Tools You Never Knew You Had

So I was thinking last night. We all have unexpected tools, things we don't quite recognize for their value in gold (maybe because they make us feel a wee bit eccentric), tools we don't think of as tools, but clearly they are. You might see them as a coping mechanism for your writing, or as a last line of defense, or a way to keep your sanity as you reach that word count deadline. Let me me just say that having thought of it a good while,  I now see them as what they really are: tools. Writer tools. Without them, I'm just not myself. With them I'm a bit, well let's just say I have character.

Here are a few:

Using Facebook, Blogger, or Twitter for the remembrance of facts. My friends must think I'm on the internet all the time, but I'm not really all there (see I sound like a loony already) when I'm on. I'm compiling links that remind me of ideas for a story, I'm posting my research there. I'm networking.

A new experience everyday, like yesterday for example. I bought a new kind of cheese. Some strange brand of Brie. Boy oh boy! I'll never buy it again! New experiences give me the opportunity to learn more about the world and therefore I have more to write about. My lovely husband on the other hand thinks I have a fetish for cheese. I've done the cheese thing before and because of it I not only enjoy muenster, mozzerella, Provolone, or smoked Cheddar, but now I can include Haverty, smoked Gouda, Swiss, and Queso Fresco among others to my list of favorites. Ha ha! Anyhow, here are some cheese rules, grammatical in nature. Note I'm practicing numero uno on this list. I think I got it right, but if I didn't do correct me.

Notepads. I don't really need to say too much about this one. I think it's safe to say that if you don't have one with you 24/7, something is clearly VERY WRONG with you. Am I right? Yeah, I'm right.

Idea box. Yup, I've got one. If it weren't for this box, I wouldn't be a writer. I might as well gift wrap it. It's chock full of....well if I told you the exactness of what was in it before the book(s) came out I wouldn't be here to tell you that ideas are priceless--highway money--and they make the stars bow down to me. Okay maybe the stars don't bow down, but they sure do sparkle for me. ;) Well, at least when it's not a cloudy night. :)

Being anal about the typos: in the chat room, in my e-mails, in my status updates written in third person, in my tweets, or even over the phone while texting (a Spelling Bee crisis waiting to happen which later evolves into a fine comedy over the written word because that is the only time I can laugh about it--LATER). So naturally, even in these blog posts, I faint when I see even one little error. Forgive me if ever you see one too!

So there yo have it, just a few things that help me as I write.

Here's  a post on sticking things in the ears. See! I'm not the only one.

Your turn! If it's anything stranger than fiction, you're right on the mark!