Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Vain Writer

Are you a vain writer?

I could try to be all clever about this and link it up to preciousness of words etcetera, but instead I'm going to be shallow and link it to appearance. Do you comb your hair and paint your nails (regardless of gender; who wouldn't like a little nail varnish on their bits?) before sitting down at the keyboard?

If you're anything like me, your hair will be barely brushed; your clothes will be covered with yesterday's dinner; and your face will remain unwashed until noon. Gosh, I've painted a very attractive picture of myself, haven't I? It seems the more primitive I feel, the better I can connect with my characters. When I'm all scrubbed up and dressed for the outside world, I just can't concentrate as well.

So tell me: vanity or grunge?
Posted by at

88 comments:

  1. Sarah Ahiers26 April 2011 at 14:07

    i'm sitting in my sweaty workout clothes, completely unwashed, waiting for my turn in the shower (in about an hour). Good times. good times.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jaydee Morgan26 April 2011 at 14:11

    I usually write after a full day of work - I'm a mess and I like it that way!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alex J. Cavanaugh26 April 2011 at 14:14

    Sharp during the day, a little grungy in the evening!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Saumya26 April 2011 at 14:17

    Sometimes I'm messy but every once in a while, I'll paint my nails and pretend my writing and I are meeting up like friends. Pathetic, I know.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lindsay26 April 2011 at 14:21

    Umm, I'm sat here with unwashed, unbrushed hair... I think I'm going for the grunge. lol.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wendy Lu26 April 2011 at 14:27

    Grunge all the way, especially during the hours when I work well into the nights. You can often find me cooped up in my room in an oversized t-shirt and sweat pants or jeans. Or PJ pants. And, of course, my thinking cap. :D

    ~TRA

    http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. RHYTHM AND RHYME26 April 2011 at 14:29

    I like causual clothes, but I do wash first thing. BTW You looked perfect on the video I saw of you.

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Summer Ross26 April 2011 at 14:34

    I go grunge- though I tend to feel good about me when I'm dressed up- it doesn't help me write.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Norma26 April 2011 at 14:37

    I have to go with grunge. I had a run-in with the Queen of Vain yesterday, and after that, grunge looks pretty damn good!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bish Denham26 April 2011 at 14:38

    I'm still in my pjs...And when I finally decide to get dressed I'll change into a houserag! :O

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ellen Brickley26 April 2011 at 14:38

    I have a day job, so I have to look reasonably tidy. My look is best described as Leslie-from-Big-Bang-Theory-takes-a-shower-and-gets-contact-lenses. . . :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. baygirl3226 April 2011 at 14:39

    Husband refers to it as pajama chic.. Grunge

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy26 April 2011 at 14:51

    Hi Talli,

    I am your newest follower. I couldn't believe it when I read your blog title and today's post. We just might be soul sisters. I tell people that my only drugs are coffee, wine and Exedrine, and that is true, lol. And, I get up, work on my blog and write, etc. for 3-4 hours in the morning before taking my bath!

    Mornings are when I am in my zone. I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one who prefers a sweatshirt covered with dog hair. Thanks so much for your post, you cracked me up.

    Thanks so much for working so hard on the A-Z Challenge for us. Have a wonderful day!

    Kathy M.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Joyce26 April 2011 at 14:54

    I do my best writing in yoga pants and one particular sweatshirt that has definitely seen better days.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous26 April 2011 at 14:56

    Nah, can't be bothered getting spruced up to sit in front of a screen! I wear makeup every day, and even when I'm working, but I wouldn't call myself vain. My sister might though, LOL.

    CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Emma26 April 2011 at 15:04

    My best writing is done early of hours of the morning when I've got my comfy, baggy pajama bottoms on with some random t-shirt from a concert and hair scraped away from my face.

    Then in the morning I'll stroll out of bed, maybe brush my teeth, depends on if I want that coffee now or later, and sit at my desk as is.

