Writing Rituals

"The inner heckler laughs even at sages" - Jeff Davis (from The Journey From the Center to the Page)

Everyone loves a success story.  It invigorates us to see others do well.  We all love to see someone fight against the odds and come out victorious.  It's a universal theme.  We identify with the struggle.

Think for a moment of what goes into the success of a writer.  We think a person becomes an "overnight success" in Hollywood only to discover that said person had years of training under his/her belt or worked behind the scenes for decades before venturing out on his/her own with an original project.

Things take time to mature.  Wines, cheeses, and writers all benefit from the effects of time.  I do believe we get better as we get older because, hopefully, we've kept learning, kept digging deeper at the essence of things.  We get better simply because we keep doing it.

Invent and structure your day around to enrich and empower your good writing habits.  My writing rituals necessarily must include walking two dogs three times a day and lots of coffee.  But every morning I'm at the keyboard around 10am.  I put in as much time as I can before the other demands of the day press on me.  I make time for at least one hour of exercise a day.  It's that simple,  Just show up.  But, that doesn't guarantee that you'll have a finished novel, play or short story.  It just means you're engaged in the process.  You've committed to the life of a writer which involves a lot of uncertainty.

Recently, I've been looking over some short stories I wrote years ago and am mining for gold, looking for something perhaps forgotten that can be further developed.  These old paper copies also need to be re-typed up nicely on my word processor so it gives me a chance to polish stories I haven't looked at since I wrote them in 2003.  For me, this is a way to keep my writing flow going while the new ideas perculate in the background.  It also keeps me organized.

This blog sprung from a few journal entries that focused on writing and prompted me to collect my thoughts on the subject and my approach to it, along with helpful exercises in one place and share my discoveries with others.  I've been thrilled to see so many people use it.

Make every part of your day part of your writing practice.  While I may not do 100% of my writing at the keyboard.  Sometimes an idea comes to me at odd times throughout the day.  Part of being a writer is always having a pen and notepad handy to capture ideas as they come to you.  This becomes second nature and it's very necessary.  A notepad becomes part of your personality.  Capture a friend's witty comment during a brunch date.  Incorporate writing into every part of your day.  Practice describing the room you're in.  Practice describing people's posture, speech patterns, modes of dress.  It's all connected to your writing.

This week's suggested website: Constant Content - (http://www.constant-content.com/) List your work for sale and name your own price on this website.  

This week's writing prompt: Give yourself five uninterrupted minutes of quiet time. Think about your favorite fairy tale (Cinderella, The Ugly Duckling, The Three Little Pigs, etc.) try rewriting the story with a new ending.  Introduce a new character or switch the point of view.  Imagine what Little Red Riding Hood's story would sound like if you were hearing it from the wolf.  Would the three bears have a completely different take on that little bitch Goldilocks?  Have fun, do your best work and have a great writing week.