Weird writer ritual confession time…
While drafting each novel, I have a talisman or totem of sorts specific to that novel.
While drafting Phreak Show, I wore this one particular sterling ring every day because it’s oval like the eye rings Phineas slips onto each phreak.
While drafting Epistle of Doff: The Most Blasphemous Monker, I changed all my shoelaces to red, because red thread is kind of important to the story.
Now, while drafting If Found, Return to Astropop, I’m wearing a ribbon around my wrist.
In the novel, a two-star ribbon binds a pair of journals together when Astro finds them.
The red star represents Astro’s red journal.
The black star represents Pip’s black journal.
Do these things actually DO anything when it comes to my drafting?
Who knows? But they mean something to me—keep the world and characters ever present in my mind—which certainly can’t hurt.
LUCAS HARGIS 
Interesting… Keeping your characters and worlds close in everyday life is a very intimate and rewarding thing. I think it allows for a more genuine emotional connection and so a more convincing tale. I wonder if other writers (published or not) do this? I know I do. Not for every story, but for some. While writing my latest one (which I have to get back to) I tend to wear a bone pendant.
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I can live without the trinket, like I don’t tweak out or write awful words that day if it’s not around. lol
With Doff, there were definitely days I wore dress shoes [and therefore no red laces]. But I like having that little reminder right there with me wherever I go.
Out of curiosity, what kind of bone?
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Unfortunately I don’t know exactly what kind of bone it is (it was a gift) but it’s white and smooth, and I know is that it’s not ivory, so I think it’s mammoth.
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