Superstitious?

Boo! Yes, Halloween is creeping up on us. All the decorations and costumes floating about have me thinking about superstitions (in addition to ghosts and goblins, tricks and treats). I don’t consider myself superstitious, but in honor of Halloween, I thought I’d share some confessions that might prove me wrong.

To begin with, I rarely discuss what my work in progress is about. Okay, a few people close to me know what I am writing, mostly because they have to listen to me rant about the snags and tangles that I encounter. In general, though, I keep the subject matter hush-hush, especially while the first draft is under construction. I suppose I am superstitious that I will jinx the work if I blab about the topic.

Also, I won’t revisit a manuscript once it is in my agent’s hands. Partially because I know that I will want to tweak and rework the thing. Also, though, I wonder if fussing with a work being submitted is bad mojo.

And, I don’t read my novels cover to cover once they make their debut into the world. I live in fear of finding a mistake that I can no longer fix. This may be more paranoia than superstition.

Finally, I always carry a flash drive with me. Mostly because I back up my work every time I type more than five words. I have never lost a manuscript (knock on wood), but there’s always the potential. And I’m pretty sure that this potential for catastrophe quadruples if I don’t have my trusty flash drive with me. Call it my good luck charm.

Enough about me. How about you? Do you have any superstitions?

Happy Halloween!