Random fact about me: I am highly prone to hiccups. I have been my entire life. I would estimate that I get saddled with way more cases of hiccups than the average person. Although, don’t worry, I’m not about to go whine about it on the Today show and then kill someone. I promise. But if you want a fool-proof, almost instantaneous cure for hiccups, I can help you out.*
Another random fact about me: My writing is highly prone to hiccups. What I mean is that I seem to always use the same descriptions, the same gestures, the same reactions over and over and over again, like an involuntary response. Allow me to give you a few examples.
A character is mad? She turns on her heel and glares.
A character is scared? He feels lunch rise up in his throat.
A character is nervous? She clenches her hands together and wrings them.
A character is happy? His heart leaps.
And so on and so forth. I don’t know why, but when I’m writing, I fall into these standard “hiccup” descriptions. I let myself use them in the first draft, and then I edit out 90% of them on revision. And then I shake my head and laugh at myself.
What about you? Any hiccups you always seem to fall back on in your writing?
*This sounds strange, but bend over so that your head is below your heart. Then suck in your breath three times so that you’re holding it so deeply your lungs feel like they’re about to explode. When you can’t take it anymore, let out your breath and stand up. Chances are, your hiccups will be gone. Sounds strange, but it works (at least for me). It was the most amazing accidental discovery of all time.
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