Writing prep rituals can keep our productivity levels at high gear. Best of all, they don’t need to be elaborate to work well either. Small rituals work best, because we can perform them any time to get us into the right writing mood.
The worst situation for a writer is when he can’t feel comfortable with his surrounding. If there are any disturbing factors, it is so easy to make excuses on why we don’t write. I know this too well as I experience this type of situation right now.
My house is a mess, I can’t find anything anymore and my creative sanctuary has been ripped apart, all because we are doing some renovations. That means right now I have to dig very deep to find that special space to keep me writing undisturbed. To make matters worse, my birds are also feeling the difference in the house and act accordingly. This puts a huge strain on my days and make working a lot harder than in normal circumstances.
But hold on, isn’t a writer supposed to be flexible?
Exactly, the whole beauty of working as a freelance writer is to be able to work anywhere in the world with a laptop computer and an Internet connection. While this sounds all great in theory, in practice it is often complicated if not a little hard to implement.
By working at home we are within the same environment day in and day out (much like working in a job), but when we travel, this environment changes, sometimes daily.
Therefore it is most important to create a space (visual, mental and actual) around our work area, wherever we are, regardless whether this is at home or on the road.
How to create your instant writer’s zone
To do this we need to surround ourselves with items that help us make the connection from playtime to work. Some people can do this with their willpower alone and if push came to shove I might be able to stretch to this myself, but to be honest, I would miss my little writing prep ritual: the preparation of my mind and my workspace to help me make that transformation as smooth as possible.
Benefits of writing prep rituals
The obvious benefit is the creation of a “special zone’ in which we can work without distractions by switching to the right mind set.
Another benefit is the instant way we react to the environment around us. A minute ago we felt stressed out and fussed about the state of the room in which we write and now we feel calm, collected and ready to tackle our working day.
To create your very own special writing prep ritual you really don’t need much. For me it is the following “tools” that put me in the right writing mood:
- A clean workspace
- My laptop computer
- Broadband Internet
- My Moleskine diary
- My favorite pen
- Unlimited access to cups of herbal tea and one coffee/day
- Plenty of nibbles in the fridge
That’s it. I can take any of these things with me, even when I travel, except of course the nibbles in the fridge. But even that can be substituted for other foods that keep my brain working at top performance.
Creative workspace killers
The worst part for any writer is in my eyes a destructive environment and clutter. Although I have plenty of clutter around me right now - the bathroom is in the kitchen and the bedroom is so full it looks like a store room - my little writing prep ritual keeps me grounded amongst the mess.
We all face distractions every day. Writing prep rituals help us to step over them and use our concentration for what needs to be done.
I even use a certain layout to keep my writing prep tools around me. It might sound trivial, but I truly believe this little ritual keeps me grounded.
The ritual
The actual writing prep ritual is pretty straight forward. All I do is clean my laptop if it is dirty, pour myself a cup of tea, position my diary, pen and off I go. It works because I take my focus from where it was to my work by arranging my stuff and setting myself up for the right mind set.
Do you have a writing prep ritual? If so, would you care to share what is involved?
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Monika
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When I want to focus…I mean, when I “really” want to focus. I turn off the t.v., grab whatever books I’ve been reading (they usually include Post-it notes to specific pages), and I turn on the music to Cirque du Soleil [my favorite] or some soft jazz. It’s the music that somehow gets me relaxed and flowing and the books help inspire my thought processes.
@ Ricardo Bueno: Oh my, you just reminded me, I forgot to mention my music too as often I turn on the digital radio and switch to the lounge channel. Music certainly helps to put us in the mood, thanks fore sharing this.
Nice tips, Monika! For me I find that the internet is a huge distraction. I get a lot more productive work down if I close down the Gmail window and stay offline.
I don’t always take my own advice, though… most of the time, it’s a battle to avoid everything online and focus on the writing.
@ Chris: Thank you. I agree and it’s kind of ironic, since most of us work online. I’m not sure whether I could do the work offline thing though. I often find myself in urgent need to jump on Google and if I had to switch between online and offline it would prove even more distracting.
We could call it the battle of the mind. There is a good remix from Jim Rohn we here sings about this, kind of a groovy PD remix.
Hi Monika,
I’m usually right in to work — in fact, I’m reading this while I eat my breakfast of a bowl of oatmeal — but when I feel stuck, I take a walk.
Also, I light an incense stick when I do my Akashic Record Reading. Not a necessity, but it sets the mood. Rituals works because it molds our subconscious.
Blessings,
@ Akemi: Ack, you just made me really hungry. It’s freezing here right now and a nice hot bowl of oats would come handy.
Great to hear about your incense ritual. I love those little rituals, they are so small but hold a lot of meaning. Thank you for sharing.
I feel the same way about my painting. I have to be comfortable. Which is why I don’t like to paint outside (with the hot sun and bugs).
I also have to be in the right mood. If I’m not, then I can force myself to paint but I will just produce crap.
Problem is, when I feel like painting most is around midnite on a workday, (or at 8:00 AM, just before I leave the house).
Never at 7:00 PM when it’s most convenient!
@ Friar: That is what inspiration does to us. It strikes at the most inconvenient time, like at 3AM when my brain is exploding with great writing ideas and then by 7AM I forgot all about it.
I wish someone would invent the glowing pen and notepad.
Now I know why you live in Canada. You wouldn’t love it here to paint in the middle of summer.
Hi Monika - I’ve been struggling to write lately and like you, I’m surrounded by clutter right now. And you’re right - ot does make a huge difference. I’m going to take your advice and make it a priority to clean up the clutter around me.
I like the idea of keeping nibbles in the fridge too. I have a terrible habit of going hungry unless someone reminds me to eat.
@ Cath: Oh, food is the essence that goes amiss in a many writer’s life. I forget to eat so often it’s not funny. But then it isn’t good either since I only end up pigging out at midnight.
Clearing clutter is so liberating. It just sucks when you can’t do much because when you clean up one corner, another gets messed up. Warning to all, don’t get any ideas on refurbishing your house. Enjoy the sanity while it lasts.
Most of my posts are written in the office before I start work. I unpack everything, set up the laptop, look through my notes from the days before in my notebook. If I have a post idea ready, I click the DarkRoom icon and start typing, allowing nothing else to interrupt until I am done.
@ Stephan Miller: That’s a great way to get a productive day happening. It’s a nice ritual you have too, simple but effective by the sounds of it.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Most of my destractions are on the computer: gmail, igoogle, adsense earnings etc etc. I need to get better at shutting everything down except for the research I am currently doing!
@Monika,
This is great. I try to do this, and up to now I’ve done it in an easy chair in my upstairs den, or outside. But it is no longer practical and I’ll need a desk. I’ve been sharing a desk with my wife, but it is too cluttered for my tastes and I have a solution.
I am going to set up a small desk for me next week, when I’m on vacation, that faces my vision board. It will have only the bare things on it - basically, what you have listed yourself.
That’s really all I need to do, and then that book will be churned out in no time at all!
Thanks for this great post!
@lissie,
I hear you. I have that problem too, so as I mentioned in Monika’s next post, I turn off as many notifications as possible, turn off the sound, and use a multiple desktop application to separate real work from tempting distractions.
Yes, discipline would take care of this too. But a little help is okay, right?
-Brett
Great tips, Monika! I have been struggling lately so I am going to try out your list and see if I can get inspired.
THANKS.