On Monday I looked briefly at the idea of writing rituals. Today's web tip is a short article from a Writer's Community which includes a look at some common rituals and some truly odd ones.
Ask any professional writer and although they may begin with denial, they will likely come around to admitting that they each have some repeated behavior patterns that help them get going, even if they're unwilling to identify them as rituals.
A Google search for "writer's rituals" turned up a number of lengthy and interesting articles, including the fact (who wouldn't want to know this?) that Victor Hugo preferred to write naked and even instructed a servant to hide his clothes. He reasoned that if he didn't dress, he couldn't interrupt his concentration by leaving the house.
We may not all need to go to such lengths (or embarrassments) in order to be productive, but the fact remains that writing is both a discipline and an art. Some routines may help the discipline and some may inspire the muse.
As a NYT best seller I know once said, "Whatever cranks your engine." That's what rituals do: they crank our writing engines. Find yours and get cranking.
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