{"id":17251,"date":"2025-03-24T11:01:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T17:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/?p=17251"},"modified":"2025-03-24T16:57:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T22:57:24","slug":"20-famous-authors-and-their-strangest-writing-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/20-famous-authors-and-their-strangest-writing-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Famous Authors and Their Strangest Writing Habits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"491\">You thought writers just sip lattes and type away like serene little wordsmiths?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"491\">Nope. Turns out, some of the greatest authors were total oddballs.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"491\">And yes, we\u2019re talking about people who wrote naked (because their clothes were literally hidden), guzzled enough coffee to legally qualify as a biohazard, or lounged in coffins before penning literary gold.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"491\">In this post, we\u2019re spilling the bizarre, hilarious, and <strong>slightly unhinged habits of 20 famous writers<\/strong>. Whether you\u2019re here to judge, relate, or just procrastinate on your own creative project, you\u2019re going to love this roundup of literary weirdness.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"e-widget no-button\" href=\"https:\/\/gleam.io\/ZkSYo\/the-literary-loot-giveaway\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n  The Literary Loot Giveaway<br \/>\n<\/a><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.gleamjs.io\/e.js\" async=\"true\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"491\"><strong data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"138\">20. Victor Hugo (19th century)<\/strong> \u2013 To overcome procrastination, Hugo resorted to an extreme ritual: he gathered up all his clothes and ordered a servant to hide them so he couldn\u2019t go outside. Wrapped only in a large gray shawl, he wrote <em data-start=\"344\" data-end=\"373\">The Hunchback of Notre-Dame<\/em> in solitude, a bizarre but effective habit that kept him focused and away from the temptations of Parisian nightlife.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"496\" data-end=\"861\"><strong data-start=\"496\" data-end=\"531\">19. Honor\u00e9 de Balzac (19th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Balzac fueled his prodigious output with caffeine to a legendary degree, reportedly drinking <strong data-start=\"627\" data-end=\"654\">50 cups of coffee a day<\/strong> while writing. This excessive coffee habit stands out for its sheer volume \u2013 an attempt to power his brain through marathon writing sessions (and indeed he barely slept while crafting <em data-start=\"839\" data-end=\"859\">La Com\u00e9die Humaine<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"866\" data-end=\"1272\"><strong data-start=\"866\" data-end=\"900\">18. Alexandre Dumas (19th century)<\/strong> \u2013 The author of <em data-start=\"917\" data-end=\"939\">The Three Musketeers<\/em> had a peculiar color-coding habit: he wrote different types of work on different colored paper. Fiction went on blue paper, poetry on yellow, and articles on pink \u2013 a quirky organizational system that Dumas believed even affected the quality of his writing (he once blamed a story\u2019s issues on having to use the \u201cwrong\u201d color paper).<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1277\" data-end=\"1678\"><strong data-start=\"1277\" data-end=\"1311\">17. Charles Dickens (19th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Dickens was famously superstitious about orientation; he <strong data-start=\"1371\" data-end=\"1393\">slept facing north<\/strong> and even carried a compass to ensure it. He believed this habit improved his creativity and writing, reflecting a quirky attempt to channel positive energy \u2013 fitting for an author whose imaginative worlds, from <em data-start=\"1605\" data-end=\"1624\">A Christmas Carol<\/em> to <em data-start=\"1628\" data-end=\"1648\">Great Expectations<\/em>, continue to enchant readers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1683\" data-end=\"2053\"><strong data-start=\"1683\" data-end=\"1725\">16. Friedrich Schiller (18th\u201319th century)<\/strong> \u2013 The German poet had an unusually smelly source of inspiration: he kept rotten apples decaying in his desk drawer. Whenever his muse faltered, Schiller would inhale the apples\u2019 \u201csweet, rancid mustiness,\u201d a bizarre sensory jolt that, according to contemporaries, <strong data-start=\"1989\" data-end=\"2025\">\u201cjolted his brain into activity\u201d<\/strong> and sparked his creativity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2058\" data-end=\"2527\"><strong data-start=\"2058\" data-end=\"2087\">15. Mark Twain (19th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Twain did much of his writing propped up in bed, often with cats lounging nearby. In fact, he loved feline company so much that while traveling he would <strong data-start=\"2243\" data-end=\"2258\">\u201crent\u201d cats<\/strong> to keep him company, borrowing local kittens and even naming them during his stays. This endearing habit of surrounding himself with cats is as quirky as it is heartwarming, reflecting the famed humorist\u2019s belief that a purring companion was the perfect writing buddy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2532\" data-end=\"2932\"><strong data-start=\"2532\" data-end=\"2558\">14. Colette (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 The French novelist Colette began each morning\u2019s writing session with a decidedly odd routine: <strong data-start=\"2656\" data-end=\"2676\">grooming her pet<\/strong>. She would methodically pick fleas off her beloved bulldog before putting pen to paper. This quirky ritual provided a calming, tactile start to her day \u2013 an intimate, down-to-earth prelude to the creative work that made her one of France\u2019s literary icons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2937\" data-end=\"3349\"><strong data-start=\"2937\" data-end=\"2971\">13. Agatha Christie (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 The Queen of Crime did some of her best plotting in the tub. Christie would relax in a warm <strong data-start=\"3066\" data-end=\"3099\">bath while munching on apples<\/strong>, letting her mind wander through murder and mystery as she soaked. This unconventional habit stands out for its cozy strangeness \u2013 inspiring grisly whodunits from the comfort of a bathtub, apple in hand, clearly paid off in her 60+ detective novels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3354\" data-end=\"3817\"><strong data-start=\"3354\" data-end=\"3384\">12. James Joyce (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Near-blind by middle age, Joyce developed a unique writing setup to keep working on his modernist epics. He wrote lying on his stomach in bed, using a <strong data-start=\"3538\" data-end=\"3559\">giant blue pencil<\/strong> and wearing a <strong data-start=\"3574\" data-end=\"3588\">white coat<\/strong> to reflect extra light onto the page. This peculiar habit \u2013 essentially a homemade solution to his failing eyesight \u2013 is memorable for its visual oddity and for how it enabled the creation of <em data-start=\"3781\" data-end=\"3797\">Finnegans Wake<\/em> and other classics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3823\" data-end=\"4317\"><strong data-start=\"3823\" data-end=\"3855\">11. Truman Capote (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Capote described himself as \u201ca completely horizontal author\u201d and had a host of superstitions. He insisted on writing supine (often lying in bed or on a couch) and <strong data-start=\"4021\" data-end=\"4064\">never began or ended a work on a Friday<\/strong>. He also kept no more than three cigarette butts in his ashtray at once \u2013 any extras went into his coat pocket. These quirky rules and rituals gave the <em data-start=\"4217\" data-end=\"4232\">In Cold Blood<\/em> author a sense of control and \u201ccurious comfort,\u201d however irrational they might seem.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"4323\" data-end=\"4815\"><strong data-start=\"4323\" data-end=\"4354\">10. Jack Kerouac (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Kerouac\u2019s legend is cemented by the marathon writing of <em data-start=\"4413\" data-end=\"4426\">On the Road<\/em>. Fueled by coffee and stimulants, he famously typed the novel on a <strong data-start=\"4494\" data-end=\"4531\">120-foot continuous roll of paper<\/strong>, so he\u2019d never have to pause to change sheets. In a three-week burst of creativity, he fed this scroll into his typewriter and let the words pour out unbroken. This habit stands out for its wild, relentless energy \u2013 perfectly capturing the freewheeling spirit of the Beat Generation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"4821\" data-end=\"5289\"><strong data-start=\"4821\" data-end=\"4853\">9. Edith Sitwell (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 According to literary lore, the British poet Dame Edith Sitwell would start her day by lying in an <strong data-start=\"4955\" data-end=\"4970\">open coffin<\/strong> for a few minutes before writing. Though likely apocryphal, this gothic habit \u2013 essentially napping in a coffin for inspiration \u2013 is one of literature\u2019s most famous quirky rituals. Real or not, it underscores Sitwell\u2019s theatrical personality and her flair for the dramatic, making the story as memorable as her poetry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"5295\" data-end=\"5744\"><strong data-start=\"5295\" data-end=\"5323\">8. Dr. Seuss (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, kept an <strong data-start=\"5365\" data-end=\"5396\">enormous collection of hats<\/strong> and used them to jump-start his imagination. When writer\u2019s block struck, he\u2019d don a whimsical hat from his closet and wear it until inspiration returned. This playful habit is as offbeat and fun as the tongue-twisting tales he wrote \u2013 a visual, childlike trick to get creativity flowing that clearly worked for the creator of <em data-start=\"5723\" data-end=\"5743\">The Cat in the Hat<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"5750\" data-end=\"6222\"><strong data-start=\"5750\" data-end=\"5783\">7. John Steinbeck (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Steinbeck wrote his drafts longhand and had an almost obsessive pencil ritual: he always kept <strong data-start=\"5880\" data-end=\"5912\">exactly 24 sharpened pencils<\/strong> on his desk. He was extremely particular about pencil brand and sharpening method, rotating through them as he wrote. This quirky precision stands out as an insight into the Nobel laureate\u2019s work ethic \u2013 a small ritual that gave him comfort and focus while crafting sweeping novels like <em data-start=\"6200\" data-end=\"6221\">The Grapes of Wrath<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"6228\" data-end=\"6807\"><strong data-start=\"6228\" data-end=\"6259\">6. Maya Angelou (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Rather than write at home, Angelou did her work in sparse hotel rooms, creating a controlled creative space. She\u2019d leave her house around 6 AM and hole up in a bare hotel room with only a <strong data-start=\"6450\" data-end=\"6538\">legal pad, a Bible, a dictionary, a thesaurus, playing cards, and a bottle of sherry<\/strong> as companions. Writing in solitude until early afternoon, she found this neutral, unadorned environment freed her mind \u2013 a unique habit that highlights her discipline and dedication to the craft (with a small celebratory glass of sherry when the words finally flowed).