elements. But fanfiction is fine, as I'm generally using their style/elements anyway.

Usually I write around 2:00 AM - 3:00AM. In total silence. I have these really good earplugs that can filter out anything. Usually, I write because I woke up and writing helps me go back to sleep. I have an old emate 300 (newton spinoff, but cooler) that is backlit at the touch of a key. It's not too glaring, and it fits in the cubby hold behind my pillow. So if I can't sleep, I just flip over, open the cubby - lift the lid and write. It's on by the time I get my fingers to the keyboard. I've actually got the shortcut keys to all the commands memorized, so it's not to much work. It's also a cool place to write down your dreams, if you are into that kind of thing. (No tangents here, people!)

Anyway, there was this one time, I had this cool dream that I wanted to write down. It was a neat fight sceen that was going to end up in my novel. Well, I had the back lighting off because I didn't want to hurt my eyes, and I typed the whole thing out. When I woke up the next morning and looked at it, I discoverd it was complete jibberish. It looked like:

er;;. oy ;pplrf s htrsyr frs; ;olr yjod/ z;olr zo jsf ,pbrf ,u gomhrtd pbrt yp gst smf yjru ertr mpy pm; yjr ;oyy;r ni,[d smu,ptr/ zdohj/

Pretty freaky, huh? (In case you wan to be able to read that, just try typing with your fingers shifted one key position to the right.)

How fun!

Okay, I will tryto decipher this:

er;;. oy ;pplrf s htrsyr frs; ;olr yjod/ z;olr zo jsf ,pbrf ,u gomhrtd pbrt yp gst smf yjru ertr mpy pm; yjr ;oyy;r ni,[d smu,ptr/ zdohj/

Well, it looked a deal like this. Like I had moved my fingers over to far and they were not onl the little bumpe anymore. Sigh.

(Exact letter for letter)

Like that, huh?

Very well done!!!!

fave writing situation: a boring class
favored writing situation. Right before I go to sleep, listening to music appropriate to the scene style and charachters that I am writing at the time (a lot of my charachters have theme songs that I came up with them while listening to)
Surrounded by recource materials for easy reference/brainstorming. Usually after a brainstorming session with my co-author.

Oooh...and old phil I got a cool setup too...my moniter is on my desk facing the head of my bed...i pull the mouse onto the bed on a book and keep the keyboard on my pillow. Insta-access as soon as I wake up...just turn it on and click on Word...though I usually hand write first.

Let's see... Writing situations... Most of my stuff is fanfiction, but okay.

Well, humorous stuff (the bulk of what I write) is best done with a good friend or two around (especially my sister. Together, we come up with hilarious stuff!), but not parents, cause both me and big sis have an awful fear of someone looking over our shoulder while writing. No music for humor, unless it's either a funny songfic, or if the music's something like 'All-Star', or by Weird Al or Veggie Tales or something like that. And TV is a big no-no.

As for action and adventure and drama stuff, I'm a-okay with movies in the background, cause it gets you in the mood, and music's good, especially a bunch of rock stuff (Linkin Park, Disturbed, stuff like that) my sis likes to listen to, although I don't particularly like it, but you have to admit it helps. I don't usually write these types too much, but when I do, it's usually when nobody else is around.

Romance I find is best written with classical music on in the background. We have this one CD with a bunch of Christmassy sounding stuff that really helps. Although that might be one of the reasons so much of my stuff is set in December...

I also like to have some kind of snack around, cause I have a bad habit of biting my nails, and that just keeps me from writing or typing (typing preferably), whichever I'm doing at the time. I especially like celery with peanut butter and chocolate chips on top, caramel apples (though I have braces), and cucumbers. And fresh peaches are wonderful, too! Too bad you can't find fresh ones in mid-December.

So that is my secrets of success. Now you'll know what NOT to do.