    The only time I looked respectable when writing is if I've gone to a coffee shop or I'm in a car.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous26 April 2011 at 15:17

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Amy Saia26 April 2011 at 15:35

    It does seem a lot easier to write while wearing sweats. I know I've had my moments of being yucky and not caring because I was writing something really nice. Good thing there's no smell-a-vision on blogs!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Suze26 April 2011 at 15:43

    Three words: pajamas, pajamas, pajamas. Oh, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Guess that's more than three words.

    There was one manuscript that I wrote wearing black nail varnish in honor of one of the characters.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lizzie26 April 2011 at 15:44

    I'm washed with brushed hair swept up in a comb so it doesn't hang around my face and irritate me before I sit before the screen. But I always have to write in my comfiest, baggiest and oldest yoga pants and a holey, big t shirt.

    Somehow I don't imagine my get up is anything like Jackie Collins would wear to write in. She's probably in tight leopard skin print and full slap, ready for any visitor from Porlock. Ah well!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Laura S.26 April 2011 at 15:54

    I rarely ever wear make-up when I go out, and I never wear it when I'm just at home! I work out in the morning and then take a shower. Then I start writing. So I'm clean, but my hair is wet and I'm wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. So I guess I'm an in-betweener!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Bossy Betty26 April 2011 at 15:59

    Oh. Grunge all the way.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Deniz Bevan26 April 2011 at 16:22

    Grunge, definitely. This is, I hope, mostly reflective of the fact that if I take time to do anything else in the morning, the writing suffers. The words have to come first, for as long as possible, before I get distracted by anything else, even a face wash. Well, okay, that's not entirely true. I do take a shower. But showers are always an extension of writing/idea generation time [s]

    ReplyDelete
  24. notesfromnadir26 April 2011 at 16:22

    Who sees you when you write? I don't think the computer monitor will scold you for not brushing your hair or getting dressed up!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Jessica Ann Hill26 April 2011 at 16:22

    I write when I get home from work, so I'm always a mess. I have to change into lazy clothes, pull my hair up, and I definitely have no makeup on my face! (I don't even wear makeup to work.)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hilary Melton-Butcher26 April 2011 at 16:23

    Hi Talli - regretfully grunge! I clean up after an hour or so .. after my coffee's woken me up! Just glad I've got some company by the sound of it!! Cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  27. Deborah Carr (Debs)26 April 2011 at 16:25

    I'm sitting here makeup-free (not a pretty sight), hair twisted up and in a clip, baggy cut-off trousers and an old Pineapple t-shirt. Not the most glamorous of visions, I have to admit.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Matthew MacNish26 April 2011 at 16:27

    I usually write at the office (shh) so I am generally well groomed, but we don't have to wear ties, thank god.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Old Kitty26 April 2011 at 16:29

    Erm.. I do the hobo look. Always.
    :-)

    Oh but without the smell. I think so anyway. I just don't get the flies that buzz around me though!

    :-) Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  30. Unknown26 April 2011 at 16:41

    I always INTEND to make myself decent, but if I get into the zone before that, it sometimes doesn't happen till lunch! (This is on days when I don't have work. Obviously then I make sure I look decent!)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous26 April 2011 at 16:43

    Grunge! I don't need to impress my computer with how I look. Just need to get those words down on paper or typed out on the screen.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Southpaw26 April 2011 at 16:52

    The way your post started I thought you might tell us to get all gussied up before writing. Whew, I'm glad I was wrong.

