How Do I Do What I Do? Is a new author feature here on Ali's Bookshelf. It's mainly a great way for authors to showcase writing topics. So today I have a great post on the Ritual of Writing by author Alexandra Christian. So sit back and enjoy! Oh and don't forget to leave some love for this great author and let her know what you think of this post.
The Ritual of Writing
By Alexandra Christian
It’s a historical fact that humans love rituals. Think about
it-- we do them every day as we are all creatures of habit. Don't ask us to
deviate from our routine. We freak out like Rain Man in a Wal-Mart. What all of
us want is to go to the same places, eat the same things with the same people
day after day, ad nauseum. Unfortunately, there isn't as much of that as we'd
like, so we create these rituals for ourselves to follow: putting on both
socks, then moving on to shoes; sitting in the same pew in church every Sunday;
making a hot dog with the mustard and onions on bottom, then the wiener, then
the chilli. We all do it because we're all freaks and there's not much we can
do about it except just conform to the ritual and get it over with.
The same is true of writing. As a writer I've noticed that I am
the most productive when I follow a certain ritual. Every Thursday afternoon,
me and my writer friends, Susan and Jen, head out together about 5:30pm. We
stop at one of a myriad of places and have dinner. Then we immediately go to
the local Starbucks, plop our asses in chairs, order Venti White Chocolate
Mochas (no, we don't even have to order anymore) and write. If any part of this
magical equation is missing, we fall apart. It’s as if we are unable to cope with
the ups and downs of sitting in a new place. Or not having coffee. I'm
convinced that this ritual is why I often have a difficult time sitting down at
home and writing for 3 hours at a clip. That and the distractions of Facebook ,
Skype and Second Life. Hell, I even get into a repetitive ritual with my song
selection. When I'm writing a sex scene, I have to listen to :Wumpscut:'s
"Wreath of Barbs" on a loop or its useless. Sometimes, I even have to
search through endless playlists trying to find just the right song to fit my
writing mood of the day. But once I find it-- whoa Nelly... look out. I can
listen to the damn song for hours if it will get the scene going.
Now, are rituals bad? There are some schools of thought that say
YES! That if we train our brain to a ritual, that we'll never be able to live
without it. And I can see that point of view. If I have to write at the
Starbucks, what will I do when I get home? Chances are I'll sit there and look
at a blank page all night. But then, at least the ritual offers some
productivity and I can't argue with that. My point is-- do what works for you.
If you have a ritual, try to keep it simple and portable. Try to find some way
to recreate that same feeling that you have in the Starbucks and God willing,
you can make the magic in other places. That being said, you'll never make any
progress if you don't follow this one basic ritual... Are you ready? I'm going
to change your life---- GET YOUR ASS IN THE CHAIR AND DO IT, ALREADY!
And now... I have to follow my own advice.....
**********************
If I’ve piqued your interest or if you just want to come point
and laugh, I can be found at the following locales:
My books
can be found at Amazon, Barnes and
Noble, All Romance eBooks
and anywhere quality eBooks are sold.
So, wasn't that a great post? I loved it, thanks so much Alexandra for being on the blog today and sharing this great writing post with us.
