You Know You’re A Writer When…

This is MY list of the things that lets me – and possibly others – know that I’m a writer.

 

1. You have a writing playlist.
2. Your mp3/phone/Kindle is full more of Immediate Music/Two Steps From Hell/anything else your writing playlist may contain than any other genre.
3. You actually have music on your Kindle, and listen to it whilst reading your own stories you’ve sent to it.
4. You ALWAYS have a notebook with ideas in it, and a pen for writing them down – you never know when inspiration might strike!
5. You worry every time you go to Waterstones/WHSmith/any other book shop, in case you find a book that has the exact same plot or nearly the exact same as your novel-in-progress (this has happened to me with a previous attempt at a novel, I wanted to cry).
6. You talk about your characters. A lot.
7. You often ask people to listen to your writing playlist and say “Isn’t this just perfect for chapter _____”. Even when they’ve never read your book. Bonus points if you don’t even KNOW the person.
8. You write everywhere you can. On the train or the bus, in bed, at school, at work – if you’ve got writing materials, you can bet you’ll be scribbling down ideas!
9. You’ve tried drawing your characters, but somehow you can never quite get them just how they appear in your head.
10. You consider getting published to be on your list of things to do before you die.
11. You have researched things for your novel that would look very strange if your computer was examined by someone who didn’t know you’re a writer!
12. You’re proud of your work, but as soon as someone wants to read it, you guard it like it’s the crown jewels.
13. You see people in the street who look exactly how you imagine your characters to be, and you’re faced with the dilemna of either walking over and telling them and sounding like a lunatic, or ignoring them (a little tip, I’ve ALWAYS gone with the ignoring them and recommend you do too, I certainly wouldn’t like someone coming up to me saying that I look like someone they see in their head all the time and write a lot about at night).
14. When “I was writing” becomes – in your head, at least – a reasonable excuse for not doing your homework.
15. Even your texts are full of descriptions and no shorthand!
16. You actually hope you get vivid dreams, because they always give awesome story ideas.
17. You have a “Writer’s Bump” – http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Writer’s%20Bump
18. Waking up early to write when you’ve got the morning off actually seems like an attractive prospect!

 

Suggest more in the comments and I’ll add them in!

All you need is love…

So, today is Valentine’s day. A day of love and romance for many, but of loneliness for others. However, today I want you to spare a thought for a group of people, for whom this Valentine’s Day could very well be their last. 1000 people will die each year waiting for an organ transplant. Nearly everyone would take an organ if they needed one – but only 29% of people are on the organ donor register.

It’s a really quick, easy process – I joined when I was fourteen and found it easy, for goodness’ sake! – and you could do something really amazing and save a life when you’ve died. Since April 2011, 937 people have donated organs, which have been received by 2,497 people – but there are 7,626 people still waiting for a transplant, people of all ages, races, both male and female.

You don’t have to be dead to be a donor – you can be a living kidney donor – but you can choose exactly what they can take from you when you die. You’ll be dead – you won’t feel anything! So what’s stopping you from signing up to do something amazing when you die, and save lives?

Give the most amazing Valentine’s gift and sign up today – http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk