As with every writer, we like our habits, our certain ways and order. According to psychology studies, we are habitual animals to begin with. Habits are what keep us normal. Every writing ritual will be different from writer to writer, but that is what makes us different in our writing process from others. Our writing process is our own due to the habits we develop to write.
For my writing ritual, which I would like to share is doing a lot of different things and at random, but it is always the same things.
Here is my list: I keep a creative journal, but mostly filled with judgment on I see and the universe’s wisdom I hear.
- I write a loooooot to prompts, usually to images of worlds I would love to live in
- Reseaaarch a toooooon–you can never be too prepared.
- Write different scenes of my book: I go from linear to circular all the time when writing. Linear writing is writing the book chronologically and straight through. Circular writing is moving from one chapter to a different chapter and not writing the story in order—writing and coloring in the lines isn’t always fun
- Go for a hike or for a walk by the river, nature brings back the magic my pixie dust needs
- Collaborate writing a poem or exquisite corpse with someone—gather other sentences to steal from other writers (there doesn’t have to be shame in that)
- Read a book/poem/flash story—studying others always helps
- Do a draft—get them creative juices flowing! Magic is more magical when there is more imagination
- Brainstorm alone or with a friend, two brains are truly better than one
- Sit my butt in a chair and force myself to write no matter what! But writer’s block usually defeats me when I go head-to-head
- Clean or garden–there is something about dirt and roots that transfers the worlds magic back into my hands
- Sit down at an actual typewriter and bleed to the muses…which usually ends in shambles and with the keys getting stuck and the paper crumpled
Write in the comments below, I want to know and learn what your ritual is…
My rituals: at 8:30 am I am at McDonald’s. I’m serious about acknowledging them in my next book. I get my soda and already have a project to work on. I write and listen to music for an hour or an hour and a half. This gets me away from my parents. I edit and type in my office. I help others do magnet poetry and teach/comment on the poems. I go back to McDonald’s about 3 times a day. Now that it’s nicer here in MD, I might get away and daydream outside. For now though, my car and a journal all the way!
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you need McDonald’s to sponsor your work in the future. 😉