My 3-Step Writing Ritual

What I’ve learned about my writing ritual is… No. What I’ve learned about my writing rituals (plural) is I have two of them—my ideal writing ritual and my what-actually-usually-happens writing ritual.

Funny, I know.

But isn’t that the truth of so many working writers? We all have these grand ideas of what a perfect writing ritual and setting would be. And then we have reality.

The trick is to accept the reality most days and savor the ideal setting and situation when it comes your way… once a year.

My Ideal Writing Ritual is as follows…

I wake naturally in my cozy bed, feeling my toes and fingers, touching the fringes of my dreams. Staying in the warm embrace of my blanket, I pad to my sweet little office that overlooks the pond. The sun is just peeking over the horizon to my right, while my Macbook screen holds onto its eye-saving amber hue.

There’s just one page open—my writing page—poised and ready for the taking. I click the tiny tomato in the upper right hand of my screen, marking twenty-five minutes on the clock to focus and, subsequently, pour my guts out.

I write. Without thought, with a flowy feeling to my fingertips. I write.

The timer dings. Twenty-five minutes in the bag. A good stare out the window for five long minutes and then I’m back to channeling squigglies onto the page.

Ding! One hour and one thousand words later, I’m done.

Shaking the sleep from my elbows and knees, I walk downstairs and pour a fresh cup of coffee, hot with a dab of honey and a slight pour of milk. Ahh, the bitter-sweet taste of having written for the day.

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Wasn’t that glorious?

And quite hilarious, seeing as how I have a child and very little of that ever actually happens. But, it’ll be nice once it does.

My Actual 3-Step Writing Ritual

I wake to my alarm. It’s set to be soft, so as to not wake others, but it still jolts me out of my dreams.

I swing myself out of bed and into my plushiest robe in one deft motion. Can’t let the cold get too far into me. I don’t want to wake up yet.

I take four steps to my writing chair, set in my bedroom for its daily appointment.

Here’s where it gets good.

1. I open my MacBook and immediately turn the screen brightness down, my eyes practically crying from the sudden glare.
2. I open my draft (currently using LivingWriter).
3. I click the little tomato (Pomodoro Technique timer) in the upper right hand of my screen.

And folks, I write.

Two Pomodoros and I’m out of there. Downstairs to prepare a bottle and then back up to tend to the waking baby.

Also glorious, if I’m being honest.

Later, once I finally get my first cup of coffee in front of me, it’s just as bitter-sweet, so at least there’s that.