By Isha Jain
As someone who wants to improve my craft, I often read about the writing advice and habits of accomplished writers.
Over the years, I have come across many quirky habits that have helped some famous writers. Like Dan Brown, who wears gravity boots and hangs upside down from a frame to clear his mind for better writing, and Honore de Balzac, rumoured to consume 50 cups of coffee a day to write more.
While these may seem extreme, I have also found some weird habits beyond writing by hand, on an internet-free computer, or while listening to white noise.
So, if you are stuck with your writing, look at these writers and their unique habits, and you may find your new style.
Victor Hugo
If you deal with procrastination, you may find the style of Les Miserables’ writer inspiring, if not a bit eccentric.
To beat his deadline, he had his valet lock away his clothes and only wrote with a grey shawl draped over him to stop himself from going out. After that, He had no other option but to write. It worked, and he finished weeks earlier with The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The current equivalent of this could be locking away your internet router. Would you try that?
Stan Lee
The famous comic book writer preferred writing on a standing desk in the sun as a healthier option.
However, he was not the only one. Fueled by rivalry with her painter sister, Woolf wrote on a standing desk, too. Even writers like Ernest Hemingway and Charles Dickens are known to write while standing.
It seems like a better option than sitting or lying in bed for long periods while writing. I have also seen some people use walking desks as an alternative. It sounds like a good way to get your steps in while working.
Eudora Welty
Can you imagine having the whole of your story pinned in front of you, and not in your head? That is exactly what Pulitzer-winner Eudora Welty did. She put her stories together in strips, taking them to bed or table, often resembling quilts that could be read from anywhere. She found it to be, “helpful and realistic”
It is similar to writers using planner boards while writing novels to keep track of plot points and character arcs. There are digital alternatives available too, if you are comfortable with them.
Alexandre Dumas
An Indian actor Ranbir Kapoor once explained in an interview how he uses different perfumes for various characters while shooting. It helps him to remember and get into the particular role he is playing at the time. I was fascinated by the sensory approach to the craft.
Well, the writer of The Count of Monte Cristo used a similar approach in his writing. Alexandre Dumas used different coloured papers. Blue for fiction, yellow for poetry, and pink for writing articles. It seemed to work for him since he came out with another classic, The Three Musketeers.
If you also dabble in a variety of formats, his method can be tried to differentiate among your projects. Different fonts, colours, or writing software can also be used for a unique experience.
In the end, you can try these quirky habits and figure out which one suits you and add to your writing process. Personally, I like Victor’s process. Though, I would go the opposite way by bundling myself in warm clothes before locking myself in a mountain cabin to work on a novel.
Bio: Isha Jain is a writer from Delhi, India. Her work has been published with Mysticeti, riddlebird and Brown History among other avenues. She runs her own newsletter named ‘The Indian Story’ where you can find more of her fiction and essays.
