Writing Rituals?

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A nice drive (sometimes a really long drive, like 2 hours). A cup of beverage (tea or frappacino). A table by a window. Music cranked up. Ready to go.

I envy all of you who have the time to endulge writing rituals (this is not a negative comment, but real envy). Many people here are like me. We have day jobs that take more than the usual 40 hours per week, and we have young families (I have two young 'uns, 8 and 6 yrs). My writing time is usually pinched by family stuff (first priority always) and job stuff (second priority at least during times of deadlines and heavy workloads). When I do have time, I get right into it, so my only ritual is to pull the laptop onto my lap and throw myself into the current project. I do think about my current project frequently, though, particularly with the scene I'm working on or about to work on. So, when I do sit down to write, I am prepared to do just that--I know what the scene will be about and how it fits the story. If there is ever an important ritual for writing, I would propose that it is to be prepared to write when you sit down--have a good idea of where that writing is going to go and of how it meshes with the rest of the story. So, I guess that means I do have a ritual of sorts. I have one cup of coffee each night as well, but it may come before or during the writing time.

My writing isn't pinched by family stuff, although it could be if my kids weren't as understanding as they are. Ever since they were little little, I've zoned out. They know if my writing program is up, I've got a cigarette in hand and coffee on the desk, to not disturb me. (My kids are 9, 8 and almost 7) There have been times when I didn't come out of a zone for weeks... I'd sleep a couple of hours and get right back at it. Those times, my husband knows the deal and calls my mom or the babysitter (depends on if we can afford to pay someone at that particular time). I have three weeks at the end of May when my kids are going to Alabama to stay with their other grammy, so I'm hoping I don't zone again until then. There are times when I just can't bring myself to stop. I know that sounds weird, but it's the truth. If I need to stop, I can, but if things are going smoothly and I have nothing pressing on me, I can't get away from my story. It's not really a ritual, but I don't move away from my computer except to get more coffee. I don't even usually have to get up to get a new pack of cigarettes either, my husband takes care of that most times (but he SUCKS at making a cuppa). Every once in a while, you'll catch me staring at the last bit of what I've written, picking on my guitar, trying to figure out what happens next, but usually when it comes down on me, it's not getting stuck. If I try to avoid writing when that urge hits, I get headaches, mood swings (not anything unusual about that, but they get worse) and almost become intolerable. It's like a physical withdrawal, except it's all in my head (just like all the others hehe). In all seriousness, if I have any ritual at all, it's that my writing becomes an obsession or possesses me or something. It's usually un-punctuated, half the words don't have spaces between them or there are apostrophes and commas everywhere, but that's what all the time between spurts are for.

I don't have a ritual as such but when I sit down to write I find that I'm either drinking a lot of tea or coffee and smoking (I know how bad that sounds). If the price of cigarettes keeps going up I may have to quit and then how will I write. Very deliberately, I guess.

If the price of cigarettes keeps going up I may have to quit and then how will I write.

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Find a replacement to hold like a cigarette... a broken pencil, a sucker stick or the like. Make the motions of smoking with your substitute while you write after you've quit and the cravings have diminished. (I smoke too and have a friend who did this to actually quit smoking... I think I may have said this already in another thread, but I can't remember where). I've had the same concerns with quitting and if worse comes to worse, I'll write crap until it's a non-issue, if I ever quit that is.

I start to feel bad because I haven't written anything in a few days, so I open a document and just do it. Not such a great ritual, but it's worked so far.

I don't have a real ritual -- I like to settle in with some music, or take myself off to the park with laptop and beach chair on a nice day (just got back, actually), but will write whenever I can.

A big ole cup 'o tea.

Adzmodeus said:

A big ole cup 'o tea.

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And that nagging "Hai!" email to me, asking "Hao menny wurdz?"

scarletpeaches said:

And that nagging "Hai!" email to me, asking "Hao menny wurdz?"

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But of course, how could I forget!

Then the menny follow-up back and forth emails discussing [Censored!], [Censored!], and [Censored!] with [Censored!].

Panic that I'm going to die before I finish seems to work for me.

I get my best writing done between midnight and 5:00 a.m.. I sit on the sofa with my laptop on my lap and a cup of green tea on the coffee table. I keep one light on in the living room and turn out all the others. The rest of my family is asleep so the house is nice and quiet. The cats and the ferrets make a bit of noise, but I can tune them out. Periodically, when the urge strikes or I just need a jolt, I go out on my back porch and smoke a cigarette. Then I come back in, grab the laptop and rinse and repeat.

The problem with rituals is that they run the risk of becoming excuses--I can't write because I'm out of cigarettes/coffee/tea/chocolate, etc...

My only "ritual" consists of plunking my butt down in a chair, opening up the Word program, and putting my fingers on the keyboard. If I'm not at home, I flip open a clean page in the notebook and take the cap off my pen.

Ick to the smoking bits... I'm so glad that I don't smoke. My nasty disgusting addiction is to Dr. Pepper, but it's only recently that we started keeping it in the house. Mostly I just get down to it, but there is often a bit of goofing off online in between progress.

ChaosTitan said:

The problem with rituals is that they run the risk of becoming excuses--I can't write because I'm out of cigarettes/coffee/tea/chocolate, etc...

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Yeah - my ritual, er, excuse is waiting around until 9PM Sunday night to write. If I'm ever going to "be a real writer" I should probably write more often than that.

Guess I'll never be a real writer, then, because the kids don't get into bed until around 8:30 or so. Damn. And I had my heart set on it.

NeuroFizz said:

Guess I'll never be a real writer, then, because the kids don't get into bed until around 8:30 or so. Damn. And I had my heart set on it.

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That's okay, you're still welcome to join us for the Flash Fiction Challenge, Sunday nights starting at 9PM.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=137
Many of us hang out in the chat while writing, as well.

Does anyone drink anymore?

Wayne K said:

Does anyone drink anymore?

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I do, but I find it hinders my writing, rather than helping.

Adzmodeus said:

I do, but I find it hinders my writing, rather than helping.

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Sadly, I have to agree. Damn, I sure enjoy some quality Scotch but I don't get a lot of writing done. When I want to think about the plot, characters, scenes, etc. and I'm frazzled from work, I'll settle down with a drink.

Adzmodeus said:

I do, but I find it hinders my writing, rather than helping.

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I get the same thing from sobriety.

My needs are simple - background noise to tune out (tv/music), glass of wine or equivalent, laptop in my lap. Fav place/time to write is tucked in my bed at night after thinking about my MC's next move all day - kids tucked in bed, puppies snoozing on the floor/at the foot of the bed