Writing rituals

Something most writers engage in or at least hear of, even when they’re just starting out, is the writing ritual—not that there’s just one. Basically, a writing ritual is anything you do each time you begin to write. Like a morning cup of coffee—or three—eases you into the day, a writing ritual is meant to bring the writer into a state of mind that facilitates writing.

Some writing rituals are common among writers. Many writers make a cup of coffee or tea before sitting down to write, and an individual writer may decide to drink the beverage either before or while writing. If you see someone pull out their laptop or notepad at Starbucks, they probably aren’t snobs who need other people to see them working on their craft. Well, maybe they are, but it’s more likely that this is what they’ve found works for them, probably because when you’re at Starbucks—or the library, or the bar, or in another public place—you aren’t distracted by that big pile of laundry you have to fold. Writers might also set up a room or corner that help them write, some personal place with objects or encouraging quotes that help them focus. There are other, less common ones—when I was a kid, I liked to eat a bite of chocolate before writing, but then again, who doesn’t?—but these all fall under the umbrella of the writing ritual.

As a side note, some writing rituals are self-destructive or dangerous, such as the stereotype of the writer who gets drunk or high before writing. Just in case you’re wondering, I don’t encourage these types of writing rituals. The ones I’m talking about in this post have a neutral or positive impact apart from whether or not they help the writing.

But apart from this consideration, I’m pretty ambivalent about writing rituals. The short reason is that I’m a pragmatist when it comes to writing; I believe each writer should do what works for them. In some cases, this means creating a writing ritual for yourself. In other cases, it means refraining or even moving away from a ritual that’s no longer helping your schedule or your writing process. But the most important thing is to know what is good for your writing—and to be honest with yourself if something that was once a helpful part of your process has outlived its usefulness.

When a writing ritual works, it helps you produce better writing than you would have without it. In addition, part of “better writing” is writing that exists on the page or screen and not just in its idealized form in the writer’s mind. Crappy writing you’ve actually produced is better writing than gorgeous writing you haven’t actually created, and that's simply because it’s writing—it exists in concrete form. This is the rule of thumb that can help you evaluate your writing process. Sometimes people enjoy their cup of tea and call it their writing ritual, but they finish their tea and have five minutes before the kids get up, and then their writing time is gone. A better ritual might be drinking the tea as you write so you can get more writing done. Similarly, some people have the same writing ritual for years and don’t realize when the ritual is no longer working for them. If you’ve always written at Starbucks but now your day job doesn’t allow enough time for you to drive to Starbucks, order a drink, and set up your laptop, let alone actually write, then you need to change your writing ritual. Or if, like I’ve experienced, your writing ritual becomes time to worry about whether your writing will suck that day, your writing ritual is probably not benefitting your work in a way that offsets the nerves you feel before getting to work.

There’s another reason I don’t have a writing ritual right now. I want to be able to write whenever I have time, without relying on my cup of coffee or quick access to my study. This works best for me now; my work schedule fluctuates, and establishing a certain time or place to write doesn’t allow me the flexibility I need for my WIP. But when I used to have writing rituals that didn’t psych me out—writing at night, decorating a writing corner, and, yes, chocolate—I was better able to transition from my regular, everyday concerns and enter the fictive worlds I’d created. A writing ritual can be like commuting home from work; gradually you leave one self behind and take up another.

So ask yourself what kind of writing ritual, if any, would be best for you and your schedule. Choose something that helps your writing, and be ready to jettison any ritual that hinders your creativity. And as much as I hate to say it, don’t just use your writing ritual as an excuse to stuff your face with chocolate.