Did you know that authors are certifiably weird?
How many weird things can you see in this picture?
Well, maybe not all the time, but there are some quirks and strange foibles amongst us. Maybe you have some of your own, but today is not confession time. Aren’t you glad? (I am…)
I ran across a website the other day when I was supposed to be writing. Here’s the link:
The website reveals some strange and wonderful habits and aberrations of some of our favorite authors, from James Joyce to Victor Hugo to Truman Capote, and more.
For instance, did you know that James Joyce liked to write while lying on his stomach? He used large blue pencils and wore a white coat while writing. Why? Check out the website if you’re curious.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Here’s another: Truman Capote was quite superstitious. He never started or finished a piece of work on a Friday. He also changed his hotel room if the numbers added up to 13. And, here’s weird . . . there were never more than two cigarette butts in Capote’s ashtray. He kept the extra ones in the pockets of his coat.
TKZers, that’s just a few. Check out the website if you’re curious enough, or are experiencing brain freeze this morning.
Also, please share with us any quirks you happen to know about authors. We have to stick together, right?
Someone, I can’t remember who, could only write once his desk was clear. If that were my case, I’d never get anything written…
Good morning, Patricia…
I’m afraid I’m in that same cluttered boat. I have a few, a very few, spots on my desk where I can actually see the surface. But if it ever starts looking like my Mom’s kitchen floor on Saturday afternoons after a good mopping, I’ll know I’m in trouble. 🙂
Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.
Notice the writers listed are literary writers. I’ve met thousands of popular genre writers and paid attention to the gossip. It’s very rare for them to be weird by any stretch of the imagination. Weird doesn’t write or sell books on a regular basis. The only weird thing about most of us is we have incredible imaginations and the focus to write books.
Hi Marilyn!
Yes, it seems literary writers are more quirky than the rest of us. And, imagination is a key ingredient for sure.
If you ask my husband, he’ll tell you that the volume of words spinning around in my head makes him (the original “man of few words”) dizzy.
Have a great day, my friend!
Happy Friday, Deb. I agree with Marilyn’s comment–this seems to mostly be a literary writer thing.
Now, all writers often have rituals to get started writing–anything from making coffee or tea, perhaps meditating for a minute or too to clear the mind, maybe put on some music etc. Another important ritual is rest breaks–everything from stretching to short walks and naps.
Hi Dale!
Let’s see . . . rituals . . . like, every morning first thing I do (after said cuppa) is open TKZ and see what’s cookin’.
For sure, that usually gets my brain cells humming. 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Read somewhere that Victor Hugo loved to go to brothels but was worried it was eating into his writing time too much. He ordered his servant to hide all his clothes, including what he was wearing, so he couldn’t leave the house.
Weird…
Ha Ha!
Let’s see, what eats into my writing time? Okay, we won’t go there… 🙂
Thanks for dropping by, Kristy, and giving us the low down on Hugo.