    And that is all I'm going to say about that. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Olga26 April 2011 at 16:54

    One day you should see me in front of my easel. It is something between realism and abstraction :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anne26 April 2011 at 17:06

    If I am not working, I go workout, take a shower, I don't like grunge!I get more done when I am feeling refreshed!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Shallee26 April 2011 at 17:10

    Depends on what else I'm doing that day. Lazy days = total grunge. Busy days = actually wearing makeup. Basically, my writing always comes at the end of the day, so the day dictates my style!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Creepy Query Girl26 April 2011 at 17:10

    I knew an english woman through thewordcloud who would get up, showered and dressed in her most professional attire before sitting down to write. To each their own I think. I write best in my pajamas- lounging in my couch with a laptop and a coffee and sometimes toast on the side. I can't tell you how nasty my laptop used to get...no wonder why it died prematurely. Now that I'm on a desk top I have to settle for just being in my comfy yoga pants.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Unknown26 April 2011 at 17:25

    I get up, shower, dress and do my hair before I do any writing. Looking sane is the only thing that actually keeps me sane throughout a day of writing while caring for a toddler and other work. If I'm a mess I just feel depressed.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Flowerpot26 April 2011 at 17:26

    I never do my nails anyway and rarely look in a mirror, certainly not before writing!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Unknown26 April 2011 at 17:29

    Grunge every time. I have dogs to walk first thing - well, that's my excuse. I always vow to smarten myself up for the evening but after a day slaving over a hot keyboard, I just collapse on the sofa with a glass of wine.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Bluestocking Mum26 April 2011 at 17:32

    Oh this made me laugh Talli!

    I did manage a shower this morning but I'm sitting here, no makeup on and I haven't brushed my hair. And I was cold so I'm wearing hubby's jumper. I look a complete mess. But I'm comfy.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous26 April 2011 at 17:35

    LOL! I'm like you Talli. Love the description.:O)

    ReplyDelete
  42. Alexandra Shostak26 April 2011 at 17:37

    Grungy grungy grungy. Though sometimes if I've been in my pajamas all day, I have to change into jeans and a tshirt or I feel like I'm TOO much of a slacker!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Roxy26 April 2011 at 18:01

    Definitely grunge. I do not care much about my own appearance when I write, but I insist on having a cute pen and a nice cup of tea in my china mug. Weird, I know.

    ReplyDelete
  44. mooderino26 April 2011 at 18:13

    Quite neat and tidy apart from my hair which is always all over the place, falling over my face and getting stuck in between my teeth. I need a haircut.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Angela26 April 2011 at 18:44

    Grunge all the way!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Suzie F.26 April 2011 at 18:47

    I usually write whenever I can squeeze time in during the day or night, so I could be wearing p.j.s, work clothes or jeans.

    In the summer, however, when I'm not working, I'm in no rush to look presentable for my characters ;)

    ReplyDelete
  47. Michael Di Gesu26 April 2011 at 18:59

    Grungy ALL day and then..... I transform.

    Could I be a V-Vampire? Not now with a Florida tan. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Julie Flanders26 April 2011 at 19:08

    I'm usually in sweats and a t-shirt, with my hair a total mess, and stretched out on the couch with my laptop on my legs. Definitely grunge for me.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Heather M. Gardner26 April 2011 at 19:15

    Grunge!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Empty Nest Insider26 April 2011 at 19:23

    Comfort is key. I could live in my pajamas. Cute post! Julie

    ReplyDelete
  51. Roland D. Yeomans26 April 2011 at 19:26

    I believe all of us are vain in some area of our lives. But is it vanity or just taking pride in ourselves, in being the best that we can be? Surely, if we all strived for bettering ourselves this would be a better world -- or at least a better looking world! LOL.

    I will probably go unnoticed in the avalanche of your commenters, but it occurred to me that I have ignored a Roland for far too long -- another Roland

    ReplyDelete
  52. Maurice Mitchell26 April 2011 at 19:40

    If looking good is vain. Then yes. I'm not a writer though, so no. Great blog. I love your header image.
    ***New follower!

    ReplyDelete
  53. RHYTHM AND RHYME26 April 2011 at 19:43

    Thanks Talli for the comment.Yes I lived in Benalmadena, Costa Del Sol for three years close by to my youngest son who lives there.

