“Writers Are Weird”

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think people who say we’re “weird” are trying to flirt with us.

To not be as samey as everyone else in the world is a rare treat. To be called weird means you can’t out rightly be placed anywhere — you’re sort of an unknown element. The outlier to society’s isolated (and often individually funded) taxonomies. 

I like to believe everyone is weird in their own way, but there’s a particular breed of weirdness that comes with being a writer. In the interest of precision, I’m going to focus on my own weirdness as a writer.

Let me know if you share some of these traits or if you have your own batch of weirdness unknown to the world.

 

Colorful search history

You expect to find porn or some other shady sites in my browser history but let me tell you… there is only death and destruction of the senses waiting for anyone who goes looking.

I’ve searched for weird combinations of things — which, taken out of context would leave anyone who considers themselves level-headed engrained with a seed of insanity.

I’m not a murderer — but I definitely need to know which poison kills the slowest if ingested over the course of a few months *ahem*

Seriously, if something happens to me, just burn my PC. The world is already f*cked.

 

Difficult to offend/Too open minded

I’ve characterized most types, even the kind of people I would never wish to meet in real life. People suck, that’s a fundamental truth, but amidst the suckage there is value in having people from all walks of life participate in our reality.

If everyone was perfect I imagine life would suck even more. The diversity of character, good and bad, adds to the experience. 

I often commodify experiences, particularly the bad ones, to add to my creative ideas. Coping mechanism? Maybe.

Fact still stands, I find inspiration in the weirdest of places; some I’m even hesitant to share lol

 

Devil’s advocate-y

I have a hard time accepting one side of the story. Some part of me always wants to hear what the supposed “bad guy” had to say. 

After-all, no-one ever thinks they’re the bad guy. Most people think they are justified in what they do. The heroes of their own stories e.t.c.

Try and play devil’s advocate for hitler in the interest of maintaining intellectual integrity and see how quickly you make friends in our politically correct climate lol

It’s not that we (as writers) support the bad-guys. We just want the whole picture.

 

Esoteric bullsh*t

From music selection to our choice in hobbies. I’m the type to bring in my thoughts on the iambic pentameter and the ecliptic at a bar. To be fair, it’s not that I expect anyone to contribute anything meaningful given the environment. I’ll mostly be thinking out loud. I have a habit of zoning out when people tell me things I already know.

And before I forget …

 

Speaking to ourselves

Don’t be freaked out, It’s in our nature. We’re bouncing a bunch of ideas.

Sometimes we’re trying to iron out a scene in our dialogue by playing both parts. 

I mean we’re probably possessed by demons but hey — there’s no need to go around spreading that kind of interesting information lol

 

Manuscript, manuscript, manuscript

If we have a book we’re writing. You’ll hear about it. A LOT. 

It’s like our baby. Try not to think we’re showing off — if we’re sharing ideas with you it means we trust you enough to do that.

 

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What are your weird habits as a writer? Would love to hear about them.

 

– O.D. ©2021

 

Art by: guillembe