On writing rituals …
There was a time when I had to have a Diet Coke with Lime, a yellow-lined pad, and mechanical pencil to plot every novel or there was just no mojo. I also had to have that Diet Coke with Lime to write. But five years ago I gave up Diet Coke for Lent (yeah, yeah, it doesn’t sound like much of a sacrifice, but I was addicted so it truly tested my will power!) and when I found I could actually outline a book and even write one without it, I decided to stay off of it for me. Funny enough, I could still plot a book with sparkling water, a gel pen, and a white pad. Or coffee and a Sharpie and recycled printer paper. Or a Bai and the notes app on my phone. So the ritual now is no ritual. Writing rituals – at least for me—were just a tool for procrastinating because if I didn’t have the Diet Coke with Lime, I couldn’t write. You do have to find something that gets you in the creative groove. If you’re a writer and need a ritual, make it an easy one to follow and that it actually gets you writing, rather than finding a reason not to.
