The character wearing a bathrobe

Chris Baty writes that putting on a special piece of clothing will get you in the mood to write. Quite frankly, when I read that, I thought it was silly. Saying I read it is not quite accurate - I only skimmed it (because I thought it was silly). It seemed like saying, "Hey boys and girls! It's time to put on our thinking caps!!!"

So, yesterday I wrote about 3000 words, all while I was wearing my bathrobe. I told Dick, "When I take this bathrobe off, you can talk to me." And then I was all set, and because it's the night before the election, I'll say this; with that bathrobe on, I was fired up and ready to go.

Some writer I am. Was that an appropriate use of a semi-colon? I have no idea.

Who cares? I'll find an editor.

As far as the bathrobe thing goes, it really worked. Today, after I got home from school, I felt like I was probably not going to be able to work on the faux novel (today's new self deprecating word for it). What did I do? I put away my groceries, laid my schoolbooks aside, sorted through my mail, put on my bathrobe and wrote a note that said "Dick - I've got on the bathrobe. Talk to you when it's off, around 4:15."

I stopped writing at 3:30, so he never saw the note.

Here's the oddest part. It makes total sense that the bathrobe trick is working, for the protagonist is in a hospital at present. I needed to introduce a long section that was from another person's point of view today and I just could not do it.

Why not? Because of the bathrobe.

There was no way that this other character would sit on a sofa in the middle of the day wearing a bathrobe. Absolutely no chance of it. So, what am I going to do? I think I might have to pull out a suit jacket and put it on next time I write.

Do you think this has gone too far? I've heard of method actors, but are there method writers? Am I going to have to start wearing a sheriff's badge, a suit jacket, a bathrobe and, well, who knows what else. . .there's going to be more characters and they don't share the same closet space.

Photo note: A bathrobe with lobsters on it from L.L.Bean. Not what I'm wearing, but my character just might.

If you haven't already done so, get out there and vote tomorrow!