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Donna K. Weaver26 April 2011 at 19:52

    Grunge, for sure. That's why my office is in my basement. Love your post. =D

    ReplyDelete
  55. SharleneT26 April 2011 at 19:54

    We're supposed to dress up for our computers? Geez, I'm screwed... Sometimes, my mind is going so fast, getting fixed up can throw all that energy out, so I don't play around with it. Just like with clothes, I find I write better in different genres based on the clothes I'm wearing. Can even do it with different hats -- cowboy, frilly, sensible -- they all help create different characters.

    Hello, fellow A-Z Challenger! Here's my latest entry. Come visit either of my blogs when you can and leave some comment love:

    V is for Virtuosity and the Virtual Piano http://bit.ly/hBYZmI

    http://www.mainstreamsolarcooking.com
    http://www.rockinchairreflections.com (A-Z)
    Twitter: @SolarChief

    ReplyDelete
  56. Fran Hill26 April 2011 at 20:02

    Are you mad? Isn't this WHY people become writers?

    ReplyDelete
  57. Laura26 April 2011 at 20:12

    Grunge - extreme grunge... that's why I've carved out my writing hour first thing in the morning - unwashed -eeeewww! but it does seem to help. Hope you had a fab weekend and enjoyed the sun!
    Lxxx

    ReplyDelete
  58. Mia Hayson26 April 2011 at 20:20

    Grunge because somehow unwashed shirts, messy hair and the absence of make up feels comfortable.

    ReplyDelete
  59. RosieC26 April 2011 at 20:25

    Haha! My life is the antithesis of vanity. I barely do my hair and nails to leave the house, much less write. :) I'm usually a mess when I'm writing, and I prefer it that way. I'm glad I"m not the only one.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Ann26 April 2011 at 22:03

    For me it depends on the day. Grunge one day, vain the next. Confusion is the mainstay of my existence.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Manzanita26 April 2011 at 22:35

    A really good question. Gunge all the way. I live in sweats and haven't worn a bra in the house for years. Of course I live alone too. (No wonder!!! Ha)

    ReplyDelete
  62. Karen Roderick26 April 2011 at 22:40

    Blimey, this got me thinking, but I'm definitely grunge (currently wearing joggers, t-shirt and hoodie!!) always my glasses too, and face cream!! x

    ReplyDelete
  63. Bethany Elizabeth26 April 2011 at 23:18

    I actually can't concentrate unless I'm clean. I don't have to be dressed up, but I do have to have clean hair. :)

    ReplyDelete
  64. Theresa Milstein26 April 2011 at 23:24

    I'm not a vain writer. I've been known to forget to brush my teeth. But I am a vein writer:

    "There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein." ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith

    ReplyDelete
  65. Carol Riggs26 April 2011 at 23:56

    Vain? Goodness no. I usually kick around in my pj's and robe. Don't bother to brush my hair til I take a shower (which is after breakfast). Ahhh, the life. LOL Writing is more important/fun, to do first. ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  66. Corinne O27 April 2011 at 00:01

    I am absolutely not a vain writer. If I get all dolled up before writing it is solely because I have an appointment and must show my face in public at some later point in the day. LOL!!

    I've given you the Versatile Blogger award! Come see my blog for the details.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  67. Talei27 April 2011 at 00:13

    Haha. Well, tonight - I am sitting in my black nightie, hidden under my kimono. Not so scruffy as I've been to the gym tonight - feeling very polished. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  68. Liz P27 April 2011 at 00:21

    Definitely a grunge writer. I long to come home from work to get into my worn-in, comfy pants and a loose t-shirt. When I write, sometimes I'll even wrap up in a blanket or fluffy robe for extra comfort.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Grandpa27 April 2011 at 00:44

    Grungy all the time, I'm afraid - what with my durians, my goats and chickens. Add to that smart kiddo of five and a toddler of two!!

    You don't look anything like what you described yourself to be there Talli...

