We all have them, the little rituals we do every time we write.
I have a fixation with sparkling water. I get my water bottle, my glass, and as long as it is morning my cappuccino as well, and head up to my writing room. I always tidy my desk up before I start. There is something about having a tidy space that makes me feel work ready.
If the cats are in the house (more likely if it is a chilly winter day) they follow me up and find a comfy spot behind my laptop and snooze while I write.
I check Facebook, twitter, my blog stats. If anyone has left any comments on my blog I will respond. Then I close all them.
I open scrivener—my writing tool of choice.
Then I am ready to go.
I used to be terrible for editing as I go, but I have become more disciplined of late. I still have a little read of the last written chapter, but restrict myself to only basic fixes and then I move on.
I reward myself for a productive bursts by snacks, and little breaks.
Mostly, if I am actually writing, I just go with the flow and try not to interrupt myself. If I am struggling to focus, more breaks inevitably creep in.
What are your writing rituals? What is your favourite place to write?
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Wow, I would replace a few words and have the same ritual. The opening drink: coffee. Dog instead of cats and I too use Scrivener. My favourite place to write is anywhere my dog curls at my feet. Somehow his breathing is comforting.
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Yes, our pets are very comforting, and unobtrusive apart from the occasional snore, or complaint to be let out or in 😉
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My husband loves his morning cup of coffee, but give me tea!
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I normally check email, blog comments, and then dive in. I have Scrivener but have yet to take the time to learn how to use it. I am an edit-as-I-write person, though, and usually start my writing process by reading the last several paragraphs or scene as you do. In the days when I had a cat or cats they were always with me in my den as I wrote. One of these days I will adopt another feline. Yours are adorable.
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Thanks Mae Clair – they look cute on the photo but they have their moments 😉 I have been using scrivener for 4 years and pretty sure I don’t know half of it still!
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Reblogged this on Kentucky Mountain Girl News.
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Thanks for the reblog Henrietta 🙂
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You’re welcome!
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Love the cats! Nice introduction. 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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I have quite a similar routine as well, and have also learned not to edit as I go along. I like to do an hour of so of gentle exercise at the start of the day before I start writing. When I go to my desk, I make sure that I have a couple of drinks, or easy refills nearby (eg. two mugs of green tea with peppermint, or a jug of water and a glass, etc) so that I don’t have to interrupt my flow once I’ve started writing. I don’t tend to take snacks to my desk, though sometimes I’ll have gum. I put on some music, and check social media sites for updates. Sometimes if I’m feeling really motivated, I’ll skip straight to the writing and check the sites later on. For writing breaks – I like to take my dogs for a walk, and play with my cats (your cat picture is beautiful!). I also find that going for a walk really helps to clear out any cobwebs and resolve any writing, plotting, etc issues I might have – but it really depends on the weather and the pollen level. I don’t like the idea of sitting stationary at a desk for extended periods though, so I like to try to ensure that I get some sort of movement during the day.
Great post – thanks for sharing! x
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what a wOnderful writing ritual, and great plan to get the exercise in first thing. Once I am writing I am really resistant to moving again, but do think a walk can really help if you need a refresh. 🙂 Sounds perfect!
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