| Current mood: |  optimistic |
| Entry tags: | writing |
writing in the bath tub
I hardly ever give writing tips, but here's a good one: You should write in the bath.
It's very freeing. For one thing, you don't feel pulled in a thousand directions. Sure, the laundry needs washing and doorbell needs answering and the cat's scratching at the back door, but there's not much you can do about any of that. Your job is simple -- relax and get clean. Part of relaxing is daydreaming. Part of writing is daydreaming. Ergo, you're already writing, so you might as well make some notes!
Oh, I forgot to mention, the best part of being in the bath is that you can't "write" there, at least not in the traditional sense. No chapters, no fonts, no paragraphs even. Unless you've got a super amazing laptop, you can't "write" in the bath. It's like the laundry and the cat -- even if it needs doing, even if you're past your deadline, there's nothing you can do about it while you're in the tub.
So you just lean back, close your eyes, and listen to your characters. Or listen to other characters that aren't even yours yet. Let you mind wander.
When something comes to you, you'll want to jot it down. This is the most important part of this tip: jot, don't try to actually write a scene. Use shorthand, get the gist of it, then go back to soaking.
You'll need specific equipment:
Pencils, not pens. Trust me, if you splash your page, the ink from a pen will fade fairly quickly. I've lost some good stuff that way! So sharpen half a dozen pencils and have them handy.
Paper -- I use lined paper that I've torn into half horizontally. Full sized sheets are too big -- you'll get it too wet. And don't use newsprint type paper, or certain recycled paper. use the good stuff. Newsprint paper is cool, and recycled is important everywhere else, but they absorb too much random water. You need something that encourages the water droplets to roll away, or at least, doesn't absorb water too quickly.
Don't get greedy. Make a few notes per sheet, then set it aside so it can start drying. Keep a stack handly.
Writing in the bath is like plotting while you're driving -- for me at least, my mind feels freer, and I suspect it's because I'm not necessarily going to record my thoughts. It's too inconvenient. So it's like pretend writing. Chances are, it will never see paper, much less, printed manuscript pages, so it doesn't matter if it's good, or marketable, or even makes sense.
And this is so much better than writing while you're driving, because pulling to make notes over ten times on the way to the store is so inefficient. But in the bath, if you're soaking and daydreaming, you're right on task!
Now we know why I don't give too many writing tips! Oh well, have fun.
Kate
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katedonovan) wrote,
