Rituals


What is the one thing you must do every day before you write?
•Say a prayer to your god of choice?
•Stand on your head?
•Take deep breaths?
• Scream?
•Or just dive in, like me?

I've always found this a curious subject. I've never really had a ritual I would carry out before writing, but I think I just found one.

The book I'm reading, Write Away, by Elizabeth George, not only has a lot of great advice, but a few words of inspiration, that come in the form of chapter headings: Journal of a Novel. This one really got my attention:

This is the moment when faith is called for. Faith in the creative spirit within me, which is part of what I've been given by God; faith in the process; faith in my intelligence and my imagination. If I've managed to imagine these characters and this situation into being, doesn't it follow that I should also be able to imagine my way through to the end of the book? It seems so. Thus...I suit up and show up. I sit down at the computer and I do the work, moving it forward a sentence at a time, which is ultimately the only way there is to write a book.

I found this so inspirational, I think it will become my wallpaper for my computer so I will see it every morning before writing.

So, what helps you clear your thoughts and get into the creative space of writing?

6 comments:

Susan R. Mills said...

I love that quote. It is very inspiring. Coffee usually gets my creative juices flowing.

K. M. Walton said...

Great quote, Ron!! I get inspired when I actually start writing and getting it out of my head. Seeing the page number rise and the word count increase gets me so excited!

Stacey J. Warner said...

I love the quote. I write during the week at 5:15am after meditating. I'm in a dreamy state still and it is just what I do. I don't think about it.

much love

Adam said...

Hey Ron. I just read your post about unreturned books. About 5 hours ago, I lent my copy of "the beach" to a woman I just who missed her flight 5 days ago and can't seem to get out of costa rica. I wrote my address and email inside the cover and made her promise shed send it to me when shes finished. Hah, I'm quaking with anxiousness over whether or not I'll get my book back... or maybe a knock on my door from a fellow traveler. Who knows, but your blog inspired me to tell someone about the interaction.

Best,
Adam

Ronald L. Smith said...

Thanks for stopping by guys!

Adam, I hope you get your book back.
Even if it IS twenty years later.

Welcome Stacey! I find early morning the best time to write too.

Kate, always great to hear from you.

Susan, thanks for stopping by again. I have to have that coffee too. It gets the brain cells percolating!

Sarah J Clark said...

I throw myself against the wall a few times.