<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"6813\" data-end=\"7326\"><strong data-start=\"6813\" data-end=\"6846\">5. Virginia Woolf (20th century)<\/strong> \u2013 Woolf took an unusual physical approach to writing: she wrote at a <strong data-start=\"6916\" data-end=\"6933\">standing desk<\/strong> about 3\u00bd feet high. Like a painter stepping back from a canvas, this allowed her to frequently step away and view her work from a new perspective. The habit was partly inspired by rivalry with her artist sister, but it clearly paid off \u2013 giving Woolf a literally elevated vantage point from which she crafted literary masterpieces like <em data-start=\"7270\" data-end=\"7285\">Mrs. Dalloway<\/em>, long before standing desks were trendy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"7332\" data-end=\"7869\"><strong data-start=\"7332\" data-end=\"7360\">4. Dan Brown (21st century)<\/strong> \u2013 The bestselling thriller author has a head-spinning technique to shake loose ideas: he <strong data-start=\"7450\" data-end=\"7495\">wears gravity boots and hangs upside down<\/strong> like a bat when he needs to clear his mind. Brown revealed that in addition to regular push-up and sit-up breaks every hour, this inverted thinking time helps him relax and let creativity flow. It\u2019s a quirky modern habit that shows even amid high-tech success, sometimes the best way to solve a plot is to flip your perspective \u2013 literally \u2013 and let the \u201cwow\u201d moments come.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"7875\" data-end=\"8420\"><strong data-start=\"7875\" data-end=\"7909\">3. Haruki Murakami (21st century)<\/strong> \u2013 Murakami\u2019s routine is less bizarre than admirably rigorous. The acclaimed Japanese novelist keeps a <strong data-start=\"8012\" data-end=\"8037\">strict daily schedule<\/strong> when writing: up at 4:00 AM to write for 5-6 hours, then an afternoon run of 10 km (or swim), followed by early bedtime. He treats writing like an endurance sport, maintaining this disciplined routine every day, which stands out for its marathon-runner level of commitment \u2013 a habit that fans find inspiring as it reflects the depth of focus behind his surreal, mesmerizing stories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"8426\" data-end=\"8979\"><strong data-start=\"8426\" data-end=\"8459\">2. Isabel Allende (21st century)<\/strong> \u2013 Allende infuses a touch of mysticism into her creative process by <strong data-start=\"8528\" data-end=\"8572\">starting every new book on the same date<\/strong>: January 8th. She began her first novel on that day in 1981, and after it became a success, she made it a personal tradition to commence all her books on 1\/8, secluding herself to dive into writing. This ritualistic habit stands out for its superstition and optimism \u2013 Allende believes this consistency invites good luck and signals to the muse (and her family) that a new imaginative journey is beginning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"8985\" data-end=\"9554\"><strong data-start=\"8985\" data-end=\"9022\">1. George R.R. Martin (21st century)<\/strong> \u2013 In an age of sleek tech, Martin famously works on a <strong data-start=\"9077\" data-end=\"9120\">DOS-based computer running WordStar 4.0<\/strong>, a word processor from the 1980s. He keeps this antiquated machine <strong data-start=\"9188\" data-end=\"9199\">offline<\/strong> and uses the old software because it does exactly what he needs and nothing more. This habit is striking for its contrariness to modern convenience \u2013 by avoiding internet distractions and annoying auto-corrections, the <em data-start=\"9419\" data-end=\"9436\">Game of Thrones<\/em> author maintains a focused, old-school writing environment that hardcore fans find both amusing and oddly reassuring<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"8985\" data-end=\"9554\">Have you checked out any of our Free Reads? <a href=\"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/free-books\">Download these books instantly.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You thought writers just sip lattes and type away like serene little wordsmiths? Nope. Turns out, some of the greatest authors were total oddballs. And yes, we\u2019re talking about people who wrote naked (because their clothes were literally hidden), guzzled enough coffee to legally qualify as a biohazard, or lounged in coffins before penning literary [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":17257,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[229],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17251"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17251"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17264,"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17251\/revisions\/17264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}