How I Write – Erika Price

· in ,

tumblr_n6ehxmTwXS1qictfho1_1280

When/how/where do you write?

I write almost exclusively on the notepad app of my iPhone. I’ve done this for years, so I’ve built up quite an impressive thumb-typing speed! I like this method of writing because it rids me of distractions (no visible, open tabs or other computer-related distractions), syncs easily to my Google docs folder, and it’s readily available, anywhere. I also find that the slightly reduced speed that comes with typing on my phone forces me to be a bit more concise. I err on the side of over-using adjectives and adverbs; having a slight handicap to my writing speed allays that tendency. I started writing on my phone in 2013, for NaNoWriMo, and I completed a whole 100k+ word novel that way, and it just stuck. All of my published work has been written on my phone.

In terms of where I write: I write in coffee shops, curled up in a chair, or sitting in the dark in my closet. I like having a space that’s relatively quiet and devoid of visual distractions, so darkness and loud repetitive music are musts. I’m attaching a picture of myself working on an audio script for a podcast from the comfort of my closet. I also record in there, so it’s become a creative haven for me, and a means of escaping the awful car-horn-and-ambulance-blaring cacophony that takes place outside my apartment.

Do you eat while you write? If so, what?

I try not to, but the filthiness of my laptop and phone are testaments to the fact that I love to nibble and snack while writing. Crackers, bagels, pieces of fruit, and gallons of coffee with cream are my staples.

Do you play music while you write? If so, what? 

Always! I need music that is repetitive, uptempo (usually), and lyricless (or with lyrics in a foreign language). Usually it’s electronic or ambient. My favorite artists for writing are Buromaschinen, Lazerhawk, FKA Twiggs, and Django Reinhardt. I also listen to the Japan 1970’s station on Radiooooo.com, which is a great place to discover new, retro tunes from different countries.

What are you reading right now?

I actually just finished reading Flash Fiction International 2015, which I saw a review of on NANO Fiction! The breadth of that collection is astounding for just 288 pages, and I love that there is a blend of new work and work by established and classic authors. There is something so contemplative about reading good super-short work; it’s like holding up a doily to the light, considering all the tiny details of the lace and getting lost in its minuscule, florid patterns. The kind of meditative state that good short fiction puts me in really helps my own creativity bubble up with new ideas.

Erika Price spent five years completing a PhD in experimental psychology, then decided to switch streams and experiment with literature instead. Since then, Erika's work has appeared in a number of literary magazines and websites, and has earned a Pushcart Prize nod as well as the furrowed brows of friends and family. When not writing or teaching undergraduates about the joy of statistics, Erika parents a chinchilla named Dump Truck.