Writing, Self-Publishing, Book Marketing

Write Your Book: Your Writing Ritual

January 19, 2010 at 12:39 pm mbutler22 Leave a comment

You can ask anyone who writes what happens or needs to happen to set creativity in motion.  A quieted mind. That lucky sweater. The right setting. The little habits and routines that make setting aside time to write part of the daily grind.

I am referring to a writer’s ritual. Yours and mine and what we do to be comfortable while writing. Maybe your ritual is already well-defined or maybe you’re still placing all of the key elements in line. Sitting in a particular chair. The smell of a pipe. Moonlight or sunshine. Create a little nook; a place of comfort and security that allows your mind and imagination the freedom to roam. 

The writer’s ritual is a process understood and often needed by writers. The main focus of your ritual should be allowing your environment and certain patterns play a role in how you start writing and keep your flow. 

Benefits to a Writing Ritual:

Reduces Anxiety. The effort of writing can increase anxiety. The routine of a ritual, a place and time with comforting and familiar surroundings, invokes positive feelings and confidence and gives you a sense of identity.

Increased Control. A writing ritual doesn’t guarantee you will always be in control of your writing, but it can give you the feeling of such control. Once you are in that place, it is just you and the writing. An “at home” feeling gives you the power to be yourself through your work and to reach for new heights. You have decided to create a routine and now it is time to write.

Fluency. A combination of the above helps to eliminate writer’s block and enhance the flow of your writing and the development of your story. Most rituals take place during story development and idea generation, lessening the need for constant revisions. 

The act of writing rituals may seem inconsequential to some, but its’ purpose is to create the setting for you as a writer and to give you whatever you need to creatively and effectively write.

And now I ask you to experiment. Try different locations and incorporate a variety of your preferred comforts. You’ll know when you have found it — the perfect scenario for your writing. It is when, where and how you are able to openly and uncritically explore all possibilities.

Share with us what you ritually do to enhance your writing.

–Melissa

Coming Soon… A look into Characters.

Entry filed under: Writing. Tags: Routine, Self-Publishing, writer's block, Writing, Writing Place, Writing Ritual, Writing Routine.