    Grandpa
    Life on The Farm

    ReplyDelete
  70. Donna Shields27 April 2011 at 00:46

    I'm the same way. Give me my coffee and slippers and I'll stay that way all day in front of my computer.

    ReplyDelete
  71. LTM27 April 2011 at 01:56

    oh, god, I'm a disaster when I write. I forget everything--I don't even shave my legs. It's atrocious. My poor husband...

    but once I'm done it's like one of those religious rites or something. I shower, wash my hair, shave... it's like cutting the dreads. :D LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  72. Catch My Words27 April 2011 at 02:11

    Grunge, unfortunately.

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  73. Vicki Rocho27 April 2011 at 03:16

    OMG, I'm GRUNGE. There, I said it. I keep my hair short so once I fix it in the morning it's good (enough) all day. Rarely wear makeup and my clothes are mostly of the comfortable variety. Mostly I write in jeans, a sweater and a pair of socks. Oh, and I have to keep the nails short or there are too many typos!

    ReplyDelete
  74. Alleged Author27 April 2011 at 03:52

    Grunge, baby! I come complete with plaid shirt and bad song lyrics. :P

    ReplyDelete
  75. Plain Jane27 April 2011 at 04:20

    Grunge, except for when I leave the gym. For some reason after a workout and a visit to their amazing shower, I fix my hair and apply my makeup. Recently, that is the only time I wear makeup.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger27 April 2011 at 04:52

    That's interesting. I've never really thought of that. I guess I write better when I'm smart and feeling fresh.

    Duncan In Kuantan

    ReplyDelete
  77. Unknown27 April 2011 at 06:14

    OMG I am so grunge when I sit at the computer to write. Reading your colorful description put me in mind of myself just this morning. :)

    ReplyDelete
  78. Elizabeth Mueller27 April 2011 at 06:23

    Uh, both? Can I be? I always make sure I look nice. My house suffers. I make sure that the kids' needs are met. I have to or I'll hate myself. :D

    ♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥

    ReplyDelete
  79. Samantha Vérant27 April 2011 at 09:00

    My eyeliner is dripping down my face. I'm in sweats. I haven't showered. It's 10. Yeah, I'm grungy.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Damyanti Biswas27 April 2011 at 09:33

    It is true, I can't write with my make-up on!

    I have to be a bit of a slob while I write...cos possibly I need to get under my character's skin, which can't happen very easily if I'm in my own skin too strongly.

    In my A-Z post yesterday, I entered the POV of a 95-yr-old woman, and that isn't easy when you're very grounded and vain within your thirty-something self!

    ReplyDelete
  81. Unknown27 April 2011 at 10:59

    Grunge - so comfortable doing my own thing, in my own house:)

    ReplyDelete
  82. Naina Gupta27 April 2011 at 12:04

    Just like everyone else - Why get dressed up to sit in front of your own laptop?
    I'm alone for most of the day so luckily no-one sees me.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Anonymous27 April 2011 at 13:42

    Comfortable is best, although I do comb my hair every morning. Usually.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Golden Eagle27 April 2011 at 13:44

    I'll write in any state if I've got an idea bouncing around in my head, grunge or no. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Karen Lange27 April 2011 at 14:03

    Oh, I guess I lean more toward the vanity side. But probably because when I haven't fixed my hair or had a scrap of makeup on, that's when all the unexpected guests seem to pop over. And they bring people with them! It's maddening. So here I sit, all fixed up, and no one stops. Go figure. :)

    ReplyDelete
  86. Tracy27 April 2011 at 15:41

    how about in between? I think it depends on the day AND the character!

    ReplyDelete
  87. Morris Lewis29 April 2011 at 21:13

    Vanity, certainly, but I feel more focused and professional when I'm neatened up.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Rebecca Dupree30 April 2011 at 18:48

    nail polish and pjs!

    ReplyDelete

Coffee and wine for all!

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)