Writing Rituals

Long ago, I developed a ritual where I had to clean and straighten things up before starting a new craft project. For better or worse, that process has been extended to my writing.

National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo, starts soon and my writing space hasn’t looked this good since I moved in three years ago. It took two days, but every EFS (Exposed Flat Surface) has been cleared of extraneous clutter and contains only the essential stuff for the writing mission ahead.

·        I have my main desk devoted to book materials: notes, character studies, background info, etc.

·        Another desk is cleared out so it can act as a staging area.

·        I dusted my reference shelves.

·        Pads of clean paper are close at hand—should I need to jot down some profound thoughts while away from the computer.

·        The plant area is organized so all I have to do is remember to add the water.

·        The emergency stash of Halloween candy is tucked away. That I will remember.

Cleaning is a wonderful tradition. I’ve found all kinds of things that were missing from my life. Like some extra mechanical pencils—my favorites. More pads of sticky notes—all colors. Projects I need to finish up before Christmas—gifts and such.

The list could go on, but I will stop. It’s time to go off and write. 1667 words per day will not magically appear without some effort.