The Habits of Writing...

Everybody has habits in writing, be it a certain time they set aside to write or the place they go to do it. It's always worth finding out the habits and rituals that other writers have as they might benefit you and your writing.

Below are some habits that we at Chaotic Bunny have. If you have some interesting writing habits that you think might help other visitors to the site then let us know - bouncing@chaoticbunny.com

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Set yourself reasonable targets. Everything seems easier if you break it down in to little chunks. Don't say to yourself "I want to write  loads this week, at least three chapters." If you say this to yourself and don't manage to complete your goal you will feel beaten, unsuccessful. Instead, aim to write one chapter. It's a more reasonable goal that you're more likely to complete. An added bonus is that if you exceed this goal, you will feel great about yourself, motivated and really positive. Also, make sure to make these goals on a weekly basis, that way you can adjust it each week to account for any other responsibilties you have.

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Always keep a small pad of paper with you. Whether you're going to work, the bank or the toilet. You never know when a brilliant idea will fly through your head, or how long you'll be able to keep it there before it flies away again.

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Try and train yourself to spot ideas in the most unusual of places. A favourite here is to look at our typos before correcting them. We've lost count of the number of characters we've named using this method.

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Ask questions. Question everything. This is a brilliant way to come up with story ideas. As soon as you start questioning the way things work and why they happen your brain will start to wander off and ask "what if?" Write your questions down and see where the train of thought leads you.

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If you have an idea for a story write it down. Especially if you're busy with another project at the time. That way you won't forget. Keep a folder of your ideas, catalogued by genre if necessary and the next time your mind is at a loose end pull one out and play around with it.